Texas State Railroad

Texas State Railroad (HM2DRL)

Location: Rusk, TX 75785 Cherokee County
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Country: United States of America
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N 31° 48.044', W 95° 11.635'

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Inscription
In the late 1880s the Texas Prison System built a short rail line from the state penitentiary facility in north Rusk, southwestward to hardwood timber stands, where charcoal was made for use in firing the prison's iron ore smelting furnaces. The line served as the foundation of the Texas State Railroad, which was organized in 1894 in an effort to make the prison more self-sufficient by providing new markets for prison products. Two Texas governors, James Stephen Hogg and Thomas M. Campbell, both natives of Cherokee County, were instrumental in the railroad's development.

Built by prisoners and supervised by the state prison system, the line was completed in 1909 to Palestine (30 mi. W), where it connected with existing routes. Setbacks, including the closing of the furnaces and the prison unit, limited the railroad's success; however, under a board of managers appointed by the Legislature, the line was later leased to the Texas & New Orleans Railroad and the Texas & Southeastern Railroad. In 1972 control was transferred to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for development as a state park. It now symbolizes the significant role the railroad industry played in Texas history.
Details
HM NumberHM2DRL
Tags
Year Placed1982
Placed ByTexas Historical Commission
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019 at 4:02pm PST -08:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15R E 292303 N 3520444
Decimal Degrees31.80073333, -95.19391667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 31° 48.044', W 95° 11.635'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds31° 48' 2.6399999999998" N, 95° 11' 38.1" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)903, 430
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 535 Park Rd 76, Rusk TX 75785, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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