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.
22,065 responses to “Hand-pulled ferries across the Sabine and Rio Grande”
Hi there, simply was aware of your weblog via Google, and located that it is truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful in the event you proceed this in future. A lot of other people might be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!|
Customer support was friendly, which gave me confidence to continue. The dashboard gives a complete view of my holdings.
This piece of writing gives clear idea designed for the new people of blogging, that genuinely how to do blogging.|
Terrific article! That is the kind of info that should be shared across the internet. Disgrace on the search engines for no longer positioning this post upper! Come on over and seek advice from my website . Thanks =)|
Hello there, You’ve done an incredible job. I will definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am sure they’ll be benefited from this website.|
Genuinely when someone doesn’t understand after that its up to other people that they will assist, so here it happens.|
Hi there it’s me, I am also visiting this website daily, this web site is genuinely good and the viewers are truly sharing nice thoughts.|
Woah! I’m really enjoying the template/theme of this website. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very hard to get that “perfect balance” between user friendliness and visual appearance. I must say you have done a excellent job with this. In addition, the blog loads super quick for me on Internet explorer. Outstanding Blog!|
Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for a blog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept|
Link exchange is nothing else however it is only placing the other person’s weblog link on your page at suitable place and other person will also do same in support of you.|
Please let me know if you’re looking for a article writer for your weblog. You have some really great articles and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d absolutely love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please send me an e-mail if interested. Thanks!|
I wanted to thank you for this fantastic read!! I certainly loved every bit of it. I have got you book-marked to look at new things you post…
I trust this platform — withdrawals are quick deposits and reliable. My withdrawals were always smooth.
I switched from another service because of the wide token selection and stable performance.
Aw, this was a really nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to generate a great article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.|
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly believe that this site needs much more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the information.
Excellent post! We are linking to this particularly great post on our website. Keep up the good writing.
Can I just say what a relief to find someone that really understands what they’re talking about on the net. You certainly understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people have to read this and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you’re not more popular given that you definitely possess the gift.
Everything is very open with a very clear explanation of the challenges. It was truly informative. Your site is extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing.
I was skeptical, but after recently of learning crypto basics, the clear transparency convinced me. I moved funds across chains without a problem.
Pat here — I’ve tried using the API and the useful analytics impressed me.
I personally find that the interface is robust security, and I enjoy trading here. Perfect for both new and experienced traders.
Rebecca Yarros has created a world that fans want to live in. The magic, the dragons, the romance – it is all addictive. The Onyx Storm epub is the latest fix for this addiction. The story is expansive and ambitious. The ebook format is perfect for carrying the whole series. It is a book that defines a genre.
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who has been doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me breakfast because I discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to talk about this subject here on your web site.
I personally find that i’m impressed by the quick deposits. I’ll definitely continue using it. The updates are frequent and clear.
I personally find that the best choice I made for using the bridge. Smooth and intuitive UI.
Skyler here — I’ve tried providing liquidity and the scalable features impressed me.
Aw, this was a really nice post. Taking the time and actual effort to produce a top notch article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a whole lot and never manage to get anything done.
The trading tools are robust security and seamless withdrawals. Perfect for both new and experienced traders.
I switched from another service because of the stable performance and scalable features.
There’s definately a great deal to find out about this subject. I like all of the points you’ve made.
I’ve been active for a few days, mostly for exploring governance, and it’s always robust security.
This page certainly has all of the info I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
I personally find that the best choice I made for providing liquidity. Smooth and useful analytics.
My relatives all the time say that I am killing my time here at web, however I know I am getting familiarity every day by reading thes nice articles.|
This piece of writing offers clear idea in favor of the new viewers of blogging, that really how to do blogging and site-building.|
Article writing is also a fun, if you be familiar with then you can write otherwise it is complex to write.|
This is the perfect web site for anybody who really wants to understand this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a brand new spin on a topic that has been written about for ages. Wonderful stuff, just great.
Hello! I just would like to give you a big thumbs up for your great info you have here on this post. I will be coming back to your website for more soon.
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same results.|
Next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not disappoint me just as much as this particular one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read, but I really thought you would have something helpful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something that you could fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.
Jordan here — I’ve tried testing new tokens and the accurate charts impressed me.
What’s up, I read your blog on a regular basis. Your humoristic style is awesome, keep doing what you’re doing!|
Have you ever considered writing an e-book or guest authoring on other sites? I have a blog based upon on the same subjects you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my audience would value your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.|
Having read this I believed it was extremely informative. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this content together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile.
Hi there, its pleasant post concerning media print, we all be aware of media is a fantastic source of data.|
}
I am really enjoying the theme/design of your website. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems? A handful of my blog readers have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari. Do you have any solutions to help fix this issue?|
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to revisit once again since I saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.|
I have read so many content concerning the blogger lovers except this piece of writing is genuinely a good paragraph, keep it up.|