The video above takes you on a scenic drive along the historic Bankhead Highway, one of the oldest Texas roads still in existence. This route dates back to the 1920s and was the nation's first all-weather coast-to-coast highway, running from Washington, D.C. to San Diego, California. A full third of its course — roughly 900 miles — crossed through the state of Texas. The drive featured here follows a stretch of the original route between Weatherford and Mineral Wells, where David Bridwell was headed to play a gig at Bankhead Texas Wine Bar.
What is the Bankhead Highway and why does it matter to Texas?
The Bankhead Highway was built in an era when automobiles were just becoming common. Earlier attempts at a transcontinental highway ran into trouble with snow in northern states, so this route was designed to pass through the South and across Texas to avoid harsh weather. It entered Texas at Texarkana and passed through Dallas, Fort Worth, Weatherford, Mineral Wells, Abilene, Midland, and El Paso before continuing to the California coast. Historians actually estimate that more people traveled west along the Bankhead Highway than along Route 66, yet Route 66 became the famous one thanks to restored neon signs, motels, and pop culture references like John Steinbeck calling it "the mother road" in The Grapes of Wrath. The Bankhead Highway, by contrast, has largely disappeared from public memory. It was once known as "The Broadway of America," and it laid the groundwork for the state and federal highway systems we use today.
Driving the Bankhead Highway from Weatherford to Mineral Wells
One of the best-preserved stretches starts just west of Weatherford, where you turn off Highway 180 onto Old Milsap Road. There's a historical marker right at the turnoff. The road still has some original character — patches of dirt and gravel on the pavement, narrow lanes, a 40 mph speed limit, and rolling green hills lined with farms, prairie, and cattle. You pass through the town of Milsap, population around 200, which was once a major stop before Highway 180 bypassed it in 1938. Most of the original Bankhead route in Texas survives as state and county roads connecting small towns now passed over by interstates, with some abandoned sections on private land.
Where to stop in Mineral Wells along the route
Mineral Wells has a direct connection to this highway. It was the midpoint of the Bankhead route across Texas, and the Bankhead Highway Association held its meeting here to determine the Texas route. The town considers itself the birthplace of America's first all-weather transcontinental highway. A couple of places worth knowing about:
- Bankhead Texas Wine Bar — Named directly after the historic highway, with a Texas-shaped logo featuring the Bankhead route line through it. It's where David Bridwell played during the trip captured in this video, located just a few blocks from the Baker Hotel.
- The Baker Hotel — A massive 1920s-era hotel built to accommodate tourists drawn by Mineral Wells' famous spring water. It hasn't been active since the 1970s, but you can see it prominently as you drive into town, and it remains one of the most recognizable landmarks in the region.
The Bankhead Highway helped put Mineral Wells on the map by funneling travelers through town, and along its full length it spawned gas stations, diners, cafes, auto repair shops, and motels — the whole ecosystem of early American road travel. It wasn't just for tourists either; farmers, the postal service, and the military all relied on it.