HISTORY HUNT: Run to the Border

I shouldn't have felt the need to take off so soon after the week ago 400 miler. How quickly the past is diminished. So, what did I do but take off in search of a vague memory of a memory whose relevance is only relevant to a few.

As on many rides, I hadn't chosen a destination or subject for this outing. I just started shooting funky at Poche Bridge, the location of the famed eatery and butchery. I continued up La.31 and then shut it down before Arnaudville. I wove my way through Grand Coteau and Sunset heading north on Old US167. I turned west on 358 because that's what I do to avoid Opelousas, a den of activity, simply put. Those shots below:



Yes, it's a mechanical crawfish.



If this was an animal it would be a turtle.



That's it for the Teche Valley shots on this outing.



I had by this time figured I was heading west. Then it hit me. I would try to find the old clubs that inhabited a lost place along the Sabine River called East Orange, Louisiana. I only remembered that there were "clubs", honkytonks, bars and just possibly houses of ill repute mentioned there. Sounded like my kind of trip.

I now remember I'd been there in the mid 80's not realizing that I was on old 90. I had to go to Houston a lot and coming back I'd try to find some lonesome road to ride down for multiple purposes. One time I turned off I-10 right after getting down from the bridge and went south to its end which looked out over burned pilings reaching out into the swamp. Beginning this part of the ride I hadn't remember doing that.

I also realized that finding anything was in doubt. It was close, but I did get a few shots which left me feeling fulfilled until I found a website that showed that there was more, at least at one time there was more which was accessible, but, maybe only by foot with a machete or by boat. Now I feel fulfilled again. The visit to that place, being not that fulfilling even though I just told you it was, spawned the obvious thing to do when you are sitting at the end of historically famous US 90 in Louisiana. You turn around and head back the other way to see what you missed. I would do that, but not through wild and crazy Lake Charles riding over that old bridge whose state of being is rumored as "shaky". Besides I knew that there is a north route that is not that painful. Below is one of the many Andy Chesley photos that will be in this ride report.

This is that scary bridge. I've owned vehicles that I didn't trust to get over the top. The wind was blowing, I was on a top heavy motorcycle which would have been shoulder to shoulder and nose to tail with I-10 traffic, not me, babe. Mark has expressed the same feeling. Take the 210 bridge and bypass around LC, it's longer but safer. Like I said, I've heard rumors.




I wandered down to 370 from 358 and went west to the AKDN tracks that link Eunice with Crowley. More later on that. It's a feeling I have, and I may be wrong, but, I consider the Cajun Prairie as being from Lafayette/ Opelousas/ Ville Platte west to Bayou Nezpique. West of it, I consider the landscape to be "coastal plain" similar to that in Texas. Maybe it is because of the German influence or the subtle change in topography or nothing at all. Anyway, I can't think of a better way to show you the Cajun Prairie than a look down a railroad track. They are straight. Not all the roads our here are.





Looking north toward Eunice. That's the big natural gas
powered electrical generating plant.

The next shot is the same as the first but more centered with
the rails. I think I prefer it. Nevertheless, everyone has an opinion.



Add a little center line and it's like magic.

Zooming out, there's the Mowata rice dryer.
What does a rice dryer do? That dissertation you could read quickly.



Below is 370 taking off toward a rendezvous with another
set of tracks, the old Southern Pacific which ran from Abbeville
to Eunice. I went south and rode on top of them for a while. Getting
south is what I needed to do. I like riding beside or on old rail lines.
Call it a sixth sense. Somewhere in the noise of the engine, the road
and the wind, there's something else.



New above.
Old below.



I rode into Jennings on a back road as close to the Nezpique
swamp as I could get. There I filled up the tank for the rest
of the ride.



Approaching Jennings I stopped at an old bar-honkytonk.
It was open the last time I was by. It now isn't. Things
change too quickly.







After filling up I returned to the north side of I-10 and ran the
roads that closely paralleled it going west toward the Texas border.
Down dirt and gravel at speeds below 45 mph, the trip seemed to fly by.
On I-10, it takes a lifetime to go from Lafayette to Lake Charles. Go figure.

The next set of pictures were taken between Jennings and
the Calcasieu River. Not a whole lot explaining involved
here either.





You can stop on bridges. In fact, you should. They are the
highest places around...........



