HISTORY HUNTS WAREHOUSE: September 2016

The Red Sand Hill Railroad Part 1 incomplete

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Passages found in brackets ([]) are my words.
Weight them lightly.

I've got this old mapping software that shouldn't have been for sale since it was so out of date. For a normal person, it would have been a ripoff. I have found it a gold mind which may reflect on my condition. I suspected it pictures how things were in the 1970's. I may have to roll that assumption back a few years after seeing what I have on this last outing. Since it is dated, it does not differentiate between what is still there and what is long gone, obviously. To find out is the game I play. I could research what I see on the map prior to traveling the required two 300 miles round trips it took, but that would be too logical and boring. I need a spur in the side to bolt me forth down the investigative trail. The thought of looking into a dark tunnel of an overgrown track right of way and imagining all that was associated with its disappearing history was motivation enough for what will follow here. I haven't investigated a ride to this extent since I found the roadside historic marker at Peason. This will take a while and it will probably get boring to most "normal" people. Here goes. I'll show you what got me started, first, a logical beginning, then proceed as the dominoes fell. Like always, the maps and pictures you see here are small versions of the actual pictures, "thumbs". If this size is insufficient to view easily, I suggest right clicking them and choosing to open them in a new window. Practice on the one below. You can see the two railroads leaving DeRidder at the top of the shot and going south to Lake Charles. I saw this and though that it was perfect for investigation since it was in a contained, symmetrical configuration in an area that I was somewhat inexperienced.

The 2 railroads dropped down from DeRidder and connected beneath the Calacacieu River in Lake Charles. I've never explored Lake Charles and this phenomenon was just what I needed to get me over there. After investigating the rail setup, where I had mistakenly perceived wharfs and petrochemical installations, I'd follow the eastern rails (or abandoned Right of Way?) up to DeRidder. Honestly, at first, Longville would be all I was interested in since I'd recently been there. As usual, my needs expanded when on the first ride I was unable to quite make it to Longville. I'd go back, do Longville right, and head north to DeRidder, a town which I was somewhat familiar since I'd followed the Jasper and Eastern Railroad from Oakdale, though it and into Texas to the town of Kirbyville.

I'm leaving out the shots taken on the ride to Lake Charles, a ride I accomplished without touching US 90, 190, or I-10.

RIDE ONE.

This would be an urban adventure with all the frills. A railroad right of way in an urban area is usually not the high rent district today. In the beginning they were the center of commerce and transportation. Now, they sometimes offer up a little history. I was ready to chance whatever the present situation. I had to take a look and ignore any adversity.

I entered Lake Charles from the north on US 171 after crossing Southwest Louisiana. The Premium Members got to see those photos in an earlier email post ride mailing. You can apply by using the guest book.

Here is a map of how I continued into Lake Charles. I have just found out that I was in Goosport. Get ready to learn about Goosport.

Urban exploration is best done during school hours, Rule 1.

I was there about noon, I had a couple of hours to check it out.
I came to the first crossing of a long gone railroad where you
see CR1. Even this old map does not show the rails there. It must
have come from the north. I noticed that after it crossed the street
it bent eastward. The X says "2 Tracks". From the map I have
I can't make sense of it. Let's don't get bogged down. It was either
a spur or a connector. That covers it.

I made a bee line to the main line. The ride down through
the neighborhood had seemed endless. I enjoyed the openness
and relative emptiness of N.Railroad Ave. Knowing that
I was in a historic place, I began looking around for some
historic architecture.

A few old stores and warehouse were all I could find. I
think the area had fallen into such poor repair it had been
cleaned out. Hurricane Rita might have done some of the
work. What was there was marred with graffiti. I felt
sorry for the residents who actually had any pride in their
neighborhood.

I moved west on North Railroad Ave toward where I saw
my railroad of interest meet the main line (UP).

That was it ahead. To the right was a robot engine.

Pretty freaky, eh? That was a first for me. Who blows
the horn?

I crossed the tracks (are you following along on the map?)
But, first I took a good shot of the wye set up for my rails going north.
Seeing that there were rails here made me believe I'd be following a live
line. That, in some way, took a little of the romance out of the hunt. But,
hope was alive since I'd found a crossing with no rails. But, it was off track.
I didn't linger thinking about that, not wanting to get off track, also.
I wanted to get this urban part over with.
School busses would be stopping soon.

Another old market was across the main line. I knew this
was old Lake Charles. I saw Ryan Street which was the
historic "main street", if I'm not mistaken.

After a second or third look at this picture, I am either
seeing railroad tracks, or street car tracks (I've seen old
shot of the streetcar lines) or shadows from the power lines.
I'm going with "streetcar" or "rail". Please place your vote.

