Steam Boat from Doaksville to Beal's Landing

The Choctaw Intelligencer was published at Doaksville in the 1850s. Here it announces a "New Orleans and Red River Packet.".

A Steam Boat from Doaksville Lake West and Beal's Landing (Ferry)

This announcement appeared in the Choctaw Intelligencer a newspaper published in the now-ghost town of Doaksville, in April of 1852. The "light draught Steamer Woodsman" was a shallow keel stern wheeler that ran from Doaksville (Choctaw County, Oklahoma) to New Orleans, but also west of Doaksville to Pine Bluff (Lamar County, Texas). Sometimes, it was able to reach Lake West (Choctaw County, Oklahoma) and Beal's Landing (Fannin County, Texas).

There had to be enough water to make the journey, as boats can't float on sand. Here's hoping that there was!

Beal's Landing is a ferry at or near today's Mulberry Bend. It was prominent enough to be placed on a the 1842 map sketched by Colonel Cooke for the Republic of Texas. Lake West seems to have been a place in today's Bryan County, Oklahoma, near the Blue River meets the Red River.

Portion of Col. Cooke's Sketch of Military Roads and other trails from 1842 shows Beal's Ferry landing north of Warrren and Raleigh. Warren is today's Ambrose(TX GLO)