The Road They Couldn’t Make Up Their Mind About. A History Of Texas Highway 29. (If highways had feelings, 29 would feel like a red-headed stepchild)

When I’m heading out west, I usually hit 29 and end up at its terminus in Menard, where it becomes something else. When heading to east Texas I often take 29 over toward Taylor to where it ends into Texas 95 at Circleville. (I always wish it went a little farther to the east, to make it easier to connect up to Bryan/College Station via Hearn, and other eastward destinations)

I guess I always assumed that was the start and finish of that road I travel daily. If you live in Bertram, it’s pretty difficult to not let 29 be in you everyday vernacular.

When looking at various old road maps I could see where 29 used to go to Austin. Following it out it actually extended all the way to Port O’Conner.

A little digging and here is the history of Texas 29:
SH 29 was proposed on October 8, 1917 on a route from Port O’Connor to Austin. On August 21, 1923, the section from Port Lavaca to Port O’Connor was cancelled. On January 21, 1924, SH 29 extended to Mason, replacing part of SH 43. On July 27, 1926, SH 29 extended back to Port O’Connor. On January 17, 1928, SH 29 extended to Rocksprings. On October 25, 1932, the south end was shortened to Junction. On February 14, 1933, it extended back to Rocksprings. On June 20, 1933, the south end was truncated to north of Cuero, with the portion south of there transferred to SH 27. On March 19, 1934, SH 29 was extended through Goliad to Refugio, ending near Gregory, replacing SH 190 and part of SH 119. On July 17, 1934, SH 29 was rerouted to end in Karnes City, replacing part of SH 80 and part of SH 112. On November 27, 1934, SH 29 Spur was created in Goliad. On January 19, 1935, it was rerouted back to Refugio over part of SH 80. The old route was transferred back to SH 80 and SH 112. On February 28, 1935, SH 29 Spur in Goliad was taken over. On July 15, 1935, the sections from Cuero to SH 119 and La Bahia Mission to Gregory were cancelled. On January 21, 1936, the section from Cuero to SH 119 was restored. On November 23, 1937, the section from La Bahia Mission to Gregory was restored. On September 26, 1939, SH 29 Spur was renumbered as Spur 71. On May 23, 1951, the stretch from Liberty Hill to Gregory was reassigned to U.S. Highway 183, and the section from Mason to Rocksprings was reassigned to U.S. Highway 377. On August 22, 1951, SH 29 was extended farther east along former SH 104 from Liberty Hill to Circleville, and was also extended west from Mason along former SH 151 to Eldorado. By 1966, SH 29 had been signed along part of RM 33, all of RM 1980, FM 1257, and part of FM 305 to I-10. On June 30, 1977, the section from Menard to Eldorado, along with the signed section west of Eldorado, was redesignated U.S. Highway 190. In December 1985, SH 29 lost its 3 miles concurrent with US 83 into Menard, shortening SH 29 to its current designation.

This is the current route in red.

This is the route at an earlier time in red.