Riding back west to the crossing, I came to a scene that I'd
seen before in Jennings when Al and I had visited there.
Andy had sent me a picture of the Jennings spot, also.

Oh my goodness. I looked around.

I knew what I was looking at.

I closed my eyes and what did I see?

The last depot on that spot suddenly appeared.
This Southern Pacific depot had burned in the 1980's.
I'm guessing that it had been built in the late, late 1880's or '90's.
Railroad Ave had previously been named "Battle Row".

This from HERE:
"1960/1970 Ryan Street was the commercial and business hub of the area with continuous storefronts from Mill Street to Clarence Street. There were department stores, specialty shops, diners, theatres, drugstores, professional offices, hotels and government offices in a concentrated area downtown from Front Street (now Lakeshore Drive) to Hodges Street. In the early 30's, Ryan had supplanted Railroad Avenue (once known as Battle Row) as the principal commercial street. In Sulphur, Huntington and Napoleon served the same purposes. Each town had its urban core. As the 50's slid into the 60's and 70's, the growth of the automobile culture began erosion of the urban core".

The writer is noticeably irked as he continues:
"In Lake Charles they tore down the Calcasieu State Bank to build nothing. They tore down the Majestic Hotel (which housed every president from Teddy Roosevelt to John F Kennedy) to build nothing. They tore down the Paramount Theatre, a real movie palace, to build nothing. They tore down the Elks Home, the Weber Building, the Kress Building and Woolworth Building to build nothing. They tore down the Missouri Central Station; they tore down the Kansas City Southern Station. The Arcade Theatre (where Houdini amazed the locals, and where the St Louis Symphony played to sellout crowds) caught fire and then they tore it down. The Southern Pacific Station was torched, then they tore it down. And while they were tearing down most of our visual history, they ripped up the wharves and warehouses on the lake and filled in 64 acres of lake and built 40 acres of parking lots and a marginally attractive Civic Center. And they blocked the major north south road to construct a pedestrian mall and produced a maze of one way streets to nowhere that virtually killed down town Lake Charles".

Sorry, he's not irked, he's pissed. I would be too, in fact I am. I suspected the depot had been torched being in that area. It was a thing of beauty. Some people only have destruction in their hearts. I'm fighting a political rant as I sit here because our government is doing the same thing to our country. That was a great venting. Rants are by crazy people.
You should read his whole write, it is an insight into Lake Charles. I had no idea, but suspected that the town had had a great past, but had self destructed.

I'll continue:

I looked to the right and there were the old baggage wagons.

I blinked again and there was the first engine to come
into Lake Charles. My blinking was getting freaky.

Then a vision of the flood in 1913 appeared . Bet it was wet where I
was now standing, being so close to the lake and bayous.

Below was the first SP depot in Lake Charles. It lasted
from 1880 to 1889 when it was torn down for the one
above, maybe?

Then, a band started up.

I told them thanks but I had to go.
The Mayor, Sheriff and Deputy were not amused.
It wasn't the first party I've ruined.

I mentioned I was in what was known as Goospoint.
"Goospoint" will be mentioned again on up the line. You need to
read some stuff first. There are several articles by the W.T Block
that really make the scene come into focus. CLICK HERE

In that article is the first hint of the railroad I'll be following.
I'm just getting a handle on all the names, so don't let my confusion
slow you down The article puts in chronological order the progression
of lumber mills in Lake Charles. Below are excerpts from that write.
I suggest reading Block's complete story I was only looking for the background
on the rails I wanted to follow which were the ones from LC to Longville to De Ridder
Here, they are first mentioned, I think :

"The Bradley-Ramsey Lumber Company built and chartered its own tram road, the 36-mile long Lake Charles and Leesville Railroad, which ran from Goos Bay to Bannister, north of Longville. In February, 1906, the mills used seven locomotives and 120 tram cars between Lake Charles and the company's "log front" near Longville. In the 1915 railroad map of Louisiana, a line identified as the Lake Charles & Navigation Railroad [had they used a ferry like the LN&R had?] ran northward to Deridder, and it looked suspiciously like the same line".

Bingo.

The next step (from the same article):
"Beginning in February, 1906, rumors became rampant that Bradley- Ramsey was selling out to Long-Bell Lumber Company of Kansas City. In fact, W. E. Ramsey was out-of-town, reportedly negotiating the sale and seeking to convince the Bradley stockholders to sell out for the reputed sum of $4,000,000. Lolng-Bel already had two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Hudson River Lumber Company of Deridder and King-Rider Lumber Company of Bon Ami, the latter cutting 350,000 feet (day and night shifts) daily, making it second only to the Fullerton sawmill"

"Almost immediately, Long-Bell reorganized the two Lake Charles saw

mills as Calcasieu Long Leaf Lumber Company"

[Whoa, I think there is an old building by the tracks with that name on it.
We'll see that later].

