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.


5,635 responses to “Hand-pulled ferries across the Sabine and Rio Grande”

  1. I was recommended this website by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my problem. You are amazing! Thanks!

  2. We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your website offered us with valuable info to work on. You have done a formidable job and our whole community will be thankful to you.

  3. I’ve been browsing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It?s pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.

  4. Do you want a trendy studio for your garden constructing turned pool house or would you want a design that has extra of a conventional charm to it?

  5. His place as starting goalkeeper in France’s 2006 World Cup marketing campaign, in the face of a considerable public campaign in support of Grégory Coupet, was surprising to many, much more so given Coupet’s flawless performance in the remainder of the World Cup qualifying campaign after Barthez’s suspension.

  6. 184. A younger lady in a protracted brown gown is seen along with her pet dog; her companion is in a hanging black, green, blue and crimson verify and striped costume with a colourful patterned shawl.

  7. I?m not sure where you are getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful info I was looking for this info for my mission.

  8. I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you design this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. kudos

  9. Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossips and web and this is actually frustrating. A good blog with interesting content, that is what I need. Thank you for keeping this web-site, I’ll be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Can not find it.

  10. Things i have usually told individuals is that when you are evaluating a good on-line electronics shop, there are a few aspects that you have to factor in. First and foremost, you should make sure to find a reputable plus reliable retail store that has enjoyed great evaluations and classification from other customers and business sector experts. This will ensure that you are getting through with a well-known store that provides good support and aid to their patrons. Thank you for sharing your thinking on this blog.

Leave a Reply

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