In 1923, the Texas Legislature directed the State Parks Board, a predecessor agency to today's Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, to consider the Davis Mountains as the location of a new major destination park. After the parks board was initially unable to acquire appropriations or land donations for a park, the Legislature in 1927 instructed the Texas Highway Department, a TxDOT predecessor, to build the Davis Mountains State Park Highway on donated right of way. On September 15, 1930, the effects of the Great Depression finally encouraged local landowners to donate land for the proposed park to stimulate the local economy. The road had been designated on September 15, 1930 from Fort Davis as far as the Fowlkes Ranch enabling construction of nearby McDonald Observatory and Davis Mountains State Park. On September 23, 1931, a survey was made for the location. On April 24, 1933, SH 166 Spur to Mount Locke observatory was added.