Toledo Bend’s Spanish heritage

George (left) and James Stampley with a basketful of white bass they caught in Bayou San Miguel. (Photo by Terry L. Jones)

Toledo Bend Reservoir was created in 1964 as a joint venture between Louisiana and Texas, but the two states took different measures to fund the project. The Texas legislature simply passed an appropriation bill, while Louisiana used a constitutional amendment.

Louisiana had millions of dollars in a fund that had been used to pay monthly pensions to Confederate veterans and their widows since 1898. By 1960, however, all of the veterans had died, and only one widow remained alive. So, Louisiana’s voters approved an amendment to rededicate some of the pension fund to the Toledo Bend project.

Sabine River

The lake was created by damming up the Sabine River, a stream that gets its name from the Spanish word “sabino” (bald cypress). The Spaniards were apparently impressed with the towering cypress trees along the stream and named it Rio Sabinas, which the Americans corrupted into Sabine River.

The name Sabine was later adopted for a Louisiana parish that was created in 1843 and the Sabine Wildlife Management Area.

The El Camino Real and Pendleton Bridge

In 1716, the Spanish established six church missions and a fort in eastern Texas (which included much of western Louisiana at the time). As a result, many of the place names in the area are of Spanish origin.

For example, Highway 8, which crosses Toledo Bend’s Pendleton Bridge, was originally known as the El Camino Real, or “The King’s Highway.” One of the oldest road systems in the U.S., El Camino Real snaked 2,500 miles from Mexico City to Natchitoches, La.

The Pendleton Bridge is named for Pendleton, Texas, a port of entry into the Republic of Texas, which was established in 1837. The town was flooded when the lake was created, but the name lives on.

Bayous San Miguel, San Patricio and Negreet Creek

Three of the lake’s major tributaries from the Louisiana side, bayous San Miguel, San Patricio and Negreet Creek, have Spanish names.

San Miguel is the Spanish name for Saint Michael, so Bayou San Miguel is probably named for that Catholic saint. Similarly, Bayou San Patricio is probably named for Saint Patrick.

The Pendleton Bridge on Highway 6 is named for the now flooded town of Pendleton, Texas. (Photo by Terry L. Jones)

Some believe that Negreet Creek is named for an Indian chief who lived in the area, but this is probably just a myth. It more likely derives from the Spanish word “negrito,” which means black. Black Haw trees were common along the bayou, and some early maps even called it Black Haw Creek. Over time, Negreet became the accepted name, and it is almost certainly a corruption of the Spanish word “negrito.”

Los Adaes and Fort Jesup

Whether you are fishing, camping or boating on North Toledo Bend, take some time to check out two important Louisiana state historic sites that are in the area.

Just off Highway 8 to the northeast of Robeline is Los Adaes, the site of an early 18th century Spanish fort that served as the capital of Spanish Texas for 50 years. A museum and archaeology program help tell the story of the fort and its inhabitants. For more information, call 318-356-5555.

Northeast of Many on Highway 8 is Fort Jesup State Historic Site. Established in 1822 by future president Zachary Taylor, the fort’s mission was to maintain law and order along the violent frontier with Spanish Texas. During the Mexican War of 1846-48, half of the U.S. Army traveled through Fort Jesup to reach the battlefields.

The fort’s original kitchen and a museum explain the significance of this important frontier outpost.

About Terry L. Jones 120 Articles
A native of Winn Parish, Terry L. Jones has enjoyed hunting and fishing North Louisiana’s woods and water for 50 years. He lives in West Monroe with his wife, Carol.