The Southern Pacific p.9 Port Barre 1

This afternoon I went back to Port Barre to follow a few leads in order to finish this, the last segment of tracing the extinct Southern Pacific branch tracks between Cade and Port Barre, Louisiana. I have used these old routes as tour guides. At first I saw them as fun because they were illusive and mystical. I've tried to include interesting stuff I see but following the rails has not been that fruitful. I just looked over the last section write, Arnaudville to Leonville. It seems I focused only on the railroad bed. It is time to give the railroad sleuthing up. No one is interested in it. Not even me.

But, first, Port Barre:

The last time I was in town I was looking for the location of one depot I guessed had been there. I'd gotten that idea from something I'd read or seen. I stopped some old black woman on the street figuring she might remember a station. She called her grandson who was also pretty old, but neither could put their finger on it. I asked where the city hall was. They directed me to it and told me to hurry. I hurried. I came in the door and asked the lady at the window if there was anyone around that could tell me about the history of Port Barre. At best I hoped for an old white haired person to limp out and mumble a list of disconnected recollections. No, out came a very business like....., whoa, I have to tell you, and I'll try to be professional doing it. Out came this extremely "attractive" young lady, I'd say she was about six feet tall. She asked me what I was interested in. I managed to spit out, "railroads". She said, "Just a minute". I figured she'd gone to fetch Security to show me out. She returned, saying she was in a hurry to get out of there, but she had a book. The book she was holding was The History of Port Barre. She also said that there was only one. She showed me into a conference room and handed it over. Then she turned and came back in mysteriously interested in railroad history. She took the book from me and opened it up. As she flipped the first few pages I saw "RAILROADS" as she continued looking. I yelled, "I saw it". Cautiously, she handed the book back over to me and said I could copy the pages I wanted. She showed me to the machine. I offered to pay for the copies and she refused. She flew out of the office, me thanking her profusely as she left. Below is what she gave me and I'm giving you. Sorry, your source is not as "attractive" as mine.

I think I'll present it to you in the order in which I got it. This information was copied, rearranged, outlined, augmented and degraded by me. Basically, it's hers, the author's. It will be torn apart and repeated later. So, don't try to commit it to memory right now. You'll never finish this article.

"The History of PORT BARRE (1765-1950)" by Cheryl Bihm Myers.

In the early 1900’s, railroad right of ways were secured in the Port Barre area.
In December, 1905, the Opelousas Gulf and Northeastern Railway Co. purchased a right of way through the property of Valerian Langlois. It was 100 feet wide and 500 feet in distance on the west bank of Bayou Courtableau. It is now known as the “OG Track”.

I believe that was a mistake. What is locally called the "OG Track" is on the east side of the bayou. I did not see that name used on the west side though I did later find the bed and followed it west.

The following is pretty much a quote, "In June, 1906, J.O. LeBlanc sold a right of way through his property to the Opelousas, Gulf and Northeastern Railway Co. The purchase price for this right of way was one dollar with the stipulation that the railway company locate, construct, and maintain a passenger and freight depot on part of his land. In the event the depot was not constructed, Mr. Leblanc would have the right to claim a compensation of fifty dollars per acre for the five and one tenth acres in question”.

Another stipulation of the sale was that within two years the railway company was to be instrumental in securing an industry or industries adjacent to the railroad employing 20 or more employees. Craighead Lumber was started in 1908.

June, 1906, Morgan’s Louisiana and Texas Railroad and Steamship Co secured right-of-ways through the property of Dr.J.P. Saizan and Mrs. David P. Saizan. It was on Mrs Saizan’s property that the LARGE TURNTABLE was constructed where the engine of the train was manually turned around as the tracks ended near Bayou Courtableau. This turntable and the depot were located along present day Railroad St. There was a service track that ran along the bayou for loading cotton from the gin and lumber from the saw mill.

Morgan’s Louisiana and Texas Railroad later evolved into the Southern Pacific Railroad Co.

The Colorado Southern, New Orleans & Pacific Railroad Co. purchased right of ways in April, 1906, from Mrs. D.P. Saizan. The agreement was that the railroad would maintain three crossings and construct a freight and passenger depot on this 5.17 acre tract of land. This depot eventually became known as the Frisco Depot.

The author says that no one can say for certain what Frisco stands for. She evidently did not have the internet at her fingertips like we do today. The Colorado Southern evolved into the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company.