........until the next bridge.



Dirty mirror. Well..... it's not what's behind you that counts.







German



Not Geman





This one reminded me of what you see in sawmill country.



"I've done time in your rodeo", Little Feat.







The next page is the north route around Lake Charles.

I was done with the dirt road scene and ready to tackle bypassing Lake Charles. It has been a while since I was up in this area. We have camped at Sam Houston Jones State Park so the layout was not totally foreign. How we got to SHJSP and returned I had no idea. How did we go anywhere without GPS's? Click the map to enlarge. Open it in a new window and be able to follow along. There may be some confusion as this route was used coming and going. I came from the east still on the north side of I-10. I'd go back south of the interstate.



I turned north and then west came to Goos Ferry Road. I
knew there was no ferry anymore but being in a historical
place where there was one tempted me. Besides, I was in
the mood to see some big water.



I entered another Louisiana "camp land". Many of these
were camps of the rich and famous, many were not. Louisiana
is a true melting pot. Everything is jumbled together. You have
expensive homes and run down trailers on the same block. The
upside is that it holds down assessment taxes. The down side is that
it holds down property value.

For some reason I took no camp pictures.



I came to a gated community where I doubt single
wides were allowed. I U turned here but that was OK since I
was at the location of the historical ferry. Some yahoo had not
gotten the message that it was discontinued in 1949. He can
be seen waiting across the river.



I crossed these roads. I really like the fact that
the local has named them noting their historical
heritage. But, they were 1 block apart. Old US 171
should have been also the Old DeRidder Hwy. That
seems redundant and wasteful, a real first in LA.





Ok, maybe I'm wrong. Possibly the Old De Ridder Road
predates Old US 171. I know, I'm too quick to criticize and to
be suspicious of our state and local government. I humbly
apologize.

I was now at "new" US 171. I went north and crossed
the Calcasieu River. A wild shot taken on top
yielded this picture. The Calcasieu has a huge drainage
basin that extends up to Leesville. Its multiple routes
disrupt a lot of east-west travel.



Immediately after crossing this long bridge which gives you a
great view of the river and surrounding wetlands, I turned
west, headed through Moss Bluff for Westlake.

I think our old draw bridges are works of mechanical art.
This one over the west fork of the Calcasieu really had a
nice setting.







Here's looking out into the river's back swamp.



Next, I passed a neat old store sitting on the corner where
I turned west again.



He had a few old vehicles there, also. One, I know, was
a '40 Ford pickup.

Westlake, easily recognized by its numerous chemical plants, was ahead.



I was at the first set of east-west rails. This, I believe, is the
KCS headed to DeRidder. The Lake Charles, Westlake, Moss Bluff
are has a very interesting rail layout.



Page End. New Page Below.

Rail map below. Click it for detail. I'll explain it when we
get back to this area.




Mike and Mark just chimed in asking where to go next, so I guess I better get to it. I've never done an audience participation ride report before. I've always thought it was something you read and considered, first. I have several temptations gnawing at me. OK , I'll behave myself.
In this age of instant communications using satellite laptop computers, anything is possible. I might make this site live and just talk to people riding around. They can camera back to me what they see and their GPS will let me know where they are and.. and...and.....and.......

I reached newer Old US 90. Evidently Old Old 90 was one block north where you see "Old Spanish" as in "Old Spanish Trail". That's a term you can Google and learn some stuff. I've been on a lot of it that is still gravel. It's poignant riding that road and incurring just a little of what it took our ancestors to get anywhere. Pavement is a new concept in Louisiana. It's also one that is subject to opinion as to what qualifies as a "paved road".



Mike and Mark, just try to get through Sulfur without getting killed. That's your immediate task. Clearing Sulfur, keep straight. I'll bring you back through later.



Have you ever noticed the oaks which were obviously planted
on the sides of some of our historic old roads? They were
planted as landscaping to beautify the busy thoroughfares.
US 190 has them north of Baton Rouge. They may be south
of BR on US 61.

I know I've seen them elsewhere. Ah, La.1 south of Baton
Rouge sports them. I think the common denominator is that
they were used on roads approaching the capital city, BR.
I'll bet Huey Long had a hand in it, or the CCC. Google it.

