Caddo Lake is a work of art that comes directly from the hand of God. Magical. Mystical. Enchanted. Spiritual. It is one of the most beautiful spots in all of Creation. Don Henley of the Eagles is a native son of Northeast Texas (Linden, to be exact) and he has been a Son of Caddo for over fifty years.
Listen to Don's own words and watch the short video of this earthly piece of Paradise. Caddo Lake is named for the Caddo Indians who lived in the area until the late 19th Century and is the largest (25,000 + acres) natural freshwater lake in the South. It is also one of the few natural lakes in Texas as well as the largest cypress forest in the world. Caddo as we know it today was formed in late 1799 by a series of natural events called
The Big Change. From Wikipedia : "substantial development would only begin with invention of the
steamboat and
US annexation of both Louisiana and Texas in the 19th century. The cities of Port Caddo, Swanson's Landing, and
Jefferson in Texas, and
Mooringsport in Louisiana, had thriving
riverboat ports on the lake. Gradually as the log jams were removed in the lake and the Red River by Captain
Henry Miller Shreve and then by the
Army Corps of Engineers. The lake changed shape and eventually fell over ten feet, destroying the
East Texas ports and their riverboat industry." Directly out of those times, you can still catch a ride on a vintage steamboat called
The Graceful Ghost out of Uncertain, Texas. There's so much more to say about Caddo Lake and the surrounding area, but we'll get to that another day. Until then, get out to Caddo when you can. And observe the Handiwork of God.
