Toledo Bend history comes home to Jasper April 12
By ROBERT AMMONS

Robert Ammons is the son of Louisiana legislator Cliff Ammons, a key player in the Toledo Bend project. Ammons will share little-known details behind the creation of the lake at the Toledo Bend symposim April 12 in the Wesley Center in Jasper.

When did the story of Toledo Bend begin? The story began thousands of years ago. The forces of nature pushed the entire Sabine River watershed up from of the sea and it became known as the Sabine Uplift. Peaceful farmers and hunters eventually inhabited this area.

The early European explorers called these original inhabitants Indians. These Indians were members of the Nacogdoches, Natchitoches, and Adais Tribes and were part of the Caddo Nation. The name "Sabine" came from an incident involving early French explorers and a group of Indians. The incident was similar to a story in Roman history called "The Rape of the Sabines."

Who proposed the idea to create a reservoir on the Sabine River? When and why did they first propose the idea? The answers lie in the economic and political history of the Toledo Bend area.

Toledo Bend Country and the Indians came under the rule of the Spanish when Cortez conquered the Aztecs and claimed all of Mexico in the early 1600's. In 1717, The Presidio of Los Adais was established and served as the capitol of the Mexican province of Texas for almost 50 years.

Los Adais was located approximately 15 miles west of the French settlement at Natchitoches to prevent French expansion into Spanish territory. Spain's need for this settlement ended when the French gave Louisiana to the Spanish in 1763.

Although the 1803 Louisiana Purchase did not include any of the lands drained by the Sabine River, it did lead to the creation of the "Neutral Strip." This "Neutral Strip" was a mutually agreed no man's land that served as a buffer between the United States and Spanish Mexico from 1803 until the Treaty of Florida in 1819.

The Treaty finally settled the disputed western boundary of Louisiana. The Neutral Strip was a lawless land and a haven for many notorious outlaws. The El Camino Real ran through the heart of the Neutral Strip and was the favorite route to Texas in the early 1800's. In 1823, Col. Zachary Taylor established Fort Jesup. His soldiers brought law and order to the old Neutral Strip and removed a major hazard of traveling to and from Texas.

Just as law and order was returning to Toledo Bend Country, many American families were losing their farms and business due to the first major financial crisis of the young United States. Toledo Bend Country and all of Texas was the place to go for many families who abandoned their farms and businesses for a new beginning in the west.

The period from 1825 through 1860 was a boom time for newcomers to East Texas and West Louisiana. Good land was available and cheap. The soil and climate produced a wide variety of crops, including cotton. The Sabine and Red Rivers provided steamboat transportation for their cash crops. Best of all, they were located on the best-traveled route between the United States and Texas.

What does the Toledo Bend history of political and economic growth have to do with Toledo Bend Reservoir?

The political and economic growth continued until it reached a peak in the 1920's. In 1850, the first census of Sabine Parish reported a population of 3,347 whites and 1,168 slaves. By 1920, the population had grown to over 25,000. However, in 1950, Sabine Parish population decreased to 18,000 and was headed downhill. The economic life of the whole Toledo Bend area was dying. Was there any hope of recovery?

The possibility of building a dam on the Sabine River somewhere on the Texas- Louisiana border was first considered during a meeting between representatives of Louisiana and Texas in 1948. The purpose of the meeting was to resolve issues concerning the distribution and use of water and other assets of the Sabine River.

One result of this meeting was the creation of the Sabine River Authorities of Louisiana and Texas. These two authorities worked jointly to create the Sabine River Compact, which authorized the firm of Forrest and Cotton to complete a feasibility study for the creation of a reservoir on the Sabine River.

When the study was completed, and the results were astounding. The reservoir could be built for only $54 million dollars and it could generate enough electricity to pay the construction costs. The benefits that could be realized for the economically depressed area and the lower river area were huge.

Could this proposed project turn around the economy of this entire area? Could it happen? What is the rest of the story?

Thanks to Dr. Archie McDonald and the East Texas Historical Association (ETHA), the rest of the Toledo Bend story will be told at a symposium in Jasper on April 12. The storytellers scheduled to speak are some of the key players who did make it happen and those who are continuing to make it happen.

Reservations are $10 and include lunch; 936-468-2407 or amcdonald@sfasu.edu. Tickets will also be available at the door. Wesley Center is next to the First United Methodist Church, 329 N. Bowie in Jasper.