Aaron's comments: Today we began our day at Martin Creek State Park. We had camped on an island there, packing in all of our gear in and out of the kayak. Even Kobi! Though I think he may have been less impressed by the feat than we were. The camp there was fine, but it rained in the early morning. Fortunately we had planned on that and had packed a minimal amount of gear. During the early evening we walked along the beach and the night was quite lovely. The mornings' rain also brought a cold front, so we adjusted our plans accordingly. The plan for this day had been a quick trip through Longview, Marshall and Jefferson then setting up camp and kayaking Caddo. Rain and cold pushed the kayak trip to tomorrow and added Daingerfield and Linden to our agenda.
(Anne) It was raining in the morning, so we packed up a wet tent (everything else stayed dry) in the kayak and paddled back to the car. We showered in the park and had breakfast at a Waffle House in Longview, where we decided to alter our plans for the night. We decided to go to Caddo Lake tomorrow, since the day was cold, wet, and grey.
Longview courthouse, 1932.
Architect: Voelcker & Dixon
This one was really hard to find - seemed like we drove forever through Longview!
Old Marshall courthouse, 1900.
Architect: James Riely Gordon
WOW! Here we met the County Auditor (Mark Palmer), who gave us an informal tour of the old lovely. His brother is responsible for keeping the dome clean! This courthouse is stunning inside and is now the county museum - totally worth the trip!
Marshall seemed like a cool town, for it's size.
New Marshall courthouse, 1964.
Architect: Turnbull, Inc.
Courtroom in the old Marshall courthouse. It reminds me of blue Wedgewood china.
Jefferson courthouse, 1912.
Architect: Elmer George Withers
Lovely town, blah courthouse. Jefferson is the "B&B Capitol of Texas", with more B&B's per capita... We were seriously considering honeymooning here, it's such a neat town. Ghost tours, steamboat rides, proximity to Caddo Lake...
Daingerfield courthouse, 1973.
Architect: Pierce, Pace & Assoc.
I think this is Aaron's least favorite. It's pretty much a warehouse building. Awful. We think we saw the old courthouse, however it's now a law office.
Linden courthouse, 1917, undergoing restoration.
Architect: Charles Ames
This is officially the oldest courthouse in continuous use in Texas - the main part was built in 1861!
As of 2013, this courthouse is finished! We will return someday.
8/15/13 update: Linden is the hometown of Don Henley (lead singer of The Eagles) and he was personally responsible for the county's half of the restoration funds! (Texas Historical Commission puts up the other half with its Courthouse Preservation Program)
We had dinner at The Hamburger Store in Jefferson (everybody recommended it). The hamburgers were good.
We camped at Buckhorn Creek Camp, which is an Army Corp of Engineers park around their lake. It was cold enough for a fire. We were awakened to coyotes singing - they sounded REALLY close. In the morning we discovered that something had drunk my dog's water!
Very nice!
Aaron's comments: Buckhorn is a lovely park, maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. Really, I do recommend you try it if you are in that part of Texas. It is so near Jefferson that meals taken there are of no worry (except for me of course). Jefferson too warrants a visit. It was once a town of twenty thousand, the terminus of an inland shipping route that went all the way to New Orleans. A change in water level caused the shipping to "dry up" and the town is now only ten percent of its former self. Fortunately the lovely houses remain and in remarkably good condition as well. Many have become B&B's and the old downtown had been refurbished and reworked as a tourist metropolis. All that is except for the courthouse! It is a sight, very run down and window units hanging out at angles. It is worth pondering the lovely former colonial homes so steadfastly maintained by the hand of commerce, and the courthouse for the county toiling on its decay. What then does it mean that the houses are put up for sale just on a whim? Jefferson is nice. Go there.
Moving back in time, Longview was our first true stop of the day. The courthouse is of three parts, much like a conjoined triplet, but each part older than the last. The center portion, the oldest is nice, cast cement I think, in a moderne style, with artsy ques and lines that draw the eye up to the squareish roof. To its left is the newest portion, a multistory building absolutely unremarkable except in that it is attached to the court, but does not appear anything like it. To the original building's right is a middlin age section, I would guess dates to the sixties. It too doesn't match the original in the least. Longview is boring and doesn't warrant further remark.
After Longview, was Marshall. Ah, Marshall..... The County courthouse (I deem it as such, in spite of the fact a newer, blander structure has taken its place just off the square) has been freshly remodeled. A guy named Mark, the County Auditor, took us on an informal tour. The building is a vision. It is / has been rather designed by the same architect who did the ones in Giddings and New Braunfels. But in Marshall, and freshly remodeled, it shines like a classic car. See it.
Jefferson came after Marshall, and I don't wish to revisit its sorry state, then setting up camp, which in such a lovely setting has been a pleasure. We plan on having a fire tonight... :)
THEN, Daingerfield. Let me say that I had high hopes for Daingerfield. The name implies either danger, or humor. It was neither. It was a warehouse. Not even the Stalinist bloc that was Bryan could hold court with that court. Don't go there.
Lastly for the day was Linden. Its courthouse is in the middle of being remodeled. Literally. Cute town. Go there in a few years.
We returned to Jefferson for dinner. Hamburgers. Tourist food. Stomach issues. Now I am too cold to type and I will light the fire. Talk to you tomorrow.
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