State Highway 39 (SH 39) is a state highway that runs primarily through the
Texas Hill Country primarily in
Kerr County.
History
Historic SH 39
On January 23, 1918, an intercounty highway was designated from
Greenville to
Decatur.[2] On February 19, 1918, another intercounty highway from
Pecos via
Tahoka to
Jayton was designated.[3] On August 19, 1918, the Greenville-Decatur intercounty highway was extended to
Cooper.[4] SH 39 was originally proposed on January 21, 1919, as a route stretching from the
Oklahoma state line north of Paris to
New Mexico, partially along these intercounty highways.[5] It was concurrent with
SH 19 north of Cooper and with
SH 18 west of
Brownfield. On August 16, 1920, the section from
McKinney to Decatur was cancelled and redesignated as an intercounty highway.[6] On December 19, 1921, the section from McKinney to Decatur was restored.[7] On August 21, 1923, its western terminus was moved to Jacksboro when the route west of
Jacksboro had been renumbered as parts of
SH 84,
SH 18, and
SH 24.[8] Construction had begun. The entire route had been renumbered as a part of
SH 24 on June 24, 1931.[9]
Historic SH 39
On September 23, 1931, a designation on a proposed route from
Medina to just north of
Leakey was planned (but not designated yet).[10] On April 6, 1932, the proposed route was officially designated as SH 39.[11] On July 15, 1935, SH 39 was cancelled.[12] On February 18, 1936, it was designated on its present-day route.[13] On July 9, 1970, a proposed extension to I-10 was added, but this has not been constructed.