El Camino Real Marker (Gaines Crossing)
San Augustine, Texas, USA
TX-21, 0.5 mi west of Sabine River, Hemphill, TX 75948, USA
MARKER
VISITOR INFORMATION
NO TICKET REQUIRED
A roadside historical marker, free to read at any time. There is no parking area or restroom at the marker itself, so pull over only where it is safe to do so.
Free roadside historical marker; visible from the public right-of-way at any time. There are no staffed hours or ticket requirements.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
0
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
About El Camino Real de los Tejas Trail Marker (Gaines Crossing)
Gaines Crossing was a ferry on the Sabine River and a gateway into Texas along El Camino Real de los Tejas. The Gaines family carried immigrants, traders, soldiers, and other travelers across the river, while the stop offered supplies and information about routes west. Bridges, roads, and railroads eventually displaced its ferry role. Markers now interpret the crossing as part of the historic trail.
The crossing and trail route are commemorated with markers cared for by the Texas Historical Commission.
History happened here at El Camino Real de los Tejas Trail Marker (Gaines Crossing)
This crossing on the Sabine River was a principal ford on El Camino Real de los Tejas, the network of roads connecting Spanish Mexico to its East Texas missions and presidios, later used by American settlers, filibusters, and Texas Revolution volunteers entering Texas from Louisiana. The route is now recognized as a National Historic Trail.
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
parkplanning.nps.gov: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/showFile.cfm?projectID=12599&sfid=121229
National Park Service: https://home.nps.gov/places/gaines-oliphant-house.htm
Identity and location note: NPS places the historic Gaines’ Ferry crossing beneath Toledo Bend Reservoir. The surviving Gaines-Oliphant House at 350 Ensign Drive, Hemphill, is a related site, not the crossing itself. These sources do not confirm the exact roadside marker named in the row or its 1795 date.
Accessed 2026-09-30