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| I didn't return to US 165 until I had to, at Pollock. A saw mill is there. I didn't know what it was. I asked a long term visitor, correspondent and contributor, who works in the lumbering industry. I asked him to identify what was happening there. These are his words. thanks, Marion. |
| In Pollock, I turned onto La. 8 and immediately saw the house. It was the famed mansion of Wilbur Deadheart, DDS, the local ax murderer of the early 1900's. He'd been caught when the hounds finally cornered him in the attic of his own home. The dogs had not survived the ordeal, but their howling had brought the posse. Their yelps, so said, can still be heard late at night. Oh, come on. That's true? No. |
| I left the house after seeing one of the neighbors fire up her cell phone. I went east on 8 and turned in at the Stewart Lake Campgroud sign. I'd stayed at Stewart on a family outing and it is a super place. The lake is beautiful, it has a great nature trail and is just an all around nice place. And no one uses it. A shame and your gain. |
| This is the road into Stewart. The old house was on Stewart Street. I bet that was the Stewart House. I should have asked the neighbor. |
| Stewart Lake |
| The Nature Trail, very natural. See the boardwalk? |
| Stewart Rd., a fine forest lane, continues to US 167, which I took south into Alexandria. Time: five o'clock. Timing is everything. |
| Finally breaking loose of Alex, I headed south on 167 toward Turkey Creek. The air was just crisp enough to make breathing wonderful. Fireplaces were going and the smell of smoke, delicious. This is what I was riding into. The oneness with the bike and the splendorous environment were all in concert. |
| I thought this shot really pretty until I saw the mad devil cat in that red cloud. If you see it, check yourself into therapy. |
| Next time I go up there it will be early. I will not linger and have to see devil cats in the sky driving home. I want to check out the old ghost towns which were the centers of the lumbering industry in those parts. More to come and the information here will get thicker as I do research. So come back from time to time. As I get Barry's abridged information, I'll head out and explore more of Grant Parish. And, I just remembered, I have a huge old map of the parish with all the roads. So, more to come, if I can remember to wave. |
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| I'll quote a little more Barry before I close. This is the bait for the the continuation of this story on Grant Parish. |
| "You are right about the r/r bridge. It used to run into Selma, which is just south of Georgetown, but is now no more. Selma was a very large, thriving lumber town at the turn of the century with hotels, banks, stores, schools, etc. But, it is now overgrown and the only remnant is the concrete slabs of the lumber mills. There is a train spur in Georgetown that track connected to. Lots of history there disappearing." |
| Home. |
| More North Louisiana Rambling |
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| "This is a very typical type of saw mill. They make all sizes of
dimensional lumber there, ie, 1x4, 2x4, 1x6 etc. Incidentally, all the bark and excess chips go to paper mills to use as fuel. I think there is also a plywood mill close to here. Some saw mills have a machine called a Chip and Saw This machine takes a full size log after it has been debarked and chips the log square, them saws it into boards". |
| Our assets go deep here. We're a regular "Ask Google". Thanks again, Marion, |
| Page 2 of the Little River Ride. For Page 1 click here. |
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| The next route Barry sent me. |
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| The Duty Trip |
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