Carpenter's Bluff History

CARPENTER'S BLUFF, TEXAS

Carpenter's Bluff is on the Red River and Farm Road 120 twelve miles northeast of Sherman in extreme northeastern Grayson County. The settlement, established about 1860, derived its name from that of an early settler who operated a ferry across the Red River. After 1865 a number of disreputable persons who frequented the local general store and saloon earned the community the nickname Thiefneck. Law-abiding citizens soon drove these men from Carpenter's Bluff, however, and the nickname was forgotten.
By the early twentieth century the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway had constructed a bridge across the Red River at Carpenter's Bluff. The Texas and Pacific Railway later owned and operated the bridge. At some time a one-lane shoulder was added to the bridge to allow automobile traffic. The Texas and Pacific relinquished control of the bridge in 1966, turning authority over to officials of Grayson County and Bryan County, Oklahoma. Soon thereafter the bridge was converted to accommodate two lanes of automobile traffic. By 1936 Carpenter's Bluff had a population of seventy-five and four businesses. Ten years later the population had increased to 120, and the town still had four businesses.

Carpenter's Bluff Bridge History

ORIGINALLY BUILT AS A RAILROAD BRIDGE FOR THE MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA AND GULF (MO&G) LINE, THIS LANDMARK STRUCTURE ACROSS THE RED RIVER CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A TRANSPORTATION ROUTE BETWEEN GRAYSON COUNTY, TEXAS, AND BRYAN COUNTY, OKLAHOMA. MC&G OFFICIALS DETERMINED THEY NEEDED A LINE THROUGH GRAYSON COUNTY TO CONNECT THERE WITH OTHER RAILWAYS IN ORDER TO SECURE BE1TER FREIGHT RATES FOR THEIR SHIPMENTS FROM THE OKLAHOMA COAL MINES. THE NEW LINE, UNDER CONSTRUCTION BY 1910, ENTERED TEXAS VIA THIS BRIDGE AT THE SMALL COMMUNITY KNOWN AS CARPENTERS BLUFF.
COMPLETED IN THE LATE SUMMER OF 1910, THE CARPENTERS BLUFF BRIDGE WAS DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND MAJOR FLOODS SUCH AS THE ONE IN 1908 THAT HAD DESTROYED SEVERAL AREA BRIDGES. ITS DESIGN ALSO INCLUDED A WAGON SHELF, AN EXTRA LANE TO SERVE TRAVELERS ON FOOT AND HORSEBACK, AS WELL AS HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES, ALL OF WHOM HAD TO PAY A TOLL FOR ITS USE.
IN 1921, OWNERSHIP PASSED TO THE KANSAS, OKLAHOMA AND GULF RAILWAY CO., WHICH MAINTAINED THE LINE UNTIL 1965, WHEN THE COMPANY CEASED OPERATIONS IN TEXAS DUE TO DECLINING RAIL TRAFFIC. THE TEXAS & PACIFIC RAILROAD MAINTAINED THE BRIDGE FOR A BRIEF TIME AND THEN DEEDED IT TO THE COUNTIES OF GRAYSON AND BRYAN. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGREED TO CONVERT THE STRUCTURE FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, AND UPON COMPLETION OF THAT WORK, THE BRIDGE WAS OPENED AS A FREE PUBLIC THOROUGHFARE.
SPANNING THE RED RIVER SINCE 1910, THE CARPENTERS BLUFF BRIDGE REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF GRAYSON COUNTY’S HISTORY.