Europeans arriving in Texas exploited the river-based trade networks used for millennia by Native American inhabitants. By the 19th cen- tury, the major transshipment hub to and from Texas was New Orleans and, for a time, Jefferson rivaled Galveston as the major port in Texas. By 1870, Jefferson, located on Big Cypress Bayou, had become a commercial center and the sixth- largest city in Texas, with more than 75,000 bales of cotton shipped annually.
That commercial bubble burst in 1873 when the “Red River Raft,” a natural logjam on the Red River, was demolished. This opened the Red River for trade, providing better river access to the Texas interior. It also lowered the water table of Caddo Lake and Big Cypress Bayou, making riverboat shipping to Jefferson impos- sible. Also in 1873 the Texas and Pacific Railway was completed from Texarkana to Marshall, initially bypassing Jefferson. Transportation and trade by railway opened up access to communi- ties located far from navigable rivers. Railroads quickly surpassed rivers in importance as trade networks. The days of Jefferson as a commercial center were over. The population dropped quickly and precipitously.
But Jefferson endured as an icon of a once- thriving 19th-century community. The homes, churches, and governmental and commercial buildings retain their period appearance and cachet. In 1971, a 47-block area consisting of 56 historic structures was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Additional structures were accorded national register status. Now Jefferson is a thriving tourist destination and has the designation by the Legislature as the Bed and Breakfast Capital of Texas. There is no shortage of interesting and unique places to stay.
Left Historical photo of House of the Seasons.. Right Jefferson Carnegie Library historical photo of House of the Seasons.
A favorite stop is the Jefferson Historical Museum in the 1888 former Old Federal Court and Post Office Building. The prominent and obscure stories of Jefferson and Marion County are told in a tour of the museum’s extensive exhibits. Next door is the Excelsior House Hotel, which has been in continuous operation since the 1850s. It was built by William Perry, a riverboat captain. The Jessie Allen Wise Garden Club, which restored and furnished it in 1961, continues to own and operate it.
A walking tour brochure from the Chamber of Commerce is essential to navigating the con- fusing network of streets. It seems that Jefferson’s co-founders, Allen Urquhart and Daniel Alley, each followed his own concept of how a town should be laid out on the adjacent plots of land. There are many wonderful shops and a surpris- ingly diverse assortment of restaurants, so be sure to pick up handy listings.
Guided tour options include horse-drawn carriage rides and riverboat tours. Highlights of a recent visit included the newly restored Carnegie Library, which continues to serve its intended purpose. The Jefferson General Store is an immersive shopping experience. Each home has unique architecture and stories to tell, and those stories sometimes include former residents hanging around as ghostly presences. A tour of The Grove, built in 1861, combines the fascinating story of successive owners who, in some cases, return for spooky visits with the current residents.
