With
Mike Phillips
Another great ride with some really great people.
Rode from Bossier City down to Grand Cane on
hwy 171 with Daryl Adams, Jim and Jackie Powell,
and Charlie Tudor. Some of the old buildings have
been renovated, but most are gone. The beautiful
old Methodist Church is still in use. From there, we
traveled south on the Blount Sawmill road hwy 84. I
love this little known tree shaded curvy road. West on
84 to Logansport, where they were having their River
City Festival. This town sits on the banks of the Sabine
River, which feeds Toledo Bend Lake, and is part of
the boundary between Texas and Louisiana. The town
played a prominent part in the westward migration of
American settlers after Texas gained its independence,
then later when it became a state. A Dr. Logan moved
to this area and not only practiced medicine, but
owned a ferry, so the settlement became known as
Logans Ferry. It was named Logansport in 1848 when
a post office was established here. Anyone that has
ever traveled through Logansport in the last 50+ years
would be familiar with the cowboy on the bucking
horse displayed above one of the old buildings
downtown. It is a town trademark. Another local long
time fixture is the N. J. Caraway & Company general
store, which has been in business continuously since
1897, and has an assortment of just about everything.
The present owner, Mrs. Palmer, is a sweet lady, but
she will talk your ears off. We checked out the festivals
vendors and sampled the refreshments. It's hard to
beat an ice cold sarsaparilla in a tin mug on a hot
summer day. Really enjoyed looking at and dreaming
about the vehicles in the car show. Rode north of town
about 10 miles to see the only remaining International
Boundary marker in the country. It was placed there
in 1840, depicting the boundary between the Republic
of Texas and the USA. Back to town,where we crossed
the new bridge into Texas, and rode to Center.
When we reached the square downtown, we were all
impressed with the beautiful old courthouse, which
was modeled after an Irish castle. From any angle,
the craftsmanship and brickmanship are outstanding.
Also, on the grounds, stands the early jail, now used
by the chamber of commerce. All around the square,
sunk into the concrete curb, are steel rings, very useful
for preventing your horse from wandering away.
Lunch time found us at the BBQ Joint. Very good
food & friendly people. From there, we rode south to
Milam, Tx.( I'm amazed at the number of Texas towns
and counties named after Alamo defenders and Texas
independence fighters). Milam sits on the El Camino
Real, the old road between Natchitoches and Mexico
City. So, we headed east across Toledo Bend Lake,
then north on La 191 back home. 270 mile round trip
from my house, beautiful weather, and everyone made
it home safe.
Article by Kenneth Phillips
Photos by Mike Phillips
About Mike Phillips:
Born in Texas in 1946, raised in Alabama and
Georgia, Mike has lived in Louisiana since 1968.
He is a US Air Force veteran, serving from 196468. Mike then worked in the air conditioning/
refrigeration service field until his recent
retirement. He took up riding again in 2014, after a
31 year break to raise kids and grandkids.
Mike loves to ride his Harley Road King and take
photos.
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