Then why are they here? We are going away from BR and
US 90 doesn't go there anyway. I'm glad I reread this. Riding
down straight roads promotes thought. Writing about
straight roads promotes thought, likewise. So never short change
a straight road.



Not that way, we're going west.



If you decide to motor west, take the highway that's the best.
Keep off I-10. It's the exception to the rule. It will make you crazy.
People screw up everything. This was the sum of the traffic on 90.
I waited a long time for them to come along so I could show the
DOT that there is traffic and they need to maintain this historic
road because I like to use it. Believe me, this site is read by DOT
people. They leave a foot print just like the rest of us. Hey Roger.
Man, how many hours can you "spend" here? You're spending
our money playing on the internet. Come back, now.

I took this one during a brief interlude in the constant stream of
out of state tourist wanting to spend big bucks riding the Old Spanish Trail.



Of course the old Southern Pacific RR, now the Union Pacific,
curse the yankees, follows the road. Since it was there, I know that
you, Mark and Mike, want to pull off and see it. The more
you see, the heavier the experience gets until you are completely
weighed down and just can't go any more. Are you getting sleepy?



Soon you'll see the Great Hall of Vinton looming over the
countryside. No kidding, aren't the clouds great. I wish
there had been some lightning.



Suddenly, it was getting lighter.



Vinton Co-op Drier Inc.



Is that Egor looking out he window? Look again.

What does a rice drier do?

One thing it does is provide bragging rights. So you were born
and raised in a town of 23o people. At least you can brag
that you have a six story building in your downtown. Not
every one from a town of 230 people can do that. I still think they
should be turned into Bed and Breakfast tourist traps. Shoot,
I might be the first customer. Mike and Mark, it ain't open yet and
it doesn't have a pool or restaurant, so best just ride by.
You can get in trouble in Vinton. In a dim past which I don't claim,
that almost happened.



I think preparations have begun for some type
of entertainment use of the old building. Is that
a cable coming off of it? Whoa, can you ride a
pulley down it? "Come experience the Vinton
Co-Op Pulley Ride".

Mark, Mike, I saw a Stop and Shop over yonder.
Maybe they'll have some Veeners and bread, so take
a break until I get back with you.


I'll hurry through this one in hopes of you not noticing or remembering it because I blew it.

When I saw US 90 turning left, I figured, without consulting the GPS, that the old road was being merged with I-10 to cross the bridge. I was wrong. I continued straight until I saw what I considered a barricade. I then turned on this road that went back into a neighborhood of ramshackle houses and destroyed trailers. There were people about who obviously were wondering what I was doing in their domain. I shared their observation and left quietly. I can be very quiet which is a great eploration asset.



I assumed nothing was left and prepared for the ride home. I'd play the railroad game enroute and be satisfied with that having never played it beyond Jennings going west. Then I saw the sign.



I now specualte that the Showboat Club was one of the group of clubs that made up East Orange, La. That may be a stretch since the others were two miles southwest of this point being in two sections, one by the Sabine River and one on the east side of the mile long wooden bridge which burned.

Before I hand over the dialog to a fella who has really investigated this area, here is the floor of the Showboat. I don't know if there was an acual showboat near as there was in the bridge location. I didn't see a canal. But, after the bridge burned, the original Showboat Club might have been moved. A thorough chronological investigation might debunk that assumption so take it as it is, pure specualtion. I specualted the road went this way and it actually went that way. So much for that.







I almost brought a piece of tile home, but decided that would
be over the line. I would have loved to have found a glass.

Below are pages from a site that makes my investigations look superficial.
Well, they are.

Here are the links: CLICK ONE
CLICK TWO
CLICK THREE
CLICK FOUR

There may be more links, so look carefully.

The US 90 bridge landed on Green Street in Orange, Texas.
Orange seems to be a fascinating town. This guy has really put
together a fine collection of old pictures. CLICK HERE
I may have to go to Orange.

If you are interested in this, the end of the road and then some, you'll be busy for a while. I need to attend to business, but will be back this evening. Both of these authors have supplied a look into places few will ever see. Take a look. BTW: The ride home will be great, stay tuned.

The Ride Back Begins

I had a kick on the ride back. I was close to 125 miles from home, but so what. I had a GPS that shows stuff on it including one of my rabbits, train tracks. Old roads can continue to come up with new tricks if you allow them. First a map.



