The Sabine River, which forms the boundary between Wood and Smith County, is crossed daily by motorists traveling Hwy 69. Many are obvious but who look at the river, depending on the time of year and weather conditions, will see what appears to be a muddy trickle or a somewhat swollen stream in times of heavy rain. Most won't give it a thought, but this river has played a major part in our early history and in our water supply.
The name Sabine translates in Spanish to Rio de Sabinas. This comes from the Spanish word for cypress and refers to the great growth of cypress trees along the power portion of the river.
The Sabine River flows 555 meandering miles. It's total drainage area is 9,756 square miles of which 7,426 is in Texas and the remainder is in Louisiana.. Unlike most other Texas rivers, the Sabine is entirely in an area of abundant rainfall. The average precipitation is between 37 inches at its source and 50 inches at its mouth.
It flows through forested sandy country and is fed by many flowing tributaries and springs. The Sabine also has a remarkably strong flow for its length and, at its mouth, discharges the largest volume of water of all Texas Rivers.
Two large reservoirs have been constructed on the Sabine: Lake Tawakoni at the junction of the South and Cowleech forks and Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Texas and Louisiana border.
Not only does the Sabine form the boundary line between Smith and Wood counties, but also the boundary between Rains and Van Zandt counties, between Van Zandt and Wood and between Smith and Upshur counties.
Archeological excavations have discovered Indian development all along the river. In Wood County, we know that the Caddo Indians had a village or colony south of Mineola along the river. The City of Mineola owns 3,000 acres of land along the Sabine and today, these acres are the site of the Mineola Nature Preserve. A Texas historical marker at the preserve tells of the Caddo Indians and their story. The Caddo Indians were peaceful and very resourceful. It was important that their village be near the river as it provided them with a source water, wildlife and fish. The height of their location also allowed them to look over the river and see any groups approaching them which gave them time to protect themselves.
There is a great deal more history and information about the Sabine and we will continue to feature this under appreciated river from time to time.
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