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My wife and I took the T-bird for a drive through some very interesting areas in northeast Texas last week, and I thought some may find the history interesting. We left home in Argo, and took back roads to De Kalb, in Bowie County Texas. We went west from De Kalb, to Clarksville, on Hwy 82 which roughly follows 'The old Choctaw Trail'. From there we went south on Hwy 37 to Mount Vernon, and on into Mount Pleasant. From there we went back home. Drive time was about four hours. We found this historic placard (see pic) about 15 miles from our home, and finally took the time to stop and read it...
Local History:
Bowie County is named for James Bowie, the legendary knife fighter who came through this area on his way to the Battle of the Alamo. Bowie came down to Texas through Washington Arkansas, where he stayed at the foundry of his friend James Black. Mr Black is popularly known as the maker of the original 'Bowie knife'. Black was one of the early pioneers of Arkansas and settled in the town of Washington in southwest Arkansas. He was renowned for making extraordinary knives. Examples of his work still exist, and pictures are easily found online.
More history I've read said that Davy Crockett also came down through Washington Arkansas on his way to the Alamo, He camped in an unnamed hamlet for a while. Historic placards in town say Crockett suggested the name 'De Kalb' for this place, after Maj. Gen. Johann De Kalb, who was a hero of the Revolutionary War. It is said Crockett spent December of 1835 roaming the north Texas countryside along the Red River visiting friends and looking for a prosperous place to settle down where there was good bear and buffalo hunting. He was also dodging the fierce Comanche Indians. He headed west along the 'Choctaw Trail' 175 miles along the Red River as far as Choctaw Bayou. Choctaw Bayou runs from Grayson County northeast into the Red River at the northwest corner of Fannin County above Sherman and Denison, Texas.
It you find your self in this area, this is a pretty awesome day trip. One of these days we plan to go up to Washington, Arkansas to visit the James Black foundry which has been rebuilt as a historic site.
Any one else have an interesting historical site nearby? It could be fun to share your favorite day trips TX Historic marker 15 miles from home 2.jpg . Just a thought...
Local History:
Bowie County is named for James Bowie, the legendary knife fighter who came through this area on his way to the Battle of the Alamo. Bowie came down to Texas through Washington Arkansas, where he stayed at the foundry of his friend James Black. Mr Black is popularly known as the maker of the original 'Bowie knife'. Black was one of the early pioneers of Arkansas and settled in the town of Washington in southwest Arkansas. He was renowned for making extraordinary knives. Examples of his work still exist, and pictures are easily found online.
More history I've read said that Davy Crockett also came down through Washington Arkansas on his way to the Alamo, He camped in an unnamed hamlet for a while. Historic placards in town say Crockett suggested the name 'De Kalb' for this place, after Maj. Gen. Johann De Kalb, who was a hero of the Revolutionary War. It is said Crockett spent December of 1835 roaming the north Texas countryside along the Red River visiting friends and looking for a prosperous place to settle down where there was good bear and buffalo hunting. He was also dodging the fierce Comanche Indians. He headed west along the 'Choctaw Trail' 175 miles along the Red River as far as Choctaw Bayou. Choctaw Bayou runs from Grayson County northeast into the Red River at the northwest corner of Fannin County above Sherman and Denison, Texas.
It you find your self in this area, this is a pretty awesome day trip. One of these days we plan to go up to Washington, Arkansas to visit the James Black foundry which has been rebuilt as a historic site.
Any one else have an interesting historical site nearby? It could be fun to share your favorite day trips TX Historic marker 15 miles from home 2.jpg . Just a thought...
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