Tinney Chapel Today

Click on any image above to view it in larger format and/or click on the arrow below to view the video of Jerry Ezelle's proposal for a Caddo memorial project.



Jerry Ezelle Wants To Pay Tribute To Contribution Of
Caddo Native Americans To Heritage Of East Texas

At this evening's monthly meeting of the Native American Fellowship (NAF), Jerry Ezelle of Scroggins, Texas, called on this group and others to join him in a still-evolving project to honor the many contributions by the Caddo Indian Tribe to the beauty and productivity of East Texas.

After a long and successful business career in the DFW Metroplex, Ezelle retired to the natural beauty of Northeast Texas, and--during his personal research into the history of this area--was surprised to learn how much he, and the rest of us, owe to the Caddo Indian Tribe for its care and stewardship of the land and its resources over a period of several centuries.

Ezelle has since been on a one-man crusade to help facilitate a project that will stand as an ongoing, lasting memorial to the noble Caddo Tribe.

As a potential example, Ezelle said that, in the 35-year history of Lake Bob Sandlin, they have not added a park other than the State Park on the North Shore-which he said they did not pay for. More recently, Ezelle said that Titus County Freshwater District (TCFWD) has just purchased several thousand acres, in both Camp and Titus Counties, behind the dam of the lake. In other words, potential sites abound for a memorial to the Caddo Tribe, perhaps a public park of some kind in one of these, or some other, location.

By contrast, Ezelle suggested a comparisojn with Lake Cypress Springs, which he says has five nice local parks, all with boat ramps that are used by local citizens, rich and poor, from all over Texas, built with the proceeds of the sale of water by The Franklin County Freshwater District. Ezelle said that none of these Parks have any mention of the Native Americans or hiking trails.

Other "Water District Lakes" in the State do the same thing, added Ezelle: "They take the revenue from the water sale and improve the lakes for the enjoyment of Texans. If you Google Lake Worth you will find they have a $117 million capital improvement to the lake much of it being paid for from the sale of water to Fort Worth."

Ezelle's Idea: "Let's approach the TCFWD and propose a park that would include a tribute to the Caddo and The Cherokee, both of which have such a rich history in this area. The park would have a strong educational aspect to it, so local schools could take kids on field trips as a learning experience. If done correctly it could become a 'must see destination' for boaters and visitors in the area."

After Ezelle's presentation, NAF members discussed his general proposal and offered suggestions for supplementing and amending his ideas, eventually asking him to return with a more detailed, formal proposal, which NAF would evaluate and members would vote on whether or not to endorse it.

NAF President Ronny Ellison appointed a committee of Bob Deitering, Linda Fox, Corinne Tinney, Georgia McLain and Joe Dan Boyd to counsel with Ezelle as he firms up his formal proposal for consideration at a future NAF meeting.