Editor’s note: This is the second of a multi-part series intended to bring awareness to the traces, highlight each of the nine trails separately with descriptions of each, seek public input on the missing Indian Trace highway marker signs and let the public know that work is underway to replace the signs.
Long before the Republic of Texas, Native Americans of many tribes created trails, or traces, through Eastern Texas for trade and transportation. From 1975-1978, the Bicentennial Committee of the Polk County Historical Commission, in conjunction with TXDOT, placed 64 markers in Polk County where these traces crossed our modern roads.
In 2022, Polk County Historical Commission took note of the dilapidated markers, and they began working with the Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Council and Historic Preservation Office to locate any remaining road signs in an effort to replace them.
In this ongoing series, we will describe the trails individually and show the signs that have been located, and descriptions of the ones that have not been found. We are asking for help from citizens to locate any markers that have not been noted. Most of these road signs have lost their paint; many have been used for target practice, and some may have been removed after car crashes or roadwork. Most are only recognizable from the shape of the sign or a wayward post that has lost its sign.
If you know of a sign that is listed as not found, please take a photo and write a description of the location (GPS is helpful) and send to museum@co.polk.tx.us.
The Coushatta Trace is the farthest north of the nine trails. It traverses Polk County from northeast to southwest, passing through Moscow and Onalaska on its way into San Jacinto County. Ten points were marked:
1. US-287 at Barnum - This is a double-sided sign with Alabama Trace 1 on the reverse; it has been replaced recently, although TXDOT has found no record of this replacement.
2. FM-62 just north of Camden - not found.
3. FM942 west of Camden on the north side of the road east of Bullnettle Hill Road (Mike Jones Road).
4. Rock Island Road, 2.5 miles south of Friendship Cemetery and Church – The sign is missing, but the post has been located.
5. US-59 north of Moscow - not found.
6. FM-350 2 miles west of Moscow, south side of the road near Holshousen-Darby Cemetery - double-sided, both Coushatta 6.
7. FM-350 west of Burnett Creek - This one may not have been placed. There was a pristine Coushatta-7 sign at the museum which may have been the original, or it may have been a duplicate. It has been given to the Alabama-Coushatta Historic Preservation Office.
8. FM-350 at Colita Loop - on Colita Loop to the north in the brush.
9. US-190 on the hill west of Kickapoo Creek - not found.
10. FM-3186 in Onalaska, ¾ mile south of US-190 high on the fence line - The trace lies under Lake Livingston, then emerges in Trinity County.
