Gaines Ferry

Gaines Ferry was a ferry on the Sabine River, between what is now Sabine Parish, Louisiana and Sabine County, Texas, at the eastern terminus of Texas State Highway 21, and the western terminus of LA 6. Much of the early history of New Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, including the American Civil War, and the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana, involve some aspect of Gaines Ferry. It was a major highway to the west and cattle trail east, a port of entry for the Republic of Texas, and a transportation road for military supplies and soldiers during the American Civil War that included transporting cotton to Mexico. Gaines Ferry was the northern entry for many colonists heading to Texas, and it was named after James Gaines who purchased it in 1819. The ferry saw continuous service until 1937.

History

The ferry, formerly Chabanan Ferry circa 1795, was a major crossing between what was to become the states of Texas and Louisiana, across a point where the Gaines-Pendleton Bridge is now located, at the site of the old town of Pendleton, near Milam, Texas. The road leading to the ferry was part of the El Camino Real highway, a series of roads in Louisiana that converged at, or near, the crossing. The road ran from Natchitoches, Louisiana, across the Sabine via the ferry into Texas, through Milam, historic San Augustine and Nacogdoches and then to Mexico City. It was also referred to as the King's Highway, the Old San Antonio Road and also the El Camino Real de Los Tejas or El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.

The Sabine River boundary

The Sabine river was a matter of contention between countries, states, and governments for years.