East Texas City
Rusk, Texas
Named After Thomas Jefferson Rusk
Visit The Jim Hogg Historic Site
Rich iron ore deposits were the basis of this historic town’s early economy. Restored Victorian commercial buildings on the downtown square and the ghost town of New Birmingham, an ill-fated iron boomtown, are reminiscent of that past. A 560-foot bridge, located in Footbridge Park, was built in 1889 to enable people living east of the valley to cross the rising waters of One Eye Creek to get to town. Authentic steam engines, replica depots, and magnificent scenery draw tourists and Hollywood filmmakers to the Texas State Railroad. Puffs of steam, a rhythmic rocking motion, and the sound of wheels on tracks accompany the 25-mile train ride through scenic piney woods between Rusk and Palestine. Historically, the railroad belonged to the Texas Prison System. Prisoners laid the tracks in 1893 to haul iron ore and wood from convict work camps to smelting furnaces at the East Texas State Penitentiary in Rusk. Just outside town is Jim Hogg Historic Site, a day-use city park that features a replica of the log cabin birthplace of the Texas governor who served from 1891–95.
Scenic Drive: Several routes near Rusk offer excellent woodland scenery: U.S. 69 both north and south; also F.M. 347 and F.M. 747 (neight shown on most maps) that lead north from U.S. 84 west.
Looking For Something To Do?
Texas Forest Trail Partners
Chamber of Commerce
800-933-2381
www.ruskchamber.com
Jim Hogg Historic Park
903-683-2213
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150 Years Of Texas History In The Starr Family Home In Marshall
Nestled in the heart of Marshall’s museums and cultural activities, Starr Family Home State Historic Site is composed of several elegant structures. Period furnishings, clothing, and antiques trace the transition of the buildings through four generations of the Starr family in Texas history. Click here to read more.