Burr's Ferry - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Marker Number: 11107 Marker Text: Site of Old Burr's Ferry (Highway Bridge) An important communications point between Texas and the United States, Especially during settlement era of early 1800s. Named for Dr. Timothy Burr (1790-1852), second cousin of U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr. Dr. Burr is said to have come to the Sabine area in 1809, but moved his family down from Ohio in 1820s. He practiced medicine from his home plantation on the Sabine. His son, G. B. Burr, lived on Texas side. The family operated the ferry in the 1840s. Their name was given to town of Burr's Ferry, across the river. "This crossing (earlier called Hickman's Ferry) gave pioneers the means to enter Texas with their stock, household goods, and other property. It was one of four main points of entry on Texas-Louisiana border. Besides the famous El Camino Real (King's Highway) from Natchitoches, other entry roads were "Upper Route, from present-day Shreveport; "Lower" Route, from Opelousas; and this one, called "The Old Beef Trail" because it was used to drive thousands of cattle from Texas to Alexandria for shipment to such cities as New Orleans, as early as the 1820s and 30s. In the Civil War this crossing was fortified, to protect Texas against Federal invasion. Breastworks for defense were built on the Louisiana shore. (1968)

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Date Logged Log   05/01/2010 tjbustem visited it