Old Rusk Tramway
Jacksonville, Cherokee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Equipped with pine rails that warped out of shape and running at a speed often exceeded by mule wagons, the Rusk tram began operations in 1875. Bypassed two years earlier by another railroad, citizens rejoiced over the tram. Rolling stock included a used streetcar, three flatcars and a steam engine called the "Cherokee". Passengers often had to help replace the train on its tracks before it reached the end of its 16-mile line at Jacksonville. In 1879 the tram was sold. It had fostered growth by helping attract industry to the area.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
After a rival railroad bypassed the area in 1873, local citizens rejoiced when the Rusk tram began running in 1875 with pine rails that warped and a top speed sometimes beaten by mule wagons. Its motley rolling stock included a used streetcar, three flatcars, and a steam engine called the "Cherokee," and passengers often had to help lift the train back onto its tracks along the 16-mile line to Jacksonville. Sold in 1879, the ramshackle tram had nonetheless done its job, drawing industry and growth to the region.
Why it matters
The Old Rusk Tramway shows how desperately nineteenth-century towns depended on rail connection, improvising crude lines when the major railroads passed them by.
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Themes & tags
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