Much modernization went on, and:".....in 1906, Long-Bell built its large Longville sawmill, with its 150,000 feet daily capacity. That mill burned in 1920 and was never rebuilt; its planer was converted to an oak flooring plant. In 1913, Long-Bell bought out the big Ludington sawmill, along with its 65,000 acres of timberlands, and 2,000 acres of the Ludington pine trees were transferred to the Calcasieu Long Leaf stumpage reserve. By 1913, the six Long-Bell sawmills in Southwest Louisiana were cutting 1,000,000 feet daily, which leveled the company forests at an unparalleled pace. The Lake Charles Mount Hope sawmill was one of the first to dismantle. The Bon Ami sawmill cut out in 1925 and was dismantled. The Ludington mill cut out in 1928. The Longville oak flooring facility was moved to the Hudson River plant at Deridder in 1927, and Longville became a ghost town. The writer has no further information about the Calcasieu firm's Goosport mill, but he believes that cutover timberlands and the stifling of lumber demand in 1931 by the Great Depression finally forced the closing of the Lake Charles plant".

[I'm going to try to get everyone on board with the railroad history. It is best explained from a court document. CLICK HERE. I've cherry picked what I want from it below].

[The Louisiana & Pacific RR, aka, Lake Charles and Northern RR, looked like this in it's last reincarnation. (click to enlarge)]

[This explains the railroad after it had been given a new name, one the folks from Kansas City had picked. The town of DeRidder came about because of their presence. It was a "company town".]

"The Louisiana & Pacific Railway Company, incorporated under the laws of the state of Louisiana, owns and operates a tap line within that state, including approximately 80 miles of main and branch lines, its main line extending from De Ridder southerly to Lake Charles, approximately 45 miles, crossing and forming a junction with the main line of the New Orleans, Texas, & Mexico at Fulton, which is about 25 miles from De Ridder and 19 miles from Lake Charles".

"The Louisiana & Pacific connects also with the following trunk lines: At De Ridder, with the Gulf, Colorado, & Santa Fe, [aka, Jasper & Eastern RR] and the Kansas City Southern; at Bon Ami (near De Ridder),........" [Continued below].

[The KCS connected DeRidder to the north. It also branched southwest to DeQuincy and then to Lake Charles to the south. It is still in use and is the western part of the loop I saw on the map going to Lake Charles. From DeQuincy, the KCS also goes into Texas and visits Beaumont].

Below, when you see "Paper Mill", think "Lumber Mill".
I get delirious when confronted with confusing information.
The last woods industry owner was International Paper, thus, duh,
"Paper Mill". Marion is rolling at my bungling.

Continuing, from above, with the L&P trunk line connections:

"The Louisiana & Pacific connects also connects with the Kansas City Southern; and at Lake Charles, with the Louisiana & Western (Southern Pacific Company), the Kansas City Southern, and the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, & Southern".

"Located along the line of the Louisiana & Pacific are certain lumber mills, which are called proprietary mills because controlled by the same interests which own the stock of the Louisiana & Pacific".

"Some of these are at De Ridder, Bon Ami, and Longville, all of which points are north of Fulton, while one is at Gossport, near Lake Charles. At Bannister and Ragley, on the line of the Louisiana & Pacific, north of Fulton, there are non-proprietary mills".

The Lawsuit continues. I'll try to break it up a bit:

"The Louisiana & Pacific Railway Company, controlled by the R. A. Long interests,

owning a controlling interest in:

The Hudson River Lumber Company,
The King-Ryder Lumber Company,
Longville Lumber Company, and
The Calcasieu Long Leaf Lumber Company,
It consists of the following tracks, all of which were originally constructed as private logging roads:

(1) A track from De Ridder Junction, Louisiana, to Bundicks, a distance of 8 miles.
The mill of the Hudson River Lumber Company, in whose interest this track is operated, is located at De Ridder, within a few hundred feet of the trunk lines [predecessor to International Paper's owership?, shown on a map as "Paper Mill"].
Bundicks is apparently a logging camp with a company store. [We'll go there]

(2) A track from Lilly Junction to Walla [??], about 7 1/2 miles, the latter being a point in the woods where the King-Ryder Lumber Company has a commissary, and where is located a small independent yellow-pine mill, owned by the Bundick Creek Lumber Company".

[Below, I see an old ROW (green) shown and a road named "Railroad (green). Possibly this is the above mentioned route being it is toward Bundick? With the next statement I'm thinking Lilly Junction is near Bon Amis, so maybe you should ignore my guess, but maybe the 7.5 miles would get it to Walla? Walla Walla, where are you?]