Before I get lost in the pictures, I want to mention Nibletts Bluff.
If you are interested in the Civil War, it is a place. Info is on the
net so just Google it. I did a ride there and it is impressive. There
is an RV campground on the shores of the Sabine. It is very
picturesque. The "walls", dirt levees, are still there with lots of
visual history. Great place. The motif is gray, appropriately.

I rode back up 90 through Toomey. I was probably day
dreaming and missed it. Vinton yielded no new interest
though I didn't look. Next was Edgerly. I had seen a road
sign proclaiming Edgerly Cutoff. Why not? The clouds were
darkening again so why should I hurry home. Ahead was
another of those beautiful structures. I still think of them as
castles.



There was another building.



What does a rice drier do?



They can bring you to places like Edgerly where I found this.



I couldn't find the road to the cemetery. I figured something
was weird.

I just Googled Big Woods Cemetery.

Link One

Link Two

This from there:
"There is a small pass that connects two graveyards: Antioch and Big Woods. There used to be a gate at the connection of these two graveyards. Now there is a sign that states, “beware of Children…or children at play” The legend is that if you see a shadow pass in front of the gate when there is no scientific explanation for a shadow passing there, Then that is a serious warning that you should not be passing there. Some who have passed through the crossing after the sighting of the gatekeeper have never come back. Numerous Ghost hunting societies have lost Compact Flash cards and Hi8 video tapes from the electromagnetic interference out there. Numerous photos of orbs and ectoplasm have been taken here. SWLA Ghost Society has written documentation that this place is in FACT haunted. People have been chased by a truck that seemed to have no driver. Cars and trucks come from the cemeteries, drive to the woods and just disappear".

Here's the Google Search Page. I'm rather happy I didn't find the road. Possibly the road has been "taken".

I was again in Sulfur and two places interested me.





I couldn't find anything on it.

Then there's this strange place. It looks like a WWII Quonset Hut with a stucco face.



Kossa Dancers





Yes, there is a link and it's pretty interesting. CLICK HERE

The Stuff is Next featuring an award winning photo.
Stay tuned. You never know what's next on 90.

The Map:



I came from the west (left) and turned north retracing my ride.
I had seen a Southern Pacific boxcar and wanted to shoot it on
my return. I find it strange I remembered. The KCS tracks
are the top ones, the UP are the lower east-west tracks for
those that care and trust my guess. Now the fun stuff. I was at
a cross track just to the left of where you see "Train Shots".

Hum, "KCS Connection". I must have been in an important place?
I love confluences of waterways, crossroads and cross tracks.
I've never had that diagnosed. We all remember Cream's
rendition of Cross Tracks and that famous line, "I went down to
the cross tracks for to catch a ride". Great memories. Great song.
I can hear Jack Bruce's bass as I write.



Looking east. There's my car.



Could the "MP" seen on the next car signify Missouri Pacific.
Was I in a museum?


This is looking south at a continuation of that line of cars.
What's a Hydra Cushion? A Hydra is a muti headed snake?
At first I thought it said "Hydro Cushion" which sounded
like a pretty good addition for my bike's seat from hell.
A muti headed snake seat would be no improvement,
though similar .


This page has brought out the experts. First Everett took
a break from rebuilding the Red River and Gulf at that
Southern Forest Heritage Museum and then Marion, the
house expert on all things lumber mill oriented had this to
say about the "HydraCushion" box cars.

"The HydraCushion rail car was another development of International Paper Co. It has a long travel coupler with springs and shock absorbers to lessen the impact of coupling and making up long strings of rail cars. They sold the patents and manufacturing rights to Union Car company in the 1960's, I believe. I.P.was quite a power house of patents and innovation in the 1950's and 1960's for paper processes, products and engineering. Because their staff engineers were old operating and construction personnel they could design, build and put a paper mill on line faster then anyone else in the 1960's and 70's. I.P. developed the paper milk carton and sold the patent and manufacturing rights to a subsidiary company called Excello".

You don't get that info in the Sunday paper.

Now here's Everett's reply to my mentioning the old company names on the cars.

"Just a note on reporting marks on RR cars and locomotives".

