Epperson’s Ferry
Epperson’s Ferry Centennial Marker along HWY 67 has fallen over
Sulphur River
In 1834, Mark Epperson moved his family from Tennessee to sparsely settled northeast Mexican Texas, settling on the Sulphur Fork of the Red River. Epperson built the first ferry between Arkansas Territory and Big Cypress, at the crossing of Trammel’s Trace and the Sulphur Fork. Nearby, Epperson also built necessary outbuildings and a log home for his family. In 1836, the Republic of Texas established its first mail route, making Epperson’s Ferry a regional hub for bi-weekly postal delivery and a distribution point for the Telegraph & Texas Register. Epperson operated the ferry for four decades until it was eventually replaced by a bridge. Epperson died in 1869, and was likely buried near the historic ferry. Today, roads to the ferry site are no longer maintained, but the depression in the land that defines the old Trammel’s Trace endures through what is now U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) property.
The site is a short distance upriver from Wright Patman Lake. USACE has approved a plan to reallocate Wright Patman Lake and raise the water level by 6 to 7 feet in order to meet water demands in the DFW Metroplex region. The water level increase will result in potentially significant flooding of the Epperson’s ferry site. The archeology work to date is superficial and has not properly identified the Epperson house site or family graves.
Preservation Texas will engage with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a consulting party to ensure that the threat to the Epperson’s Ferry site is mitigated. Additionally, all parties must recognize and mitigate the long-term impact to sites of archaeological value, not just at Epperson’s Ferry but at hundreds of sites that surround the lake. This listing also spotlights the importance of continuing to document and interpret historic resources associated with the historic Trammel’s Trace.
LOCATION: Sulphur River near Maud (Bowie and Cass Counties)
DESIGNATION: None
STATUS: Endangered
OWNER: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
RESOURCE TYPE: Archaeological Site
YEAR LISTED: 2022
