The San Antonio-El Paso Road, now represented by US Highway 90 West, was a major artery for commerce, immigration and frontier protection in the early years of Texas Statehood. Before 1849, sections of what would become the road would be utilized by various Native American Indians, Spanish explorers and Mexican military.

In 1846, General John Wool of the United States Army helped establish the road as far west as Uvalde. Two years later, Texas Ranger John Coffee Hays led an expedition to establish a route between San Antonio and El Paso. The following year two US Army expeditions, one under Lieutenants H.C. Whiting and William Smith, the second under Colonel Joseph E. Johnson, were sent west to plat the route. Assisted by local Tejano Jose Policarpo Rodriguez, these expeditions formally created the road.

By linking San Antonio, El Paso, Sante Fe and San Diego, the road became an important supply route for area US Army forts. From these posts, towns like Uvalde (Fort Inge) and Bracketville (Fort Clark) would grow. The San Antonio-El Paso Road also became one of the main southern routes for the California Gold Rush and provided employment as freighters for residents of Castroville, Quihi and D'Hanis.

In 1850, courier service was established between San Antonio and El Paso, which was expanded the following year to include mail service from San Antonio to Sante Fe. Among those carrying mail was the famous Texas scout, William "Bigfoot" Wallace. Stage coach service was established bu 1851, providing passage from San Antonio to El Paso, Santa Fe, and San Diego. Many well-known travelers used the road, including Robert E. Lee, Abner Doubleday, and Frederick Law Olmstead.

During the Civil War, the road became a route for the exportation of cotton to Mexico. By 1880, stage stops and post offices had been established at Sabinal, Knippa, and Cline. With the arrival of the railroad the following year, Hondo and Sanderson were established.

After 1900, the spread of automobiles re-established the road which became Texas State Highway #3 in 1922, an "all-weather coast-to-coast" route. Many of the workers on the new road were Catholics who thanked God for their continued safety and progress by installing crosses on hills near the highway as each section was completed. One of these crosses can be seen about a mile east of Sanderson on the hill leading to Casa Barranca Subdivision.