Feed the Ducks - Mineola Nature Preserve - Mineola, TX - Feeding the Animals on Waymarking.com

There's no indication as to the cost, and it's difficult to tell if there's food in the machine, so think of it as a one-armed bandit that may or may not pay out. Put in a quarter, turn the crank, and hopefully, you fill your hand with some treats. There's no indication as to what's in the pellets -- hopefully it's not Soylent Green or Skittles -- but the ducks definitely will cozy up to you. They won't come out of the water, though, and you might want to spread out what you toss so all of your new friends get a bite. It goes without saying: Please don't feed them any people food, as it's bad for them.

The Wood County Historical Commission has placed a marker here, providing some information about the pond, and the gentleman who worked for the railroad here:

In the formative years of clearing the dense pine wilderness and the Sabine River lowlands, this area became the focal point of two great railroad companies, the International and Great Northern (I&GN) and the Texas and Pacific (T&P). The I&GN crossed the Sabine River and that required the building of numerous wooden bridges and trestles across the river bottom.

The legend of Bridge Bob resulted from a requirement that the railroad have someone attend to the wooden bridges and trestles so that no fire would start in the area as the train belched embers from its stack. An I&GN employee, Bob, now only known as Bridge Bob, was employed to examine the Sabine River rail bed areas and the approaches to ensure that there were no "sparkles" remaining from the passing trains, sparkles being the burning embers emanating from railroad engines burning coal.

Bob lived in a shanty on Nature Preserve property between the railroad tracks and U.S. Highway 80.

To supplement his income, Bridge Bob also hunted and fished and provided a variety of fish and game to the local citizens of Mineola, bringing his catch to town in a "croaker sack" and selling them.

When the railroad was terminated, Bob moved to Houston, leaving the legacy of "Bridge Bob". He is honored by the naming of this location in remembering all that he represents.

Cost to feed the animals: $.25 Types of Animals: Wild Price of Admission (if any): 0 Location: Bridge Bob Pond, Mineola Nature Preserve, 1860 Wood County Rd 2724, Mineola, TX Operating Season and Hours: 7:30 AM to Sunset Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
A MINIMUM of one photo as proof that you visited this feeding area is required, otherwise you risk having your logged visit deleted by the category officers.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   11/21/2021 WalksfarTX visited it