"A railroad is limited to 4 digit numbers on Locomotives, and 6 digits on freight cars. With all of the mega mergers that have created our 4 big systems, all 4 of them are approaching or surpassing those limits and the UP has the biggest problem of all. The solution is that UP is allowed to use all of the reporting marks of the companies that it has absorbed, so you often see: MP,C&NW, SP, D&RGW, WP, TP markings on freight cars that all belong to UP. UP is still renumbering locomotives to try and get them all in, but rather than use any of its "subsidiary" companies, UP created the marks UPY which stand for UP yard loco, and they number the yard or switch engines with that mark and number".

I know, that's a little technical for some, but not others. It is the tip of the iceburg for v8 rail enthusiast. I've still got my training wheels.

Back to the ride.

I looked back at the cross tracks and started to leave, thinking,
"Shucks, I guess there won't be a train today". That worked
back in Pineville.



I looked down the tracks one more time.







I get an award for that one. It didn't stop for the shot.



Headed for Orange.

I next went south of I-10 for the ride home. The clouds
kept it bearable. I returned to 90 after its escape from
Lake Charles where its route had changed many times.



The next point of interest was the terminus of US 165.



A deserted full service gas station marks the once busy junction.



Between Lake Charles and Jennings it's open country, the coastal
plain I spoke of. Being south of where we were earlier, the "coastal"
part seems more relevant.

This is also a self awarded award winning shot.





The road stretched out toward Jennings.



I have no idea of the significance of the next shot.



I may give myself another award in the Misc Category.
Jennings is next. Put on your track walking shows. (Little Feat)
And I'll be your Dixie Chicken.

Jennings Next. All aboard.
PS: I assume everyone knows all these railroad names and can associate the initials I use. For the record, KCS is not "Knights of Columbus in Sulfur". KCS stands for Koni's Citrus Stand, a great place to get your fill of grapefruit juice. Sorry for the confusion.

This page is finished though completely out of control. Once in a while I hit a "vein" of information that runs and runs and I can't stop pursuing it. That's what has happened here. In fact, I have to go back and add to previous pages excerpts from Louisiana: A Guide to the State by the Federal Writer's Project.

I knew this would happen. This page is growing. Before we get into Jennings there are places between Lake Charles and Jennings that need explaining. It is not a vast emptiness to be ignored. Here's a HUGE MAP showing the communities that are there. And, RR people, the old lines that are gone are shown, also, along with the communities they went to. So, click it to enlarge, then click back. Or, open it in a new window.



The fact that these places had sidings and yards reflects industry in the area.
I'm including little pieces of the railroad map for each locality and then all the
cool information I can find. Luke warm info will not be entered.

This from here on Lake Charles first:

History

The Lake Charles train station was opened at its current location on December 21, 1999. Set back a short distance from the tracks, it was modeled after a Texas & Orleans Railroad station that was located across the street on South Railroad Avenue, which burned down in the late 1980s. Today’s station is a 1,200 square-foot building constructed of redbrick and a metal-clad roof. The depot includes a terminal, a decorative waiting area, an office used by the caretaker, and restrooms. The new train station was an initiative sponsored by former Lake Charles’ then Mayor Willie Mount, Amtrak, and Player’s River Casino.

Lake Charles became connected to the rest of the nation by rail in the late 19th century. The advent of rail travel changed the ambiance of the town, with daily trains running from Vermilionville (Lafayette) to Houston, with more than 800 freight cars passing through Lake Charles in October 1880. On April 2, 1880, the Louisiana Western Railroad transported from Lacassine to Lake Charles the first shipment of country produce ever delivered by rail.

In the nearby town of DeQuincy, the historic Kansas City Southern Depot now serves as the DeQuincy Railroad Museum, a museum that pays tribute to the railroad’s importance to the town’s history. DeQuincy was laid out in 1896 when the main line of the Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Gulf Railroad reached the area. The Kansas City Southern and the Union Pacific Railroads contributed greatly to the local economy throughout the years. The museum boasts a 1913 steam locomotive, a passenger car, a caboose, and many other railroad artifacts.

The city of Lake Charles was occupied by several Native American tribes until European settlers arrived in the 1760s, the first of which came from Bordeaux, France. Lake Charles was originally named Charles Town in honor of one of the area’s first European settlers, Charles Sallier. On March 7, 1861, Lake Charles was officially incorporated as a town under the name Charleston. Six years later, the town was renamed Lake Charles after many expressed discontent with the name Charleston.

