Los Ebanos Ferry Crossing stands at an apparently ancient ford on the Rio Grande, first recorded as being used in the 1740s by Spanish explorers and colonists under Jose de Escandon. A salt trail led from here to El Sal del Rey, 40 miles northeast. The ford was used by Mexican War troops in 1846, by Texas Rangers chasing cattle rustlers in 1874, and by smugglers in many eras, especially during American prohibition years in the 1920s and 30s. The ferry and inspection station were established in 1950. Named for the ebony trees here, it is known as the only government-licensed, hand-pulled ferry on any boundary of the United States.