I've tried to source this claim by the always-interesting X account Traces of Texas. The histiography is a bit sketchy. But it's not unreasonable for North Street in Nacogdoches, Texas to claim the title of the oldest public road in the United States.
The Spanish explorers and early settlers referred to the route as La Calle Real del Norte. It stretched across eastern texas, serving as a trade out between a variety of indegenous peoples, most notably the Nacogdoche and Nansoni.
A historical marker in Nacogdoches, one of the oldest settlements in Texas, notes the possible beginning of the route.
Image: Google Maps
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I agree. I think that much of the contention would depend upon what constitutes a road.
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That's going to be contentious. Like, how do you date "Long before the Spanish" and compare it to roads in, say, New Mexico, where Taos Pueblo is 'one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States'? Or consider the Cumberland Gap, 'Long used by Native American nations'. When did that go from a trail, or route, into a proper road?
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