In the early days, freighting was done in the area chiefly by ox wagons that met the Texas and Pacific railroad crossing. In 1881, William Martin Webb opened a trading post at this location, which later became a U.S. Post Office with Webb serving as the first post master. The establishment of an East-West mail route was so momentous that the popularity and influence of Mr. & Mrs. Webb and their trading post grew rapidly. Clyde just happened to be the name of the Webb’s son.
Continued growth in railroad freighting, brought exciting news that Kansas City Southern railroad was going to build a passage from Shreveport to the Gulf and was looking for vintage points along the way. The community of Clyde was tentatively selected for the site, but things did not materialize due to land developers donating land that later became the town of Zwolle.
Clyde Crossing Park is a 2 ½ acre tract of land, located on Hwy. 191 and is owned by the Sabine River Authority. This park commemorates the actual historical site of Clyde with its early years of trading goods and communication with the west. Today, the only remains are an old cemetery located at the actual site of “Clyde’s Crossing”.
Directions: On Louisiana Hwy 191 just North of Zwolle, La. The park is on the East side of the highway just north of the westbound junction of Louisiana Highway 482.
NOTE: There is also a westbound junction with Highway 482 which goes in to Zwolle, La.
