Reflections on the Neches

Geraldine Watson grew up hearing her father's tales of the steamboats, log rafts and the flora and fauna of East Texas. When she was 63, she followed her father's example and took a trip down the Neches River. This text is the story of her journey and a natural and social history of the region.

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When Geraldine Ellis Watson's father was a teenager around the turn of the last century, he spent a summer floating down the Neches River, called Snow River by the Indians, Watson grew up hearing his tales of the steamboats, log rafts, and the flora and fauna of East Texas. So when she was sixty-three years old, she decided to repeat his odyssey in her own beckwater boat. Reflections on the Neches is both the story of her journey and a natural and social history of the Neches region of the Big Thicket. The Neches, one of the last "wfld" rivers in Texas, is now being subjected to dams. Watson's story captures the wildness of the river and imparts a detailed history of its people and wildlife. Profusely illustrated with drawings by the author. Reflections on the Neches will appeal to all those interested in the Big Thicket region and those indulging a feeling of wanderlust - and float trips - down the river.