Building a Footbridge

August 5, 2024

Crossing Horsepen Creek

This week’s big project has been building the footbridge across Horsepen Creek. My husband and a friend have spent several afternoons on the job and it is almost compete. I told him it had to be wide enough to accommodate my side-by-side.

My great-great-great grandfather, Isaac Williams, moved into this creek bottom in 1833. I can remember the year because it has been passed down through the family that he said, “I came here the year the stars fell.“ Wow! That’s been 190 years! I bet he would smile if he could see how hard we are working on this campground project. I hope he would. He grew cotton and would probably think that we have lost our minds!

My grandchildren are the 8th generation to live here!

Grandpap, as he was called in later life, said the Chickasaw Indians still lived here when he moved in as a pioneer. He built a one-room log cabin just west of the farm. Grandpap said they decided to call the creek Horsepen Creek because the Indians kept a big pen of horses along its banks. I have picked up many an arrowhead here as a child. But don’t get your hopes up. I think I must have found every single one!

However, if you like to creek walk you will probably enjoy the creek. The lower part has a lot of petrified wood.

As for me, I am still painting and hanging trail markers. Every time I think this is the last batch, I find that I need more!