Ayish Bayou

Ayish Bayou rises about seven miles north of San Augustine in northern San Augustine County, near the Shelby county line (at 31°37' N, 94°06' W). Before the development of Sam Rayburn Reservoir, the stream ran southeast for forty-seven miles through central San Augustine County before disemboguing into the Angelina River in northern Jasper County (at 31°04' N, 94°05' W). With the impoundment of the reservoir, the lower reaches of the creek were inundated. The banks of the stream are heavily wooded in places with pine and hardwood trees; the terrain is nearly level to moderately steep and surfaced by loamy and clayey soils that support farming and lumbering. The stream's name is probably a variant of that of the Ais Indians, who lived in the area. About 1820 the bayou became the site of the earliest settlements in what later became San Augustine County.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.