The Railroad in Rusk County
Henderson, Rusk County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Although plans for a rail line were made as early as 1852, railroad tracks were not laid in this area until after the end of the Civil War. Overton (14 mi. NW) became the center of Rusk County Railroading after the international & great northern line came through in the 1870s. The Henderson-Overton branch railroad was completed in 1877. Several small lines were begun in the county during the early 1900s but were abandoned by the end of the 1920s. Passenger service declined throughout Texas after World War II, but rail freight continues to be an important business in Rusk County. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Though a rail line was envisioned as early as 1852, tracks did not reach this East Texas county until after the Civil War, when the International & Great Northern arrived in the 1870s and made nearby Overton a railroad hub. The Henderson-Overton branch opened in 1877, and while several small lines rose and fell by the 1920s, freight rail endured as passenger service declined across Texas after World War II.
Why it matters
The coming of the railroad determined which communities thrived and which withered, tying rural Texas into national markets and the modern economy.
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Themes & tags
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