The city’s growth was due mainly to the lumber industry. Timber sales from the area’s bald cypress and longleaf pine generated the city’s revenue. In 1855, Captain Daniel Goos, a German by birth, moved to Lake Charles and set up a lumber mill and a schooner dock, now called Goosport. He promoted trade with both Texas and Mexico. After the Civil War, many Victorian mansions were built in Lake Charles using wood from the city’s pine mills. Today, this historic district is known as the Charpentier district.

Lake Charles is the fifth-largest city in Louisiana, and one of the most important cultural centers in Acadiana (the region in Southwest Louisiana settled by French Canadians). Lake Charles is often referred to as the Festival Capital of Louisiana, celebrating 75 festivals annually.In May, Lake Charles residents recognize “Contraband Days,” one of the largest festivals in Louisiana, reenacting pirate Jean Lafitte’s capture of the city’s port and hurling the mayor into the lake. As is tradition in South Louisiana, Mardi Gras krewes parade through the streets during Carnival Season. Other festivals include the Marshland Festival and the Cajun Music and Food Festival.

Amtrak does not provide ticketing and baggage services at this facility.

Lake Charles is served by tri-weekly trains.

Back to the ride: BTW, do you remember Goos Ferry Rd? You were there 4 pages ago.

Here we'll take a look at:

Mallard Junction, US165, Lacassine, Welsh, Roanoke, then Jennings.

Mallard Junction {which I believe has been eaten by the I 210}.
The "junction" part of the name comes from what is described below.
It is where the Lake Arthur branch left the main line.

This is from Wikipedia which noted this source:
http://books.google.com/books?id=LeVDAAAAIAAJ

This is a historical description of a railroad which was later owned by the Southern Pacific.
Much of that track is gone. I have followed the Midland to Abbeville branch and the Midland to Mamou Branch which I believe was later owned by the Texas and Pacific. Of course we are following the branch from the Texas border to Lafayette. Al and I will follow the branch to/from Lake Arthur to/from Lake Charles. Then we might do the route down from Iowa to the Lake Arthur branch. He just called and wants to leave earlier. He works 7:30 to 3:30 so he thinks the world awakens at 5AM. Not my world. He'll still be honking at 7 Am. That's why I keep a pellet gun. Read that, Al?

Here's what it says:

The railroad of the Louisiana Western Railroad Company, hereinafter called the Louisiana Western, is a single-track, standard-gage, steam railroad, located in the southern part of Louisiana. The owned mileage extends eastwardly from the Texas-Louisiana State line at Sabine River to Lafayette, a distance of 105.888 miles, with branch lines from Mallard Junction to Lake Arthur, from Midland to Abbeville, and from Midland to Mamou, aggregating 102.219 miles, or a total main-line mileage of 208.107 miles. The Louisiana Western also owns and uses 75.084 miles of yard tracks and sidings. Its road thus embraces 283.191 miles of all tracks owned.

The Louisiana Western forms a part of the Atlantic System of the Southern Pacific Company and its main line is an important link in that carrier's through transcontinental route from New Orleans to San Francisco.

From the date the property was placed in operation, July 1, 1881, until February 28, 1885, the Louisiana Western was operated by its own organization. From March 1, 1885, until December 31, 1901, the property was exclusively operated by the Southern Pacific Company, under lease. From the latter date until December 31, 1917, it was operated by its own organization. On January 1, 1918, its common-carrier property was taken over and operated by the United States Railroad Administration and is so operated on date of valuation.

Beginning with Mallard Junction, you can see the extended rails going southeast
and a branch of it returns to Iowa where it joins the route to Alexandria.
Another new area has just opened up for History Hunts. Al and I are
headed off Monday and this is where we are going so I'll leave this alone
for now. It is funny that the first stop is Hippie. I could expand, but I won't.
Yet. Here's a super large map to show you what I'm talking about. Click it! Any
contributions would be appreciated to help explain the history of those rails
which is an important asset in understanding the area.

This will be fun. It's the only stretch I have left to do.



Back to 90, moving east from Mallard Junction, the first community you come to is Chloe (clo E).

There's not much to be found for "Chloe". By me, anyway.

