В Флориде сохранились следы самой старой дороги США, построенной еще до основания штата

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Those who find themselves on the backroads along Central Florida’s east coast may happen upon what used to be the oldest highway in the state. In fact, this road is so old that it predates Florida itself — as well as the rest of the nation. Recommended Videos But nowadays, only a trace of it yet remains: Old Kings Road. According to the Flagler County Historical Society, the route was first conceived in 1765 by Col. James Grant, the first governor of British East Florida, to help keep his command linked together. At the time, British investors liked the idea of building profitable plantations along the east coast, so plans were developed to build a roadway following old Indian trails. “England found that the Spanish had pretty much left Florida, and it was this wild, empty place,” senior Flagler County historian William Ryan told News 6. “The British were very desirous of expanding and had given out huge tracts of land to influential politicians in England.” As a result, one of the first major roads in America was born, extending from St. Augustine to present-day Jacksonville and up through Georgia across the St. Marys River. “This was later called the ‘King’s Road,’ and it was completed shortly before the American Revolution,” Ryan added. “Now, I found out that there were almost limitless stories that everything that we know of building the American Dream occurred on that King’s Road.” Agricultural production exploded, with nearly 20 plantations being built along the route. And thanks to its proximity to the Atlantic coast, trade with Europe was also better facilitated. In fact, the route was such an important tool that it helped cement one of Florida’s oldest settlements: the Turnbull Plantation, Ryan claimed. That’s because many Europeans at the time were trying to escape the continent’s endless wars by fleeing to the Americas, paving the way for the settlement in New Smyrna, which was built on indentured servitude and connected along the King’s Road. However, harsh treatment and starvation stirred rebellion in the New Smyrna colony, leading to its downfall. “Basically, the New Smyrna effort blew apart when the indentured people heard about the American Revolution,” Ryan explained. “They all went up the King’s Road to St. Augustine, and there, they did very, very well.” Over the years, the King’s Road endured wars, battles with natives, colonization efforts, and even the region’s very own tumultuous climate. When the U.S. reclaimed Florida in 1821, large chunks of the old path were reclaimed by the wilderness, so it had to be rebuilt before the territory could be viable again. But all these years later, the original King’s Road has effectively disappeared. “To my knowledge, there’s no dirt section left. I do have videotape and film of it, and at various times, people tried to rebuild the King’s Road because it is such an important part of America’s history...” Ryan explained. “It would make a marvelous thing, but it just basically never happened. Every time someone tried, it just went to poopoo.” Nowadays, the fully paved Old Kings Road pays homage to the original highway, running parallel to U.S. Highway 1 along the Atlantic coast. However, some markers near the highway provide travelers with information about the history of King’s Road, including one near Pellicer Pond in Palm Coast. Ryan himself has also done extensive work researching the history of King’s Road, working with a civil engineering group to publish the route of the ancient highway. He documents his search for the King’s Road in his 2014 book, “The Search for Old King’s Road,” which can be purchased here.