Great Raft
Encyclopedia
The Great Raft was a gigantic logjam or series of "rafts" that clogged the Red
and Atchafalaya
Rivers and was unique in North America.
. It probably began forming around 1100–1200 AD.
The Great Raft grew faster at its upper end than the lower end decayed or washed out, leading to its peak length spanning more than 160 miles/250 km in the early 1830s. The raft, at one point, extended for 165 miles from Loggy Bayou to Carolina Bluffs.
to around Shreveport.
The raft blocked the mouth of Twelvemile Bayou, impeding settlement in the area west of Shreveport
There were many smaller logjams on the Red.
builder and river captain Henry Miller Shreve
(1785–1851) began systematically removing the Great Raft, a task that was continued by others until the latter part of the 19th century. For his efforts the city of Shreveport, Louisiana
, was named after him.
When Shreve began work the Raft was 8 miles directly below to 17 miles directly above Shreveport.
Captain Shreve had removed the raft up to the mouth of Twelvemile Bayou in April 1835. Shreve concluded this work in 1838, having removed the last impediment to navigation on the Red River.
. The second Raft gradually extended until it reached the Arkansas state line. Lieutenant Eugene Woodruff succeeded in removing this second raft in 1873.
's waters by the Atchafalaya River
and forced the US Army Corps of Engineers to build the multibillion dollar Old River Control Structure
.
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
and Atchafalaya
Atchafalaya River
The Atchafalaya River is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River....
Rivers and was unique in North America.
Origin
It has been speculated that the trees in the jams were knocked down by an impact eventImpact event
An impact event is the collision of a large meteorite, asteroid, comet, or other celestial object with the Earth or another planet. Throughout recorded history, hundreds of minor impact events have been reported, with some occurrences causing deaths, injuries, property damage or other significant...
. It probably began forming around 1100–1200 AD.
The Great Raft grew faster at its upper end than the lower end decayed or washed out, leading to its peak length spanning more than 160 miles/250 km in the early 1830s. The raft, at one point, extended for 165 miles from Loggy Bayou to Carolina Bluffs.
Characteristics
At the beginning of the 1800s the Raft extended from Campti, LouisianaCampti, Louisiana
Campti is a town in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,057 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area. Campti is a flat area of mostly farmland. It sets on the eastern bank of the Red River...
to around Shreveport.
The raft blocked the mouth of Twelvemile Bayou, impeding settlement in the area west of Shreveport
There were many smaller logjams on the Red.
Removal
SteamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
builder and river captain Henry Miller Shreve
Henry Miller Shreve
Henry Miller Shreve was the American inventor and steamboat captain who opened the Mississippi, Ohio and Red rivers to steamboat navigation. Shreveport, Louisiana, is named in his honor....
(1785–1851) began systematically removing the Great Raft, a task that was continued by others until the latter part of the 19th century. For his efforts the city of Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, was named after him.
When Shreve began work the Raft was 8 miles directly below to 17 miles directly above Shreveport.
Captain Shreve had removed the raft up to the mouth of Twelvemile Bayou in April 1835. Shreve concluded this work in 1838, having removed the last impediment to navigation on the Red River.
Second Great Raft
Although Shreve had completely removed the raft it reformed later farther up the river. The new foot was at the head of the old Raft. This was near today's Belcher, LouisianaBelcher, Louisiana
Belcher is a village in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 272 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Belcher is located at ....
. The second Raft gradually extended until it reached the Arkansas state line. Lieutenant Eugene Woodruff succeeded in removing this second raft in 1873.
Consequences
The removal of the logjams hastened the capture of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
's waters by the Atchafalaya River
Atchafalaya River
The Atchafalaya River is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River....
and forced the US Army Corps of Engineers to build the multibillion dollar Old River Control Structure
Old River Control Structure
The Old River Control Structure is a floodgate system located in a branch of the Mississippi River in central Louisiana. It regulates the flow of water leaving the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya River, thereby preventing the Mississippi river from changing course. Completed in 1963, the...
.
External links
- THE ATTACK ON THE GREAT RAFT by Edith S McCall, author of Conquering the Rivers: Henry Miller Shreve and the Navigation of America’s Inland Waterways (Louisiana State University, 1984). ISBN 0807111279
- Great Raft, Parish of Caddo, 2004.
- The Great Raft (English). From Discovering Lewis & Clark , with an undated photograph courtesy Noel Memorial Library Archives, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, and another by photographer R. B. Talfour in 1873.