Will E. Lambert

This is a true story about a young couple, Jim and Jenny Garland, dubbed as "River Gypsies", who traveled rivers in search of mussel shells for the Button Industry in the early 1900's.

They beached and settled on a sandbar in the Ouachita (Wash' a taw) River at Sterlington, Louisiana and lived there for thirty years.

The romance quickly blossomed into a houseboat full of interesting characters with unusual and funny stories.

Jerry Hobson, a grandson, returned to the original sandbar in 2000, bought all the land around it where he and his siblings started the community of Hobsonville, USA". The area has become a thriving settlement.

Famous people such as Huey P. Long, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Jimmy Swaggart have touched the lives of this Houseboat Family as mentioned in these stories.

Houseboat living during the Depression, WW II, and the changing times created strong character and independence which is rarely seen today. These stories reflect the way they survived by their faith, love, and humor during these hard times.

This story, a family saga, as much an heirloom for future generations, "Garland Landing" tells it all!