Jefferson Turn Basin

Historical marker location:

Jefferson, Texas

( park located at the southeast corner of Polk and Dallas Streets, on concrete park walkway north of bridge)

Marker installed: 1964

Wide, deep lagoon in Cypress Bayou, used for turning around ships in Gulf-Red River trade.

First steamer to reach here was the "Lama" in 1844, by way of Red River, which for 200 miles above Shreveport was clogged by a "raft" of debris that had begun forming about 1529. Cypress Bayou thus was best travel route into Oklahoma, western Arkansas and north Texas. Until Federal government in 1873 removed the raft, Jefferson was southwest's greatest inland port, with this basin its business center. Last steamer operated here in 1903.

boats, ships, ferries, barges, and other marine vessels water topics