Here's the "Write Rant".
Click: Chloe is Jack Bower's main gal on 24. She is a true patriot as is he.
JB for President. Dick Cheney back at the CIA. Get those Chicago goons out of there before a second Civil War has to take place. With Big Bro you will have to buy "insurance". It's the MOB all over again, don't you get it? Al Capone Obamma. What will happen if you don't. He'll rip you off for 2% of your gross income. That's in his "health bill". You'll need money, guns and lawyers, cause the sh_t will have hit the fan.
"Write Rant" is over. Resume your escapre from reality time, I am.

The La. RR Commission of 1906 listed these judgments concerning cotton and then charcoal.
You don't think of cotton this far south, but yes, it was grown everywhere. Now you see wheat instead of sugarcane in places.






I still can't find much mentioning "Chloe".

Next down the line is Iowa, local pronunciation, "I-oh-way".
Andy related a little history here. There was a large migration of Iowans and they
named their center of settlement "Iowa". I cannot explain the pronunciation. I will
get more from Andy as it has been a while since he related that.

This is from the Federal Writer's Project of the 1930's.



I found one of the answers to the "Iowa migration" . It's mentioned in the Jennings information.



The new town of Jennings was being developed, named for
Jennings McComb, an engineer with the Southern Pacific RR.
BTW, the mileage figures you see are distances from the TX
border.

More near Iowa:





Next is the rail junction at the juncture of US 90 and US 165.
The north route goes to Alexandria through Oakdale.



Lacassine is next.



Below from Wikipedia:

One story about the name is that a tribe of Comanche Indians, led by their chief Lacassine, migrated to southwest Louisiana to hunt and fish in the early 1800s, settling near this place.

Another states this part of the parish was visited regularly by different tribes of the area, including Attakapas and Choctaw. Game was abundant here, and the Indians called it their "hunting ground," or, in the Choctaw language, La Cassine. However, the phrase sounds more French than Indian.

More from HERE.

This was the name of a very large area of this part of southwest Louisiana (most of current Jefferson Davis Parish, and small portions of Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes). "La Cassine" is an Indian word meaning "hunting ground". After the railroads came through the area in the 1880's, a station in the area was called Rice Station and the local school was also called Rice (ref. exhibit 3). I also found an old map of Southwest Louisiana, dated 1908, showing the town of Rice - see exhibit 3. In the early 1900's the name Lacassine came to apply only to the current town and the name Rice was gradually dropped.

Next is Welsh.



Wonder where that name came from?

The Federal Writer's Project, a huge source of information gathered in the 30's had this to say.





Ghost sightings.

I don't know what they are smoking out on US 90, but it must be strong.

Next is Roanoke.



Federal Writer's Project:



I have to quit here and will be back. Some of Jennings is below. Much more to come.

I've explored Jennings a few times. Al had connections here when he had his PI agency and Andy still lives there using it as a base camp while he explores the continent. At first I thought of only posting my "passing through" pictures. Then I decided to put everything I have now using the "Fire all of your guns at once, explode into space" attitude. You know, all the chips on the table and throw the dice approach. What is there to lose?

Jennings, Federal Writer's Project:






The old Southern Pacific does a 45 degree through Jennings, so would I.



I was coming from that northwest corner following US 90.
That says, "Nezpique Street". (Nez P K) It's a local bayou.
Might be an Indian word possibly meaning "stick your tongue out".



I zoomed out and decided that would be my next stop. I'd just '
zig zag my way where needed. BTW, hubcap alert! Or is that
an Indian symbol or chrome tambourine? Remember the song
"My Green Tambourine". Yea, now you're humming it and it
won't go away. Have a great Saturday.



I just noticed that both warehouses had loading doors. There
was a siding there I missed. Too wore out, too extended, that's
my excuse, again.

Andy to the rescue. I just checked out his Jennings shots and
this has to be the rail side.







Here you can see the trucking side docks on the same white
warehouse.

Andy's again. Could this be the second building's rail side?



Panning right. No Purina Feeds sign goes unshot. Yea, it's
there between the 2 white trucks. Remember, all these
shots are "thumbs". Click them and the large versions appear.



A Nutrena sign.



So, what's the deal? My uncle had a feed store in Antlers, OK.
I know everything about them, the smells, the dust, and the
work involved in making them go.

This big old home caught my eye.



