A fella, who has written before, told me about what he'd found.
I can understand the need to do that.
I can understand the need to do that.
He had discovered where a portion of the Red River and Gulf route had been.
I was "fairly familiar" with most of that and led him to a couple of ride reports I'd done covering the subject,
He seemed unimpressed, bewildering as that may seem to this author.
He seemed unimpressed, bewildering as that may seem to this author.
He also mentioned the Missouri Pacific rails being moved to facilitate the Morganza Floodway between East Krotz Springs and Lottie. I knew that they had been moved from Krotz Springs (west bank of the Atchafalaya River)west to Courtableau, the location of the West Atchafalaya Basin levee.
I was concerned. He responded with the evidence in the form of a late 1930's black and white survey map showing what was old and what was "under construction"..
He said there here had been three routes between Lottie and what I'll broadly call "East Krotz Springs", though I'm not sure the first route of 190 was actually called US 190, but La. Hwy 7 or 7D, a highway of which I was totally clueless.
I knew of what I considered the first US 190. It was the ground level route with unusually wide bridges.
That route connected the new auto bridge at East Krotz Springs to Lottie and to what is called
"The Airline Highway".
The writer suggested that I ride down this Old 190 route which is in very good shape despite two occurrences of the spillway being opened. There is one problem with that. It is the stretch that is owned or leased by a hunting club that has lockable gates at both ends. There are threatening signs attached. These people, from their description, are known to carry guns. I don't know them. I've tried to meet the head honcho. The one hunter I met said I looked like a squirrel while twisting his face into a rabid snarl.
If you've seen the look, you know what I'm talking about.
Some of what is below is redundant or filler.
Below is what I'll refer to as "Old US 190", the second crossing, he said.
It sits north of the present elevated version of US 190.
From his map I learned that the first version of the Missouri Pacific's route
ran just south of the eastern portion of this stretch of this Old US 190.
Then it turned south to meet the old (and present) Atchafalaya RR bridge which
also served as a vehicle bridge for a short time.
Summing that information up, this was the second road to cross the between Lottie and Krotz Springs.
Accompanying it was the first version of the railroad, very simple.
But it wasn't from that map and I couldn't interpret his explanation.
This picture was taken from the east Atchafalaya Floodway Levee looking west.
What you see below was under water,a lot of water last year.
The road surface is still in prime condition using the Louisiana highway norm as a benchmark.
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Just to the south there is the 3rd and newest highway edition, the elevated, 3.5 mile bridge of US 190.
Evidence in Lottie.
The street signed as "Old State Highway" is 2 blocks south of present US 190 (yellow on the east side of the levee, brown, and the railroad.
This is looking west toward the levee.
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I had hoped to follow it west to the levee, but, as usual, a fence intervened.
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This is looking east on what is now La.81.
It turns south at the church ahead.
What I believe are remnants of the "Old State Highway"
continue behind the church, the white building in the distance.
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That road ends in a turnaround, but the two rut evidence
suggests that it continued toward Livonia.
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I knew of what I considered the first US 190. It was the ground level route with unusually wide bridges.
That route connected the new auto bridge at East Krotz Springs to Lottie and to what is called
"The Airline Highway".
The writer suggested that I ride down this Old 190 route which is in very good shape despite two occurrences of the spillway being opened. There is one problem with that. It is the stretch that is owned or leased by a hunting club that has lockable gates at both ends. There are threatening signs attached. These people, from their description, are known to carry guns. I don't know them. I've tried to meet the head honcho. The one hunter I met said I looked like a squirrel while twisting his face into a rabid snarl.
If you've seen the look, you know what I'm talking about.
Some of what is below is redundant or filler.
Below is what I'll refer to as "Old US 190", the second crossing, he said.
It sits north of the present elevated version of US 190.
From his map I learned that the first version of the Missouri Pacific's route
ran just south of the eastern portion of this stretch of this Old US 190.
Then it turned south to meet the old (and present) Atchafalaya RR bridge which
also served as a vehicle bridge for a short time.
Summing that information up, this was the second road to cross the between Lottie and Krotz Springs.
Accompanying it was the first version of the railroad, very simple.
But it wasn't from that map and I couldn't interpret his explanation.
This picture was taken from the east Atchafalaya Floodway Levee looking west.
What you see below was under water,a lot of water last year.
The road surface is still in prime condition using the Louisiana highway norm as a benchmark.
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Just to the south there is the 3rd and newest highway edition, the elevated, 3.5 mile bridge of US 190.
The bridge would be great if it has a shoulder.
This is how it was. Look at the map below.
The teal line was old La.7 or 7D, still visible in places out in the basin and in Lottie.
I had no idea that this road had existed. It was the first state highway to connect Lottie with Krotz Springs.
Not only that but it would become the present route of the present elevated rail line.
The light brown line with "Missouri" on it was the first rail route before the Morganza Floodway was built.
As I said, it exited the bridge and swung north to meet where the first version of US 190 would be built.
It was not very elevated.
The yellow line is the aforementioned "Old" US 190. It was "Airline Hwy.
Its location was designated by Huey Long.
To prepare for the floodway, the darker brown line with "under construction" on it
marks the present elevated US 190.
With the floodway coming, the rail route was also elevated, the builders choosing
the old La.7D ROW as its route between the Atchafalaya bridge and Lottie.
Oh, the red line was a spur to the lumber mill town of Sherburne.
The teal line was old La.7 or 7D, still visible in places out in the basin and in Lottie.
I had no idea that this road had existed. It was the first state highway to connect Lottie with Krotz Springs.
Not only that but it would become the present route of the present elevated rail line.
The light brown line with "Missouri" on it was the first rail route before the Morganza Floodway was built.
