Wanted!

Wanted.....your recipies! We are putting together a Vail Preservation Society Cookbook. Elizabeth Spiker and Charlotte Kimbel are the committee chairs for this project. Recipes can be emailed to Vailpreservation@gmail.com or mailed to Vail Preservation Society, P.O. 982, Vail, AZ.
We look forward to your entries!

Autumn Run 4 Miler

Tagg Running Events is presenting the inaugural "Autumn Run 4 Miler". It will be held on Sunday October 28th. The purpose of the run is to raise funds for the Vail Preservation Society.
In addition to the four mile fun run for the adults, there will also be a one mile kids run. If you want to come on out and run for Vail, then head on over to the sign up sheet right over here.
Hope to See ya all there!

The Old Spanish Trail

The Old Spanish Trail and The Old Spanish Trail

A Tail of Two Trails with Vail Connections

Our ‘OST’ winds through the desert, called by a patchwork of names until the 1950’s, it begins at a quiet corner along Broadway Rd., and ends at the entrance to Colossal Cave Mountain Park. Called alternately, Old Spanish Trail, Freeman, MacDonald, and Pistol Hill Road, it is not very old and not Spanish. It was often a topic of conversation at Vail poker games held by local ranchers and businessmen. They were joined by a young entrepreneur, Joe Maierhauser, who was eager to improve the road to Colossal Cave. Mr. Jackson, also one of the card-playing group said that it should all be called ‘Old Spanish Trail’, and it stuck.

Joe encouraged the locals to work together to pave the road. In the mid 1950’s it was $2,000.00 to pave a mile. The County would match $1,000.00, and pave one mile. The catch was that the ‘miles’ could not be contiguous! Joe would also visit the grader operator, encouraging him to put a slight crown in the long, winding ribbon of road so that it would be ‘pavement ready’. Even Jack Daniels got involved. Given now and again as a gift to the operator, it helped ‘pave’ the way! The first section paved on OST was from Saguaro National Monument east one mile. By about 1958, the scenic byway was paved, one ‘non-contiguous’ section at a time; although, towards the end of the process the County was convinced to pave adjoining sections.

The other Old Spanish Trail passed through Vail, via Highway 80. It was actually the name given by a tourism association formed in 1915 to promote business along the all-weather, southern route traversing the country from Saint Augustine to San Diego. The project was put on hold during WWI, but was finished in 1929. The organization was quite successful until the completion of I10 in the 1960’s. When you visit the Vail School District Office along the frontage road, you are driving The Old Spanish Trail.

In the late ‘50’s, Joe Maierhauser was in the local chapter, they met at the Pioneer Hotel. His proposed signage was adopted for the entire route. Attractions purchased two of the distinctive porcelain on metal conquistador signs; one for eastbound traffic, the other for westbound. Only two are known to be in existence, one is on display at Colossal Cave Mountain Park.

J.J. Lamb, The Vail Preservation Society, vailpreservationsociety@gmail.com

Joe Maierhauser, Oral History, 12-’00, CCMP

OST Website

OST Pamphlet, 19?