I doubled back on the west side of the tracks. I think this was
the area of the rail yard. When you find wide open spaces
next to RR tracks, that is a good hint of a previous yard or
old mill, whatever.
Besides, my GPS showed it.



Before we leave this area, here's one of Andy's, labeled,
"Old track path heading west". The recent looking patch
marks the alignment. Could it be the side track? How did
I miss it? I thought I'd crossed all the crossings. Geeze.



Here's Andy's prize shot: The Jennings railroad terminal.
There is a large field behind it, it seems. If you look closely
you can see the existing rails to the far right. I see no down-
town buildings so I'm guessing this shot is taken from the
northeast looking southwest? I don't have any reference shots
to verify my guess.

Andy had this to add.

Where the street was patched is where the side tracks use to run for delivering freight to all the buildings. It was a very busy place in the 50's and 60's and even into the '70's . If memory serves me near right, there were about 2 or 3 sets of tracks off the main rails. I used to practice my stunting on them with my old bikes.



Back on the streets, this place grabbed me. Might be the name?



It looks like the place Al described as his investigation agency offices.
Or, maybe they were here?



Moving east along the tracks on the southeast side of town,
these shots were taken. The architecture of this building say
Southern Pacific to me but as it has been explained, certain
styles of building were common.

Looking s.e.



Looking n.w. street side:



Looking n.w. rail side.



And centered. See the same old building in the distance?



And Al, your previous client, Fred, is closing down.
His bother J. Paul is now selling gold, some make it,
some don't. Nevertheless, Fred didn't get mixed up
in that Watergate mess.



The sign say, "Everything must go". How true.

The next shots are Andy's.




Looking back at Fred's and the RR.

One of the great old homes in Jennings:
I bet they have shades on their windows.



My guess on the building was wrong. Andy added this:

The More Mileage building [that's the brown sign on the building] on Main was a known stop on the advertisement for the Old Spanish Trail back in the late 30's and 40's. It was a super service station. It slowly degenerating to a sports shop through the 70's and 80's that also sold snow cones before its closing due to deterioration about 5 or so years back. At one time , from east to west, US 90 came right down Railroad St. making it's right turn on Main Street before the old train depot.



A customer waits patiently. Bubba, you'll be there a while.
You get great mileage going nowhere.



And, what does a rice drier do?
Here one closes the show on the rail district of south Jennings.



As the case often happens, I can't find my Jennings pictures.
Too many categories, too much confusion. I'll add them when
they pop up, yea right.

This page shows a little that's between Jennings and Crowley.
Near La.92



This was the set up at Esterwood. I once knew a lady
named Ester Wood. Whenever I saw her I'd say, "Looking
good Miss Ester Wood". She'd laugh.



There are those amongst us that feel life is good when
you find a tie in the ground. On to Crowley. This picture
might be of a tie in Midland. I remember that stuff but
can't tell you my phone number. Link to next page below.




I had a good time in Crowley. Here is a picture of it past
rail configuration. Click the maps and they get larger.







This where the AKDN rails came in. They were once the
something, something and Colorado and something.






Headed north on the scenic route. Observation car, anyone.



Trailing the rails was a kick.



If you are in to galvanized steel, and I am, Rice Alley in
Crowley should be your destination.



I know there are a few big cement nuts out there too.


Want some grain?



Enjoy, Louisiana is sinking.


Gorgeous. The Louisiana Tetons.



I can't believe this page has just been sitting there. The
photography is stunning.






You know what. I have a tremendous feeling of deja vu.
This page may be an early attempt at a later page. I am
not embarrassed to show it again.




I think this is some large government building. It had that feel.
Or, maybe a motel.


It's that something and something Colorado and something depot.
At that very interesting info can be found on the Opelousas, Gulf
and North East Ride.






Can't have too many. Later you can trade one.
Can you picture yourself on a hand propelled car
pumping yourself to Lafayette?


Elenor Road, 30 miles to go.




Next will be some maps of the stretch from Crowley on into Lafayette.
The Ride to Mallard Junction covers this also, so to repeat it here is useless.

Past Crowley going east to Lafayette, these maps show
what was the rail set ups at each town along the Southern
Pacific RR. The date these map depict is unknown.

Duson, La.


Scott


West side of Lafayette


Central Lafayette