I've finally figured out how the St.Louis and San Francisco Railroad, commonly known as the "Frisco" in all the little communities it served, evolved into the Missouri Pacific. First, probably, the Colorado Southern was owned by the Frisco. Frisco went into bankruptcy and the courts told the controllers it had to divest of its LA and TX holdings. Those holdings became the New Orleans and San Francisco, a part of The Gulf Coast Lines. The Missouri Pacific bought the Gulf Coast lines, thus, old timers called the Missouri Pacific Stations, "The Frisco Station". The location of where the Port Barre Missouri Pacific station was on Frisco Street. Obviously, the author was a little weak on railroad history, like me. Here's more of her spiel:

In early 1909, the New Iberia, St. Martin & Northern RR Company purchased ROW’s through the lands of Mrs. D. F. Saizan. This railroad had to agree to construct crossing on First St., Robin St., Second St., and Saizan Ave. as well as construct a depot to be known as the Port Barre Depot. This depot was to be constructed on the same location as the present day Port Barre Fire Station.

Her mentioning those crossings was extremely helpful.

I don't know if the depot was built. I did a brief search for the fire station this afternoon but, frankly, I was worn out with Port Barre. I saw several people to ask and decided that they were bad candidates. Some people just carry that "bad candidate" look.

In 1909, the New Iberia, St.Martin & Northern RR Co. filed suit against Morgan’s La. and Tex. RR and Steamship Co. It seems that the New Iberia line had to cross over the Morgan line at a point south of the Frisco depot. The Morgan people were sabotaging the crossing. The suit charged the Morgan RR with “malice in their attempt to obstruct and impede construction of the New Iberia line. The courts found in favor of the New Iberia Line and the crossings were eventually completed. When looking at the map which shows all the railroads coming into Port Barre, and the number of times they cross each others, it is a wonder there were not more wrecks.

By January, 1910, all four railroads were in operation at Port Barre.

Her Conclusion:

"The OG remained in use until around 1951. [the T&P RR assume those rails before 51 and the T&P were the final owners, I know that. Mike's dad ran that line. Again, she's a little off.] The NI, St. M & Northern RR Co. abandoned its tracks in the early 30’s after the Stave mill closed. The Southern Pacific (M’s La. & Tex. RR& Steam) stopped all passert from the bottom of the map. I love this place. It is where the Morgan's Railroad (Southern Pacific), and New Iberia (later, also Missouri Pacific) crossed. It is where the SP was found guilty of malice in their attempt to obstruct and impede construction of the New Iberia line. (Hanky Panky). It is marked as "Crossing A", where the purple and red lines cross. La.741 coming north from La.31 near Leonville, follows the MP grade (purple) north until it hits the cross tracks. Then the road follows the SP (red) on across US 190 and then up Railroad Ave, aka, La.741. Here are pictures from my two recent visits. It's quite a place.

It is amazing that the bed is so visible. On my last visit it was very visible as the farmer had cleaned the bed off on a half mile stretch northwest from cross tracks.

The first shot is when I first got there. I'm shooting north up the grade of the SP, which I think is actually the highway's bed. That's a state cop coming at me. I saw him slow down. I bet he thought I was beaming HIM.



Next is looking south on the SP. That turn is where the road starts following the MP bed which is off to left of the highway. If you drive down 741, the bed forms the west levee of the crawfish farm pond.



Here's looking northwest on the MP. Can't see it?



How bout now? This picture was taken today. The farmer has plans for the old bed. Is he going to use it for a road, hopefully, or, is it to be plowed under? If so, my timing was priceless. Another bridge to history will be gone.



I'm thinking the worse of the two options.

This is what I found on the ground, again, priceless. That wood is probably 100 years old. It, of course, is what is left of the railroad ties that were churned up by the grader or whatever attachment he was using?



Here's looking out to where there was probably a trestle. I'll have to check the topographic map for a stream or lowland. You can see the Port Barre water tower in the background. Indeed there is an intermittent stream shown.



Here are a few more pieces of tie.



I know, I get carried away, but this is the last rail write and I'm throwing in the kitchen sink.



Moving north on the "All the Railroads" map, a point of interest would be the Frisco or CSNO&P depot. As I rode into Port Barre and onto Friso Street, I looked for old people. I found a really old one sitting in his pickup truck. I asked him where the depot had been and he motioned "down the street" and then said, "by the light", on US 190. That would have put it way off the present rails. Frisco Street curves toward the rails and I would think the apex of that curve would have been the depot, but maybe not? The fact that it is off the rails leads me to believe that a siding was provided for the depot. Duh. And, it is near the light.

On the map you can see the 3 railroads, SP, MP and Colorado... The purple line is Frisco Street. I'll have to go back. I now see that Jacqueline Dr. might reach the wye where the MP met the CO. The train would have to join the CO to get to the station. The fact that the CO became the MP solved that problem. (all speculative). Also, see "Rayne St.? It will come into play later. Click the map, Al.

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