Sabine River

Earliest History

The Sabine River, first named the "Rio de Sabinas" is the 33rd longest river in the United States. The word 'sabinas' is the Spanish word for cypress and refers to the cypress trees that grow in abundance along its banks. In its earliest history the river valley was inhabited by a first nation people called the Caddo. The Caddo culture thrived there for over 500 years but by the time the first European explorers arrived in the 1500's only remnants of their civilization were visible and very few of the Caddo people were still inhabiting the area. It is unknown when the name officially changed to the Sabine River but a map from as late as 1721 identified it as Rio de Sabinas.

Geographic Information

The river flows for 510 miles through parts of Texas and into Louisiana. It rises in northeast Texas and as it winds past Mineola, Gladewater, Big Sandy and Longview, it forms the Texas-Louisiana border. The Sabine is still described as the line of division between the New Southwest and the Old South. It eventually flows into Lake Sabine going through the Sabine Pass and draining into the Gulf of Mexico.