National Old Trails Association

The National Old Trails Association was a nonprofit organization that sought to build highways along the country’s historic trails and encourage people to treat history as a draw for tourists. During the 1920s and early 1930s, Harry S. Truman served as its president, carrying its highway mission alongside his other work in public affairs.

Purpose and Highway Advocacy

The association linked road building with the interpretation of the past: its aim was not only to improve routes, but to promote historic trails as destinations. That combination placed highway development within a broader effort to make the country’s history visible and attractive to travelers.

Truman’s Presidency

After losing his first bid for eastern district judge of Jackson County, Truman worked selling memberships for the Kansas City Automobile Club and developed roads and highways as a specialty. He was then named president of the National Old Trails Association. The association’s work took him on repeated trips, including through Kansas, where he described its political resemblance to campaigning: “This is almost like campaigning for President, except that the people are making promises to me instead of the other way around.”

Continuing Public Role

Truman retained the presidency while serving Jackson County. A contemporary account noted that, during his demanding years on the county bench, he still found time to lead the National Old Trails Association. The role connected his interest in roads to a sustained public-facing activity beyond county administration, although the evidence does not detail the association’s internal organization or specific highway projects.