The area now known as the Town of Logansport settled in the 1820’s was not a friendly environment for early settlers. Along and down the Sabine on both sides of the river was an area known as “no –man’s land”. This strip of land thirty miles wide and 200 miles long was a neutral ground, no form of protection was offered by lawmen and this allowed anyone needing to escape the law to only come to this strip and there they could make their own laws. The area was plagued by highwaymen who would wait for any pioneers or wagons coming through and take advantage of the lack of law enforcement by robbing those that tried to pass through the area. The Spanish to the west of “no man’s land” had established in the area now known as Robeline, Louisiana. With the Adams-Onis Treaty signing in 1821 it was agreed that the boundary line between the Spanish and the United States to the east would be the Rios De Sabinas or the Sabine River. It would form the boundary between the two territories from the Gulf of Mexico to the 32nd parallel. This is when the first American settlers began arriving in the region. Coming to the banks of the river in wagon trains and on foot many decided to stay and settle the area on the east bank of the Sabine River.
Doctor Dick Logan arrived by log wagon to the river area, known then as Waterloo because of the violence that was prevalent in this area. He practiced medicine on both sides of the river. Doctor Logan established the first ferry at the site of Waterloo; the settlers began to refer to the area as Logan Ferry, which later became Logan Port. The settlement was a part of Natchitoches Parish when it was established in 1830. In 1843 the area became a part of the newly formed DeSoto Parish. Because of the settlements proximity to the Sabine River the settlement grew and prospered. (It is noted in the DeSoto Parish archival history that the first police jury record is dated June 5, 1843 and the records list Horatio Chambliss, the purchaser of Logan’s Ferry and gave bond on the 15th of June, 1843. Horatio Chambliss was the appointed captain of patrols for Ward No. 1. With this purchase in mind, what is now known as Logansport, Louisiana could possibly have been changed to the Town of Horatio or maybe the Town of Chambliss, we are grateful it remained Logan’s Ferry.)
With the Texas Annexation in 1845 of the territory to the west of the Sabine River by the United States, settlers came some going on into the new territory and others choosing to remain in the settlement by the Sabine River. In 1848 a post office was established, Samuel Mather was the first postmaster; it was then that the postal service named the town Logansport. The post office has continual service to this date, with a brief disruption of service during the Civil War period from June 22, 1866 to October 11, 1866. It is noted that A. M. Garrett opened a business in Logansport around 1866 and remained in business for almost 20 years without competition. More business and many saloons located here and eventually the ferry was replaced with a plank bridge across the Sabine, and eventually two. It is noted that the plank bridges stayed under water most of the time. Eventually the ferry was replaced with a plank bridge across the Sabine, and eventually two. It is noted that the plank bridges stayed under water most of the time.
The site of Logan’s Ferry is very near the existing Railroad Trestle and the US Highway 84 Bridge. Efforts are being made to have this very important site so vital to the settlement of the Texas Territory and the beginning of our town designated as a Historic Site.
If you have early photographs or historical information relating to the Town of Logansport, Louisiana, please consider donating to the Town of Logansport, for preservation of our History. Any donated items will be made available for protected display, for generations to come.