As I said, it exited the bridge and swung north to meet where the first version of US 190 would be built.
It was not very elevated.
The yellow line is the aforementioned "Old" US 190. It was "Airline Hwy.
Its location was designated by Huey Long.
To prepare for the floodway, the darker brown line with "under construction" on it
marks the present elevated US 190.
With the floodway coming, the rail route was also elevated, the builders choosing
the old La.7D ROW as its route between the Atchafalaya bridge and Lottie.
Oh, the red line was a spur to the lumber mill town of Sherburne.
The street signed as "Old State Highway" is 2 blocks south of present US 190 (yellow on the east side of the levee, brown, and the railroad.
This is looking west toward the levee.
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It turns south at the church ahead.
What I believe are remnants of the "Old State Highway"
continue behind the church, the white building in the distance.
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suggests that it continued toward Livonia.
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I took his map and hauled it off to Paint where I highlighted the routes and printed the map out to take along.
I'd go back over to Lottie and work my way back to East Krotz Springs and Courtableu, looking very closely for old highway evidence, the changes at the the east side of the Krotz Spings rail bridge and for evidence of the rails at Lottie where they continued on the
historical route to Baton Rouge, if that has not been shifted.
Below is not the donated map, but an old Google Earth version
Grasping that La.7, "Old State Hwy" and the new rail route were the same was an epiphany.
The old road would have made a perfect supply route for building the railroad.
Now, you ask, "How about that labeling of "Old State Hwy 190" (red line) Simply, that is incorrect.
190 is, and was, a federal highway. The map is wrong or Huey insisted.
historical route to Baton Rouge, if that has not been shifted.
Below is not the donated map, but an old Google Earth version
Grasping that La.7, "Old State Hwy" and the new rail route were the same was an epiphany.
The old road would have made a perfect supply route for building the railroad.
Now, you ask, "How about that labeling of "Old State Hwy 190" (red line) Simply, that is incorrect.
190 is, and was, a federal highway. The map is wrong or Huey insisted.
Summing it all up, I used all of Saturday afternoon plus three or so hours
of research of this discovery which wasn't really mine.
Nevertheless I can claim somewhat of a triumph by deciphering his explanation and legend less map.
Lets start over.
of research of this discovery which wasn't really mine.
Nevertheless I can claim somewhat of a triumph by deciphering his explanation and legend less map.
Lets start over.
Here's the first version of his map, the one I received.
This is what I had.
He said, "The alignment east of KS isn't shown on present maps or even on satellite. I've attached a JPEG showing the original route between KS and Lottie"
{That's it above.}
{By the way, satellite pictures do show the old rail route from East KS to Elliot City and Lottie}.
Google Earth provides a historical view of old satellite shots.
{That's it above.}
{By the way, satellite pictures do show the old rail route from East KS to Elliot City and Lottie}.
Google Earth provides a historical view of old satellite shots.
The various routes are easily seen.
He said, "US 190 had three alignments. LA 7/US 71 crossed along the old railroad bridge, which is why the original alignment west of KS is butted against the railroad."
Below is the approach to the rail bridge in Krotz Springs.
I believe the ramp you see the dump truck and car won was
the highway climbing to the rail/car bridge.
This is coming from what was US 190 prior to the new elevated edition
west of Krtoz Springs. It could also be "State Highway 7" which
crossed the train bridge in the distance.
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Who knows what I could have seen if I'd known what I do now.
Somewhere between where I was shooting this shot and the bridge is the old ROW of the first MP rails.
Old US 90, the second road between Lottie and East Krotz Springs, lies just north of the present
elevated highway.
There's La.Hwy.7-D along side the present day rails, Krotz Springs bridge to Lottie.
{The US 190 bridge, used today, was built in 1940}
{It's location was to spite the people of Melville who did not like Huey Long.
Melville would have been a cheaper and better route.
Huey seemed to have had the say so as to where this federal highway was located.
He "served" as governor and US Senator, the exact dates of each I don't have before me}.
Entering Krotz Springs form the west along the Old US 190 which sits north of the present highway. I shot the old rail berm which is very close to the road. The new elevated rail route is to the south of the old one.
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hunter zone on Old US 190.
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The present rails curve to the right (south). The originals went straight and then curved toward Old US 190.
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The raised area to the right might be the old berm.
I was not venturing into it looking for spikes in August.
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This could be the key to finding the old ROW. Ooops, I think he's the guy that said I looked like a squirrel.
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UPDATE:
On the survey my benefactor gave me, I saw a set of rails exiting the old
line across what was to become the Morganza Floodway.
See "Missouri", right below that.
That spur went to the mill town of Sherburne.
More below.
It went to this place.
History of Sherburne
The route of LA 975 (which began at approximately the east end of the Krotz Springs rail / car bridge) began as a simple trading trail and then a lumber tram road to the Town of Sherburne that sprang up around the 1880's It disappeared when the lumber played out in the 1930s becoming a ghost town. It had been a former logging camp which became a sawmill town along the Atchafalaya River deep within the Atchafalaya Basin, the largest freshwater swamp (wooded wetland) in North America. Large, ancient cypress forests were largely logged and removed by 1900; remaining bottom land hardwoods mostly cleared and removed by 1930s. The original town site is now the headquarters of the Sherburne District of the Dept.of Wildlife Management What remains at Sherburne are ruins of wooden buildings and steel equipment. Huge sawdust piles were still visible in the 1980's. They are now mostly gone. Some sawdust, concrete, and steel are still visible.
The primary function of the road now is a north and south access to the wildlife management areas the road services as well as an access road to oil and gas wells. It has also been used as an escape route between a jammed up I-10 and US 190.
My ride back got interesting.
My ride back got interesting.
I'd seen interesting and was interested out.
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