Colbert's Ferry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Colbert's Ferry Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Oklahoma Show map of Oklahoma Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	Colbert, Oklahoma
Built	1853
NRHP reference No.	72001057
Added to NRHP	June 29, 1972

Colbert's Ferry was a really important place for crossing the Red River. It connected Texas and what was then called Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). This ferry operated from about 1853 to 1899. Both the famous Texas Road and the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach route used this crossing. You could find it about 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of where the town of Colbert, Bryan County, Oklahoma is today. On the Texas side, the closest town was Denison.

Later, a railroad bridge was built nearby in 1872. This made Colbert's Ferry lose a lot of its business. So, Frank Colbert, who owned the ferry, built his own toll bridge. A toll bridge is one where you pay to cross. But floods soon washed away both bridges! Frank then went back to running his ferry.

Early Days of Colbert's Ferry

A Chickasaw farmer named Joseph Mitchell started a ferry service across the Red River around 1842. This service continued until he passed away in 1847.

In 1853, another Chickasaw citizen, Benjamin F. "Frank" Colbert, got permission to set up his own ferry. He had moved to the area in the late 1840s. He built a house and started a large farm, raising cotton and cattle.

Colbert's Station and the Mail Route

When the Butterfield Overland Mail company started its stagecoach route, Frank Colbert's house became known as Colbert's Station. This was a stop where travelers could rest and get food. Colbert even let Butterfield's passengers cross the river for free! A post office also opened here on November 17, 1853.

After the Civil War

The Butterfield Stagecoach stopped running during the American Civil War. But Colbert's Ferry was still used a lot. Confederate soldiers often crossed the river here.

After the war, the ferry became busy again. This was because of the huge cattle drives from Texas heading north. The town of Colbert began to grow around the station. Travelers had to pay to cross the river. In 1872, it cost $1 for a two-horse wagon. A man and a horse cost 25 cents.

Bridges and Floods

In 1872, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (MK&T) built a railroad bridge nearby. This took away a lot of business from Colbert's ferry. So, Frank Colbert got permission to build his own bridge in 1874.

But about a year later, a huge flood destroyed both the railroad bridge and Colbert's new bridge! Frank quickly put his old ferry back into service. He then sold his bridge building rights to the Red River Bridge Company. This company finished a new bridge in 1892. Frank Colbert was actually one of the owners of this new company.

This bridge was also destroyed by a flood in 1908. But the company quickly replaced it. This structure was later replaced in 1931 by a new free bridge. This new bridge caused a big argument between Oklahoma and Texas called the Red River Bridge War. After the problem was solved, Colbert's old bridge was taken down.

Colbert's Ferry was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Today, you can still see the old foundations of B.F. Colbert's house.