Brachfield
Minden, Rusk County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This rural community has been known by many names. First called Gibsontown, it changed to Murval when a post office operated from 1853 to 1866. During the 1890s, The Rusk County News labeled the locale Needmore, and a hotel and school soon opened. Brachfield post office (1900-1906) was named for Charles Louis Brachfield (1871-1947), who made a stump speech here while campaigning for political office. Brachfield served 23 years as state senator and county and district judge; in 1926, he ran for attorney general as the first Jewish candidate for statewide office. The school merged with Patrick School in 1912. Sawmills, cotton, dairy, cattle, poultry, oil and gas have supported the local economy. (2007)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This crossroads in Rusk County has worn a remarkable string of names—Gibsontown, Murval, Needmore, and finally Brachfield. The last honored Charles Louis Brachfield, a judge and 23-year state senator who once gave a stump speech here and who in 1926 became the first Jewish candidate for statewide office in Texas when he ran for attorney general. A hotel, school and post office came and went as sawmills, cotton, dairy, cattle, poultry and later oil and gas took turns sustaining the little farming community.
Why it matters
Brachfield's tangle of names and shifting livelihoods captures the improvised, boom-and-bust character of rural East Texas, and its namesake marks an early milestone for Jewish participation in Texas public life.
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Related people
- · Charles Louis Brachfield
Themes & tags
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