Mark in Texas History: Upshur County pioneer ferry once carried settlers along Sabine River

BIG SANDY, Texas (KLTV) - Tucked in the trees near Big Sandy is a spot that travelers used as a major thoroughfare to get to and from Upshur and Smith counties.

Here on the Sabine River is where a pioneer ferry carried settlers traveling north and south.

A Texas revolutionary veteran named Robert Walters pioneered this ferry in 1849. For 50 cents, you could take a wagon drawn by two horses or oxen across. Loose livestock would cost you a nickel per head.

A town called Florence was once situated on the south bank of the river. Today, you’ll just see this historical marker. The wagons and oxen are left up to your imagination.

A bridge was built in 1903, and the marker was erected in 1968.

If you’d like to see the Walters’ Bluff Ferry marker, it’s located on the west side of State Highway 155, about 2 and a half miles south of Big Sandy.