Miracle Mindset

Photos & Story By Ken Hulsey Last night, I was talking to a couple of friends from New Mexico , trying to explain what life is like in a small farming town in Central Louisiana. I discussed in depth the poverty and decay that have come to define the area. I shared how the town of Lecompte  (pronounced "le-count") was once very prosperous—a railroad town that thrived on cotton, sugar cane, and lumber. I explained how the decline in demand for those goods, combined with the construction of an interstate highway nearby that diverted tourists away from the town, ultimately sealed its fate. My friends were genuinely shocked when I mentioned that I could see about a dozen abandoned houses and stores from my front yard.

Today, I want to share the story of the first railroad built in central Louisiana. Known as the Red River Railroad , or sometimes the Ralph Smith Smith Railroad , this was the very first railroad constructed west of the Mississippi River. It was a simple and roughly built line that transported cotton and other goods that were brought in by barges on Bayou Boeuf .   The place where this railroad began is called Smith’s Landing , and the remaining building in the town of Lecompte is recognized as the first train station built west of the Mississippi. The tracks ran from Lecompte to the banks of the Red River in Alexandria , but much of this route has been lost to time. During the Civil War , Union soldiers tore up the tracks to create a levee, and because of that, we don’t know exactly where the railroad used to go. Interestingly, when crews were constructing the old Jefferson Highway that runs between Lecompte and Alexandria, they found some remnants of the Red River Railroad, whi...