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So,
if you drive through Upshur
County on U.S. Highway 271, which
runs north and south, here’s what you’ll find:
As you enter the county from the south, to the west are roads bearing
the names of Silk Tree Road, Crepe Myrtle Road, Live Oak Road, Lemon
Tree Road, Locust Road, Hackberry Road, Holly Road and other roads
with tree names
To the east of U.S. 271 are the bird names, honoring such flying
creatures as pheasants, flamingos, goldfinches, mockingbirds, hawks
grouse, bluebirds and hummingbirds. Again, the list goes on and
on.
When you pass through Gilmer,
the county seat, in the precinct west of US. 271 are roads named
for deer, mule deer, horses, chipmunks, jack rabbits, longhorns,
reindeer, ocelots, muskrats, giraffes, bison--and my personal favorite,
Groundhog Road.
I wonder if the folks who live on Groundhog Road know when the groundhog
first sees his shadow.
Finally in the precinct on the east side of U.S. 271 are the flowers--Poppy
Road, Begonia Road, Petunia Road, Dahlia Road, Sweet William Road,
Tulip Road and Spider Lilly Road.
As a result of this system, you don’t find too many roads bearing
people names. Which has probably kept a few county commissioners
from being voted out of office because they didn’t name a road for
one of their constituents.
In driving around the county, my favorite names for roads were Alligator,
Great Dane, Burr Rabbit, Bulldog, Frog, and, naturally, Bob O’ Link
and Bob White.
Bob
Bowman's East Texas November 2, 2009 Column
A weekly column syndicated in 109 East Texas newspapers
Copyright Bob Bowman
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