Published: June 27, 2008 10:34 am      

‘Neches Journeys’ makes journey through Jacksonville

By Kelly Young

kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com

During the 19th century, the Neches River was a vital transportation route for Texas’s early lumber industry. Even before that, the Caddo Indians had built communities along the winding banks of the Neches, relying on the bounty of the river for their food, water and building supplies.

For most of the summer, an exhibit highlighting the rich history of the Neches will be touring Jacksonville; stopping for several weeks in the main lobby of East Texas Medical Center-Jacksonville, before visiting several area banks and finishing its journey at the Jacksonville Public Library.

The exhibit, called “Neches Journeys: Land, River and People,” is the result of a collaborative effort between Humanities Texas and the History Center in Diboll. Created in 2007, the display spent much of last year inside the state capitol so legislators could see the impact of Texas waterways as they were considering the state’s water plan.

“Since then, it has been traveling around the area. It was on display in Lufkin before we were able to get it and bring it here. I think we are going to be able to keep it in Jacksonville until the first week of August, when I hope we are able to move it to Rusk and Palestine for a while,” said Dr. Michael Banks, co-founder of the Friends of the Neches River.

The 16-panel display features information on topics ranging from the plants and animals who call the river home to the river’s role in the timber industry to the effect man has had on the Neches.

“The Neches River is a vital aspect of the central part of East Texas; it was and is important for a lot of reasons. It was a main avenue of transportation for the lumber industry until the railroad took over,” Banks said. “And it’s important ecologically because it feeds the Davy Crockett National Forest, the Big Thicket National Preserve and Sabine Lake.”

Banks said the importance of the river has shifted over the years as the water and wildlife it provided became less necessary for survival. Now the river’s importance lies mainly in it’s recreational qualities.

“The utilization of the river by our society has changed, but it’s still vital to our area, ” he said. “We forget our history, a lot of times; so this exhibit brings the history of the river to the attention of the people here, and we are hoping that people who see it will take a moment to stop and learn something from it.”