Once the Texas Port of Entry

Jefferson Stands as a Monument to its Past

by Marilyn Loeser

Driving into Jefferson, Texas, it’s easy to imagine a time when this pristine community was a bustling port — big riverboats, big shipments, big money. Everywhere there are ornate mansions surrounded by vast lawns. Along Austin Street, store fronts are trimmed in New Orleans’ style wrought iron and tourists casually walk in and out of antique shops and historic hotels.

All that’s missing is the commotion of a big commercial city.

So what brought such prosperity to this little corner of Northeast Texas and where did it go?

Although there are many ways to figure out the mystery — from asking a storekeeper to the museum curator, my daughter and I decided to start with the Big Cypress Bayou and Turning Basin Riverboat Tours.

This side of the bayou is the “other side” of the Jefferson coin. Entering a tiny house built in the shotgun style, we found John Nance — proprietor and riverboat captain.

John has a gift of gab and endless stories about growing up in Jefferson, its historic roots and place in American history. Starting with his little house, he explained the road in front of the house was once a major throughway lined with businesses. “After the flood of 1945, all the buildings on this side of the bayou were gone,” he said. “Lige Albright built the house just above the flood-mark. He had a nice little business selling fish he caught in the bayou.”

Trolling along the muddy looking waterway, John talked about the massive riverboats that plied the waters from New Orleans in the mid-1800s, making Jefferson the port of entry into the Republic of Texas and then the State of Texas.

Jefferson also was a shipping port for agricultural products. Cotton was brought to Jefferson from as far away as Dallas by ox wagon and then sold in Jefferson through receiving, forwarding and commission merchants to markets in New Orleans and St. Louis.

Passing around of the riverboats, it’s hard to imagine they ever made their way this far inland — for good reason. “In 1873, when the Army Corps of Engineers removed the Great Raft from the Red River above Shreveport, the water level fell and navigation to Jefferson became impossible,” John explained.

The Great Raft was a gigantic logjam that clogged the Red and Atchafalaya Rivers and was unique to North America. At its peak length, it stretched more than 160 miles in the early 1830s.

Add to this the railroad expansion across Texas during the same timeframe and the town’s prosperity as a port city and commercial center ended. Although the population shrank from 45,000 in the 19th-century to its present 2,200, most of the homes and buildings from this time still remain.

John points out turtles lazily sunning on the river’s banks and talks about Jefferson’s role in the Civil War. The port was important to the Confederacy as a supplier of meat, hides, food staples, iron, monitions and leather goods.

The years after the Civil War became Jefferson's heyday. In 1872, there were thousands of exports including tons of wool, pelts, cattle and sheep, and more than 100,000 feet of lumber.  

More Jefferson Lore

After our journey along the bayou, we went back into the business district. Jefferson is the Marion County Seat. The county is named for Francis Marion, a Revolutionary War patriot who was known as the "Swamp Fox." Jefferson was named for Thomas Jefferson. (place book store photo here)   

During lunch at Auntie Skinner’s Riverboat Club, wall-sized images of the great steamboats framed my view of the busy restaurant, a constant reminder of Jefferson's Golden Era — 1845 until 1875.

A great way to see the sites, relax and better understand some of the significant homes and businesses in town is by taking a carriage ride or mule wagon tour.

Drivers love to tell of their community and its many legends. Make sure and ask that they point out some of the homes open for tour.

The House of the Seasons, for example, was built in 1872 during the glory days of Jefferson. Colonel Benjamin H. Epperson, who built the house, was a prominent lawyer, political leader, entrepreneur, and confidante of Sam Houston.

Built during the transitional period between Greek Revival and Victorian styles of architecture, one of its many notable features is the cupola. Each wall contains a different colored stained glass that creates the illusion of the seasons of the year.

The house is decorated to reflect the 1870s and many pieces of furniture are original to the house.

Another home open for tour is the Singleton’s Virginia Cross Home, built in 1859.

The house is an excellent example of early Texas Greek Revival architecture. Its name comes from the fact it was patterned after 18th Century Virginia houses of the cross plan — Virginia Cross.

The house is constructed of cypress, the exterior walls are covered with cypress clapboards and all of the floors are original made of heart pine. In keeping with the 1860 to 1885 time period, the home is completely furnished with American empire and Renaissance Revival antique furniture and accessories.

Because this is an exceptional example of antebellum architecture, it is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is recorded in the Historic American Building Survey in the Library of Congress.

The Excelsior House, although a hotel, is another stop you’ll want to make. Welcoming travelers since the late 1850's, the hotel offers tours at 2 p.m. daily along with Jay Gould's Private Rail Car located just across the street.

Or, if you decide to spend the night in the hotel, you’ll be joining the list of other notable guests including Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde, Rutherford B. Hayes and Lady Bird Johnson.
If you go:

There’s a lot to do in this little community.

From Scarlett O'Hardy's "Gone with the Wind" Museum and house tour to the Jefferson historical museum with its basement and three floors of exhibits dealing with the rich history of this community, there’s enough to keep you busy for a weekend or a week.

Add to this the Jefferson Historic Railway, locally produced stage entertainment and excellent restaurants and you’ll discover Jefferson has something for every member of your traveling party.

The best website for additional information and links to specific attractions and entertainment is www.jefferson-texas.com.