History book about deep East Texas

YoungBlacksmith · Post by **YoungBlacksmith** » Sat Oct 13, 2018 6:18 pm

I've been reading a good book about the history of the Neches and Angelina river areas, the title is "Backwoodsmen Stockmen and Hunters along a Big Thicket River Valley. It's mostly from oral history stories taken in the 1960's-1990's. Very eye opening about this area, detailing how settlers came in, lived, and prospered in a fairly unique spot of Texas. The section about timber mills goes into the story of Ratcliff, the 4C mill there (at the dam end of Ratcliff lake), and other various mills around the virgin timber that was here in the late 1800's. In the chapter about hunting, trapping, and fishing, it talks about the Big Slough in the Davy Crockett NF. Originally it was called Scurlock's Slough, and Scurlock's Camp was a favorite camping and fishing spot for decades.

Other chapters cover hogs and cattle, the rivers themselves, the people who settled here, and how the woods were privatized and closed in the 1940's through the 90's. Up until the end of World War Two, the woods, rivers, and all the items that encompassed them were fairly free range and open, much longer than anywhere else in Texas. Trespassing was not a concept most had, it was there, and they used it as best they saw fit.

Once I finish reading it, it'll be available for anyone else to borrow!

Texas Bushcraft's YouTube · Post by **BigJesse** » Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:37 pm

That's interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Post by **jeffro** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 7:36 pm

Need the ISBN number.

YoungBlacksmith · Post by **YoungBlacksmith** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:42 pm

Lets try ISBN 978-0-8061-3964-7
Backwoodsmen
Stockmen and Hunters along a Big Thicket River Valley

author - Thad Sitton
1995, University of Oklahoma press, Norman. oupress.com

Hope that helps some!

Post by **jeffro** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:01 pm

Thank you, buddy . You is awl rite.

YoungBlacksmith · Post by **YoungBlacksmith** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:14 pm

Scurlock's camp is still accessible. From what I can find, the road that goes to Neches Bluff from 21 is called FS RD 511. 511A is the left turn to Neches Bluff. Following 511 you dead end into FS 526? You'd turn left, then take the first right, staying on 511. Eventually you'd come to FS RD 517, which kind of runs along the edge of Big Slough (Scurlock's Slough), and if you turned left onto 517 you would run out of road around Scurlock's Camp. It's named in the 1976 USGS Topo map, Forest quadrangle. Around 31 degrees, 30' 30" N, 95 degrees, 6' 38" W.

Don't ask me why I'm so enthused about this, but I'll be checking it out sometime soon.

Texas Bushcraft's YouTube · Post by **BigJesse** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:33 pm

Sounds like an adventure to me.

Post by **saustin1967** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:14 pm

Been there. It where we go to pick Mayhaws. Don’t go this weekend, river is out the banks a long way.

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Post by **saustin1967** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:18 pm

You still have the topo map for gave you? Should be on there.

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Texas Bushcraft's YouTube · Post by **BigJesse** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:06 pm

saustin1967 wrote:You still have the topo map for gave you? Should be on there.

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I do.

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