Town of the Week, May 2, 1998

Take a visit to Rusk, Texas; just listen in.

Rusk, Texas

The Texas State Railroad is the longest and skinniest state park in the United States and it's just one of three state parks within the historic city of Rusk, Texas. Steam trains travel 27 miles between Rusk and Palestine daily, just as they have for 102 years. The other parks are Rusk State Park and Governor Jim Hogg State Park. This town in East Texas was chosen in 1846 to be the seat of Cherokee County. It is named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, who served with Sam Houston as the first United States Senators from Texas, and then became Secretary of War when Houston was elected President. History enthusiasts enjoy coming to the courthouse square to walk a 546 foot long footbridge, the longest in the nation. The downtown Cherokee Civic Theatre is contained in a 1946 movie house, which has been converted into a performing arts center with a 260 seat theatre. The history of Cherokee County is on display in the Norman Memorial Museum, which is open on weekends. Most people in this town of 4300 work at rusk State Hosptial or the State Prison's Psuchiatric Facility; or in agriculture and lumbering. There are also three major oil-producing fields near Rush. Over the Memorial Day weekend, the town's Fair on the Square celebration is termed the "Best Street Party in Texas." You'll find it at the intersection of Texas State Highways 69 and 84, three miles form Herring's Wilderness WIldlife Park. It's our Town of the Week, Rusk, Texas.

. . . Rusk is the historical headquarters for the Texas State Railroad, built in 1896 to serve the Rusk Unit of the Texas Prison System. . . . for more than a quarter of a century, the C&W Bauer confectionary and Cafe was noted throughout East Texas, and was made famous as a gingerbread and beer parlor by Casper Renn. . . . the Confederate Gun Factory, built in 1862, manufactured Colt revolvers in Rusk. . . . a confederate prison of war camp was located two miles south of Rusk. . . . One of Texas' more infamous characters was gunned down by Pat Garrett in 1881; his name was William Bonney, a.k.a. Billy the Kid.. . . . Camels were at one time used by Texas Military, and some can still be seen roaming the Rio Grande. . . . In addition to having been an independent nation, Texas has also flown the Spanish, Mexican, Confederate, and American flags.

Rusk Chamber of Commerce PO Box 67 Rusk, Texas 75785 Phone: (903) 683-4242 Toll-Free: (800) 933-2381 @ction Travel Group Texas Highways Virtual Texan

Nickname: The Lone Star State Motto: Friendship Flower: Bluebonnet Insect: Monarch butterfly Gem: Blue topaz Stone: Petrified palmwood Dish: Chili Seashell: Lightning whelk (found only on Gulf Coast) Folk Dance: Square dance

Info for "D'ja Know?" and "Fun Facts" compiled from the Virtual Texan and the Texas State website and materials obtained from the Rusk Chamber of Commerce.