09/07/2022
This dugout canoe was found on the banks of the Red River! It dates to the 14th Century! At 34 feet in length, it is the largest Native American canoe ever discovered in Louisiana!
Larto Lake is connected to the Red River through Big Larto Bayou, which is where the dam is located. One can just imagine Native Americans paddling on Larto Lake and the surrounding streams in such a dugout canoe! These water bodies served as liquid highways!
There certainly were plenty of cypress trees around to use as building material. The cypress wood was impervious to insects and rot, as evidenced by this canoe which is over 700 years old!
By Trevor Fry
