Hand-pulled ferries across the Sabine and Rio Grande

Los Ebanos Ferry

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.

11045840_10152737844064639_8285343147670787036_n
Photo by Sean Kimmons
988896_10152737843829639_2848637590997078739_n
Photo by Sean Kimmons
1505130_10152737843979639_4919310892235105657_n
Photo by Sean Kimmons

 

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.

sabtnferry

 

Here’s a random video that shows how the Los Ebanos Ferry works.


5,643 responses to “Hand-pulled ferries across the Sabine and Rio Grande”

  1. I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thanks , I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site?

  2. Hello i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anywhere, when i read this paragraph i thought i could also create comment due to this brilliant piece of writing.

  3. After running by Harlem, there’s a slight uphill section along Fifth Avenue before it flattens out and runs parallel to Central Park.

  4. Just want to say your article is as amazing. The clearness in your put up is simply great and that i could think you’re a professional in this subject.
    Fine with your permission allow me to clutch your RSS feed to
    stay up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks 1,000,000 and please carry on the enjoyable work.

  5. My brother suggested I might like this website. He was once totally right.
    This publish actually made my day. You cann’t consider just how
    much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!

  6. It is necessary to verify you’ve sufficient house in your bedroom earlier than selecting your two door wardrobe as you want to make sure you could have sufficient area for opening and closing every of the doors.

  7. It exhibits just how necessary it is to decide on sites that have very strong actual property experience, with underwriters who’re very selective concerning the loans they fund.

  8. Laurence Juber, who gained his first worldwide recognition as lead guitarist in Paul McCartney’s band Wings, has since established himself as a world-famend guitar virtuoso, composer, and arranger.

  9. Thanks for the suggestions you have contributed here. One more thing I would like to convey is that computer memory requirements generally increase along with other innovations in the technology. For instance, when new generations of processor chips are introduced to the market, there is certainly usually a corresponding increase in the shape calls for of both pc memory plus hard drive space. This is because the software program operated by means of these cpus will inevitably rise in power to benefit from the new know-how.

  10. One other thing I would like to express is that as opposed to trying to match all your online degree lessons on days and nights that you finish off work (since most people are worn out when they get home), try to get most of your sessions on the saturdays and sundays and only one or two courses in weekdays, even if it means taking some time away from your end of the week. This pays off because on the saturdays and sundays, you will be a lot more rested in addition to concentrated for school work. Thanks for the different recommendations I have acquired from your web site.

  11. Hello, i feel that i saw you visited my website so i got here to ?return the desire?.I’m attempting to in finding issues to improve my site!I suppose its adequate to use some of your ideas!!

  12. Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and help others like you aided me.

  13. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is needed to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100 positive. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

  14. Furthermore, i believe that mesothelioma is a extraordinary form of many forms of cancer that is typically found in individuals previously exposed to asbestos. Cancerous cellular material form inside the mesothelium, which is a defensive lining that covers almost all of the body’s body organs. These cells generally form from the lining of your lungs, abdominal area, or the sac which encircles one’s heart. Thanks for giving your ideas.

  15. Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your article seem to be running off the screen in Opera. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The layout look great though! Hope you get the issue fixed soon. Kudos

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *