Editor’s note: This is the seventh 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 Alabama Trace was a trail that extended from the Old San Antonio Road about three miles west of current San Augustine, Texas, through Polk County to Colita’s Village (Lower Coushatta Village) on the Trinity River in San Jacinto County. This trail was noted on Stephen F. Austin’s 1827 map of Texas.

In Polk County, the Alabama Trace passed alongside Bear Creek through the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation, through the campground at the junction of Bear Creek and Big Sandy Creek and south to Colita’s Village (Coushatta) on the Trinity River.

Nine highway signs were placed to mark the Alabama Trace. Of these nine, only three have been located:

1. Near Barnum on 287 less than ½ mile east of Long King 1 (which is just east of Caney Creek); double-sided with Coushatta 1.

2. Crosses FM 1745 0.5 mile west of Caney Creek Bridge and 0.6 mile west of dirt road connecting 1745 and 287 - not found.

3. Dirt road which crosses 942 just south of Beard Cemetery ¾ mile east of 942 and 0.2 mile east of Spring Branch bridge - not found.

4. Crosses a dirt road leaving 942 at Parrish Cemetery about 0.2 mile east of Feagin Cemetery - not found.

5. Crosses US 190 on a hill east of Mill Creek in the reservation - not found.

6. “FM 1276 on a hill 0.2 mile east of Big Sandy Creek.” More accurate: FM 1276 3.8 miles south from intersection with US 190; on the east side of the road, 0.2 miles northwest of Big Sandy Creek – near Roden Rd. in front of a house; GPS 30.674263, -94690866.

7. Crosses dirt road at Sunflower Baptist Church near McMillan Road, on the west side of the road; GPS 30.63617, -94.71143.

8. Crosses Camp Ruby-Segno Road 2.2 miles south of intersection with Sunflower Church Road - not found.

9. Crosses a dirt road 0.2 mile west of its junction with Camp Ruby-Segno Rd., one mile south of #8 - not found.