State Highway 304 (SH 304) is a

Texas state highway Texas state highways are a network of highways owned and maintained by the U.S. state of Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is the state agency responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the system. Texas ha ...

that runs in a north–south direction between Bastrop and

Gonzales Gonzales may refer to: Places * Gonzales, California, U.S. * Gonzales, Louisiana, U.S. * Gonzales, Texas, U.S. * Gonzales County, Texas Other uses * Battle of Gonzales, 1835 * Gonzales (horse) (1977 – after 1996), an American-bred Thoroughbred ...

, Texas, United States. The highway's current route was in place by 1938.

Route description

SH 304 begins at a junction with SH 97. It heads north from this junction to an intersection with

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

. The highway continues to the north to an intersection with

US 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

. Heading towards the north, the highway continues to an intersection FM 713. The highway continues to the northeast to an intersection with FM 535. It continues to the north to a junction with FM 2571. SH 304 reaches its northern terminus at SH 21 and SH 71 in Bastrop.

History

SH 304 was designated on December 1, 1938 along its current route. The number was not assigned until January 23, 1939. On March 29, 1957 SH 304 was proposed along new construction from its end back then to FM 1319, and FM 1319 from FM 535 to SH 71 was cancelled and combined with SH 304.

Notable landmarks

The fictional

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies. Prior to its merger ...

gas station/barbecue joint seen in the 1974 cult classic horror movie, ''

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, w ...

'', is located on the highway south of Bastrop at 1073 SH 304, Bastrop, TX 78602. In the movie, the establishment remains nameless but is donned with a "

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

/We Slaughter Barbecue" sign. Today, the dilapidated grocery store (and former gas station ‒ its two

gas pump A gasoline pump is a machine at a filling station that is used to pump gasoline (petrol), diesel, or other types of liquid fuel into vehicles. Gasoline pumps are also known as bowsers or petrol bowsers (in Australia), petrol pumps (in Commo ...

s as seen in the movie having since been removed) sits unused and has been closed down for several years. Before its closure, it was known as Bilbo's Texas Landmark and before that as Ryan's Hills Prairie Grocery. The location is now in the process of being restored and turned into a horror resort with a Texas chili kitchen, music venue and cabins. The ownership team is Roy Rose an Ohio entrepreneur an avid Texas chainsaw massacre fan and Ari Lehman the first Jason in the Friday the thirteenth franchise.

Junction list

References

{{reflist

304 Year 304 ( CCCIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday A leap year starting on Saturday is any year with 366 days (i.e. it includes 29 February) that begins on Saturday, 1 January, and ends on Sunday, 31 December. Its dominical letters hence ...

Transportation in Gonzales County, Texas Transportation in Caldwell County, Texas Transportation in Bastrop County, Texas