The Angola Ferry is a small and little-known ferry service that crossed the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

connecting

Lettsworth, Louisiana Lettsworth is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community located in the northern tip of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the east bank of the Atchafalaya River near its intersection ...

with the

Louisiana State Penitentiary The Louisiana State Penitentiary (known as Angola, and nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the South", "The Angola Plantation" and "The Farm"Sutton, Keith "Catfish".Out There: Angola angling. ''ESPN Outdoors''. May 31, 2006. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. ...

, otherwise known as the Angola Prison. It's considered difficult to access, requiring drivers to branch off the

Louisiana Highway 418 Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25th i ...

on an unmarked gravel road and traveling several hundred yards thereafter. A good portion of the area's population is unaware of its existence because it serves mainly prison personnel traveling to and from work and is not accessible to the general public. The ferry was featured prominently in the

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

film ''

Monster's Ball ''Monster's Ball'' is a 2001 American romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, produced by Lee Daniels and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who also appeared in the film. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Halle Berry, and ...

''. Until 1940, a railroad car float crossed the river nearby, operated first by the Angola Transfer Company and then by the

Louisiana and Arkansas Railway The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway was a railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The railroad's main line extended 332 miles, from Hope, Arkansas to Shreveport and New Orleans. Branch lines served Vidalia, Loui ...

Interstate Commerce Commission The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later Trucking industry in the United States, truc ...

, 97 I.C.C. 406 (1925): Valuation Docket No. 154, Angola Transfer Company As of 2019, the Angola Ferry was operational, but only during certain hours of the day. .

References

Ferries of Louisiana Ferries of the Mississippi River {{Ferry-stub

See also

References