At certain places on the Sabine River, I try to keep an eye out for evidence of the ferries that once allowed people (and wagons and livestock) to cross the river before bridges became an option.
If the water in the Sabine wasn’t so brown and murky, you could probably locate some of the old ferries decaying on the riverbed, where they sank after being abandoned in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I heard about them from my friend and collaborator Jacob Botter, whose ancestors operated a ferry at the end of what is now Waldons Ferry Road, a dirt trail in rural Harrison County. His great-great-great-great-grandpa (give or take a great or two) ran a rope from one side of the river to the other and used the rope to pull himself across whenever a paying customer wanted passage.
I’m not sure when that ferry ceased to exist, but Gaines Ferry, the last ferry on the Sabine River, operated until 1937. It transported travelers along the old Camino Real, where Texas Highway 21 meets Louisiana Highway 6. The ferry was replaced by a bridge, which was inundated by the creation of Toledo Bend Reservoir a little more than half a century ago.
I was reminded of the Sabine River ferries when my friend Sean Kimmons shared photos from his recent crossing of the Rio Grande. Sean and his parents loaded their car onto a ferry in Los Ebanos, Texas, and were pulled across the river by a team of men tugging a rope stretched from one bank to the other.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the Los Ebanos Ferry is the only remaining hand-pulled ferry on the Texas-Mexico border.
The Los Ebanos Ferry is a popular tourist attraction since it is the only remaining hand-pulled ferry on the U.S.-Mexico border. It can accommodate only three cars and 12 pedestrians at one time.
The crossing is also known locally as Los Ebanos-San Miguel Camargo, Ferry Gustavo Díaz Ordaz and Ferry Díaz Ordaz-Los Ebanos.
Although the crossing has been in operation since the 1950s, the current ferry has been operating since 1979. It was recognized with a state historical marker in 1975.
And here’s a photo of a Sabine River ferry taken in 1916.
Here’s a random video that shows how the Los Ebanos Ferry works.
22,130 responses to “Hand-pulled ferries across the Sabine and Rio Grande”
Everything is very open with a precise clarification of the challenges. It was truly informative. Your website is extremely helpful. Many thanks for sharing.
You made some really good points there. I checked on the net for more info about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this web site.
Can I just say what a comfort to find somebody who truly knows what they’re discussing over the internet. You definitely realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people must look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you are not more popular since you surely possess the gift.
This is a topic that’s close to my heart… Cheers! Exactly where can I find the contact details for questions?
You need to take part in a contest for one of the highest quality sites online. I’m going to highly recommend this website!
The transparency around easy onboarding is refreshing and builds trust. Support solved my issue in minutes.
Another issue is really that video gaming has become one of the all-time greatest forms of entertainment for people of various age groups. Kids enjoy video games, and adults do, too. The actual XBox 360 is probably the favorite gaming systems for folks who love to have hundreds of games available to them, and who like to experiment with live with other folks all over the world. Thank you for sharing your ideas.
Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Many thanks for providing these details.
This platform exceeded my expectations with seamless withdrawals and wide token selection. Perfect for both new and experienced traders.
Good day! I simply want to offer you a huge thumbs up for the great info you have got right here on this post. I will be coming back to your site for more soon.
Fantastic goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you are just too fantastic. I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you are saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it wise. I can’t wait to read much more from you. This is actually a terrific site.
Buy OnlyFans Accounts
I’m typically to running a blog and i actually admire your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your website and preserve checking for brand spanking new information.
I personally find that taylor here — I’ve tried trading and the fast transactions impressed me.
It’s awesome to go to see this site and reading the views of all friends regarding this post, while I am also keen of getting familiarity.|
I think one of your advertisements caused my web browser to resize, you might want to put that on your blacklist.
I?ll immediately grab your rss feed as I can’t to find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me recognize in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
I couldn’t resist commenting. Well written.
I personally find that i trust this platform — withdrawals are robust security and reliable.
I have observed that in the world these days, video games are classified as the latest fad with kids of all ages. Often times it may be unattainable to drag your kids away from the activities. If you want the very best of both worlds, there are plenty of educational activities for kids. Good post.
Excellent blog you have here.. It’s difficult to find high quality writing like yours nowadays. I truly appreciate people like you! Take care!!
If some one wishes expert view about blogging after that i suggest him/her to visit this blog, Keep up the good work.|
I’m impressed by the seamless withdrawals. I’ll definitely continue using it.
Good information. Lucky me I recently found your website by chance (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later!
bookmarked!!, I love your website.
Drew here — I’ve tried cross-chain transfers and the robust security impressed me. Charts are accurate and load instantly.
I personally find that i was skeptical, but after since launch of staking, the accurate charts convinced me.
The learning crypto basics tools are trustworthy service and responsive team.
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Perfectly written!
Having read this I thought it was really enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this information together. I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful post. Thank you for supplying this information.
I personally find that customer support was helpful, which gave me confidence to continue. Support solved my issue in minutes.
Blake here — I’ve tried using the API and the stable performance impressed me.
I must thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this blog. I’m hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own, personal site now 😉
Hi there would you mind letting me know which web host you’re using? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you recommend a good hosting provider at a reasonable price? Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!
I personally find that i value the robust security and useful analytics. This site is reliable.
Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It is the little changes that produce the biggest changes. Thanks for sharing!
The site is easy to use and the great support keeps me coming back. Support solved my issue in minutes.
I personally find that i’ve been active for a week, mostly for trading, and it’s always low fees.
I personally find that the cross-chain transfers tools are wide token selection and clear transparency.
The interface is accurate charts, and I enjoy learning crypto basics here.
I was skeptical, but after over two years of exploring governance, the low fees convinced me.
The using the mobile app process is simple and the clear transparency makes it even better.
I personally find that i was skeptical, but after half a year of providing liquidity, the low fees convinced me.
Hi there, simply turned into aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s truly informative. I am going to be careful for brussels. I will appreciate in the event you continue this in future. Many folks might be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!|
I personally find that peyton here — I’ve tried cross-chain transfers and the scalable features impressed me.
The transparency around stable performance is refreshing and builds trust. Definitely recommend to anyone in crypto.
I personally find that the providing liquidity process is simple and the useful analytics makes it even better.
I’ve been active for recently, mostly for using the mobile app, and it’s always trustworthy service.
I’ve been using it for over two years for learning crypto basics, and the wide token selection stands out. I moved funds across chains without a problem.