MOST EAST TEXAS counties name their county roads with numbers or the names of people.

But not Upshur County.

Years ago county officials came up with the unique idea of naming one precinct of the county’s roads for animals, another for flowers, still another for trees and the fourth precinct for birds.

So, if you drive through Upshur County on U.S. Highway 271, which runs north and south, here’s what you’ll find:

As you enter the county from the south, to the west are roads bearing the names of Silk Tree Road, Crepe Myrtle Road, Live Oak Road, Lemon Tree Road, Locust Road, Hackberry Road, Holly Road and other roads with tree names.

To the east of U.S. 271 are the bird names, honoring such flying creatures as pheasants, flamingos, goldfinches, mockingbirds, hawks grouse, bluebirds and hummingbirds. Again, the list goes on and on.

WHEN YOU pass through Gilmer, the county seat, in the precinct west of US. 271 are roads named for deer, mule deer, horses, chipmunks, jack rabbits, longhorns, reindeer, ocelots, muskrats, giraffes, bison — and my personal favorite, Groundhog Road.

I wonder if the folks who live on Groundhog Road know when the groundhog first sees his shadow.

Finally in the precinct on the east side of U.S. 271 are the flowers — Poppy Road, Begonia Road, Petunia Road, Dahlia Road, Sweet William Road, Tulip Road and Spider Lilly Road.

AS A result of this system, you don’t find too many roads bearing people names. Which has probably kept a few county commissioners from being voted out of office because they didn’t name a road for one of their constituents.

In driving around the county, my favorite names for roads were Alligator, Great Dane, Burr Rabbit, Bulldog, Frog, and, naturally, Bob O’ Link and Bob White.

(Bob Bowman of Lufkin is the author of 40 books about East Texas. He can be reached at bob-bowman.com)