"The mill of the King-Ryder Company is at Bon Ami,
a town of 2,000, located on the Lake Charles & Northern
Railroad Company (owned by SP, built by L&P, the
L&P retained trackage rights), a short distance from and
connected by it with Lilly Junction".
[I am now sure Lilly Junction is in the proximity of Bon Ami] (just added)

[Notice the Bon Ami Pond. Log mills had ponds. We'll visit Bon Ami].

"(3) A track of two miles at Longville, a town of 2,000 people,
where the Longville Lumber Company has its mill and a store,
and where also are several independent stores".

"(4) A track of nine miles from Fayette to Camp Curtis (??), a place of 200 population,
where the Calcasieu Long Leaf Lumber Company has a store, its mill being at Lake Charles".

[Fayette, though still shown on the map, is inaccessible. This area is above Fulton, the
junction of the NOT&M aka MoPacRR, We'll visit Magnolia Church, later.]

"(5) A track of one mile from Bridge Junction to Lake Charles station. The towns De Ridder,

"Bon Ami, Lilly Junction, Longville, Fayette, and Lake Charles are connected by the Lake Charles & Northern Railroad, a Southern Pacific Railway Company line, originally
built by the Long interests as a part of the Louisiana & Pacific, and sold to the Lake
Charles & Northern with the reservation of trackage rights advantageous to the Louisiana & Pacific. By means of this arrangement the Louisiana & Pacific connects with the Kansas City Southern and the Santa Fe at De Ridder, with the Frisco at Fulton (a station south of Fayette), and with the Southern Pacific, Iron Mountain, & Kansas City
Southern at Lake Charles. Its equipment consists of 22 locomotives, 6 cabooses, 41 freight cars, and 270 logging cars, and a private car used by its officers, who are connected with the
lumber companies, in traveling around the country. The lumber companies have many
miles of unincorporated logging tracks connecting with the Louisiana & Pacific at various
points. There are a number of other stations on the line, among them Bannister, where the
Brown Lumber Company owns a small independent mill".

[Bannister is above Longville. I rode to the end of the road.
There was a very old house there. There was more, I left w/o a shot
before I was shot]

[Remember the previous paragraph which mentioned Bannister? I'm sure you do.]

"The Bradley-Ramsey Lumber Company built and chartered its own tram road, the 36-mile long Lake Charles and Leesville Railroad, which ran from Goos Bay to Bannister, north of Longville. In February, 1906, the mills used seven locomotives and 120 tram cars between Lake Charles and the company's "log front" near Longville. In the 1915 railroad map of Louisiana, a line identified as the Lake Charles & Navigation Railroad [had they used a ferry like the LN&R had?] ran northward to Deridder, and it looked suspiciously like the same line".
[Bannister had been the orignal "log front", the end of the line].

It continues:

"The operation is this: the lumber companies load the logs and switch them over the logging
spurs to connection with the tap line which hauls them to the mill, an average distance of
30 miles, for which no charge is made. The tap line switches the carloads of lumber from
the mill at Lake Charles, a distance of three quarters of a mile, to the Southern Pacific;

at De Ridder, only a few hundred feet to the trunk lines;

from the Lake Charles mill to the Frisco, a distance of 18 miles [Fulton];

from the Bon Ami mill [down the to the Southern Pacific at Lake Charles, a distance of 40 miles, [I suppose down the Lake Charles & Northern Railroad, where the L&P had
trackage rights]......

and from the Longville mill to the Southern Pacific at Lake Charles, a distance of 24 miles.
The average haul for the controlling companies being nearly 20miles. By written agreement,
50% of the lumber must be routed over the Frisco [at DeRidder] and 40% over the Southern Pacific [Western La. at Lake Charles], but this is not always done. 243,122 tons of lumber, as
against 8,819 tons of merchandise, were shipped in 1910, 98% of the whole tonnage being
supplied by the controlling interests. The passenger receipts for 1910 were $473.77. A logging
train runs daily on each branch, and there is one "mixed" train, loaded chiefly with logs and
lumber, between Lake Charles and De Ridder".

I had to get all that off my chest. Now we can move north through Goosport and start
looking at the L&P's, aka the Southern Pacific's LC&N's Old Rail ROW'S as we travel north.

Here are some shots of logging crews, the first, for sure,
taken in Calcasieu Parish:

That's the first chapter. The next ones will go a bit faster if less humorous.
Check out the J&E (Jasper and Eastern) Ride in the list below.
That will hold you until I do the next page.

CLICK HERE to go to page 2

Back Roads to the Texas Border w/ RR Content (*)

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.

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. 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 city 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.

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.

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 23 people. At least you can brag

that you have a six story building in your downtown. Not

every one from a town of 23 people can say 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".

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.
Update 2013. I have no idea if those links still work.
I suggest that if you like a page, download it because they can be gone tomorrow.

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 an expert'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 shoes. (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.

UPDATE 2013: I was right.

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.