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Jefferson
Jefferson is a charming small town with a unique claim to history: from the 1840s to the 1870s it was Texas's northernmost deep-water port. Steamboats crowded the waterfront, loading up the vast Texas cotton harvest and unloading consumer goods to be sent via railroad into America's rapidly settling frontier. A boomtown atmosphere prevailed, with numerous hotels, saloons, and a generally raffish air.
The good times ended as quickly as they began, with the coming of the railroad and the decline of East Texas river shipping, and today Jefferson's streets are much quieter. Port facilities are long gone, and the waterfront now lies stagnant, with only a lone boat ramp left. Still, the town has rebounded, preserving and renovating historic downtown buildings—including the Excelsior Hotel, the Ruth Lester Memorial & Jefferson Playhouse (a former synagogue) at the corner of Market and Henderson streets, and the Carnegie Library on West Lafayette.
Jefferson at a Glance
Elsewhere in East Texas
See Also
Travel Deals in East Texas
- $161* & up -- U.S. Flight Sale (R/T incl. Tax) CheapOair.com
- $169 -- San Antonio River Walk 4-Star Hotel incl. Breakfast Hilton Palacio del Rio
- $38 -- 3-Star Dallas Hotel near the Galleria Hotwire.com
- $324+: 5-Night Caribbean Cruise, 70% Off VacationsToGo.com
