The town of Porter's Bluff, also known as Taos, was situated along the Trinity River in Navarro County, and became an important ferry crossing and point of shipping for goods along the Trinity. Prior to the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s the Trinity River served as a vital artery as steamships moved materials along the waterway. Originally from Philidelphia, Thomas Lee describes his involvement with the ferry, his mercantile business, and real estate affairs. He also discusses overland roads in the area and the potential impact of future railroad service, as well as the deadly effects of "the flux" in the frontier town.