The border vidette., 1933-07-08
PHOENIX AND TUCSON CON-
NECTED BY OIL

the first time, connected by a
smooth ribbon of pavement-type
highway. Oil surfacing of the
last gap,a ten-mile stretch south
of Chandler on State Highway
81, was completed this month.
An automobile journey which
only few years ago required
tedious hours Of jolting through
vast clouds of dust may be made
in comfort today at almost any
speed the motorist desires. Toe
rate is governed only by mechan
ical limitations of the car, no
longer by those of the highway.
AS smooth as the highest type
pavement, this new road follows
the most direct route between
the two cities. through Mesa.
Chandler and Coolidge, past his
toric Picacho Peak and along
the line of the Southern Pacific
railway to the O.d Pueblo.
At Tucson it connects with u.
S. ga, Ell Canine Real another
completely oil surfaced highway,
and provides the automobile
driver with a paved route all the
way from the state capital to the
Port of Nogales on the Mexican
boundary.
At the Old Pueblo. the Phoe
nix Tucson road connects with
u. S 80, through Vail. Benson,
St. David. Tombstone, Bisbee
and Douglas to the Mexican Dor
Der. Lordsburg and El Paso-a
completely oiled route. except
for three short stretches, from
Phoenix to the Mexican line.
The gaps probably will be filed
this year.
From Nogales to Tombstone.
through Patagonia, Sonoita. El
gin and Fairbanks. runs an ex
cellent gravel.surfaced highway.
the lower end of the Coronado
Trail, and the great cattle coun
try Of Southern Arizona is tap
ped by another we'll improved
road from Sonoita to Vail.
Connecting with u. S 80 at
Douglas, State Highway 81 runs
north past the Chiricahua Ma
tional Monument and the Won
derland of Rocks through Co
chise and Wilcox to Stafford.
From Douglas east through
the famous old Slaughter ranch
on the Mexican border runs the
new Geronimo Trail into the
Peloncillo Mountains on the New
Mexico line.
A glance at the map will re
veal to the Phoenix and Tucson
resident a delightful two or three
day week end trip for any season
of the year.
Along this network of high
ways lie many of the most cele
brated historic and scenic points
of the American Southwe
Elevations range from $500 to
5. 500 and climatic conditions are
excellent both in summer and in
winter.
U. S 80 from Tucson to No
gales follows closely the line of
the old Canine Real, the Royal
Road of Spain in the colorful
early days of the white man in
Arizona. Tucson then was a
walled city, probably the only
one at that time in what is now
the United States. and from that
fact it still retains the cesigna
ton Old Pueblo. Nine miles to
the south is the celebrated mis-
sion of San Xavier del Bac,
founded in the year 1900 by FIR.
Eusebio Francisco Kino and
known as the Father of Mis-
sions" It was one of q chain of
institutions through which the
early padres broght Christianity
to the Indians of the southwest.
Best preserved of the missions
in this part of the country. it has
withstood the revages of the
elements and attacks by Indians
through q period of more than
200 years and still serves the
people for whose benefit it was
erected. It was operated by the
Jesuit fathers until the year
1851, but after the Jesuits we're
expelled by the Spauiards it
came into the hands of the Fran
ciscan order. by which it is still
kept up and tenanted.
| Nineteen miles north of Noga
les on El Canine Real are the
ruins of the mission of San Jose
de Tumacacori which was estab
lished in 1891. This old mission
has been made a national monu
ment. Almost destroyed by the