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Rusk County, Texas facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Rusk, Texas.
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Rusk County
U.S. county
Rusk County Courthouse in Henderson
Rusk County Courthouse in Henderson
Map of Texas highlighting Rusk County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1843
Named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk
Seat Henderson
Largest city Henderson
Area
 • Total 938 sq mi (2,430 km2)
 • Land 924 sq mi (2,390 km2)
 • Water 14 sq mi (40 km2)  1.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 52,214
 • Density 55.665/sq mi (21.492/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st
Henderson July 2017 01 (Rusk County Library)
Rusk County Library in downtown Henderson
Henderson July 2017 34 (Rusk County Tax Office)
Rusk County Tax Office in Henderson

Rusk County is a county located in Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 52,214. Its county seat is Henderson. The county is named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, a secretary of war of the Republic of Texas.

Rusk County is part of the Longview, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Longview–Marshall, TX Combined Statistical Area.

Rusk County is represented by Bryan Hughes, a Republican from Mineola, Texas, in the Texas State Senator for Senate District 1, which includes Rusk County. Travis Clardy, a Republican from Nacogdoches, is the Texas State Representative for House District 11, which includes Rusk County. Trent Ashby, a Republican from Lufkin who was born in Rusk County in 1972, represents District 57, which includes Angelina and several other mostly rural East Texas counties.

History

Originally a part of Nacogdoches County, Rusk was established as its own county by the Congress of the Republic of Texas on January 16, 1843. By 1850, it was the second most populous county in Texas out of the 78 counties that had been organized at that time, according to the 1850 census. Rusk County's population was 8,148 at this time; it was surpassed only by Harrison County with 11,822 people.

With the discovery of oil in Henderson in October 1930, an oil boom began that caused county population to nearly double during the next decade and caused dramatic changes in the county towns. Rusk is one of the five counties that is part of the East Texas Oil Field, whose production has been a major part of the economy since that time.

Rusk County was one of twenty-five entirely dry counties in the State of Texas until January 2012. The city of Henderson at that time opted to sell and serve beer and wine.

Sadly, America's worst school disaster happened in Rusk County in 1937 when nearly 300 people, most of them children, were killed in a natural gas explosion at the New London Consolidated School.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 938 square miles (2,430 km2), of which 924 square miles (2,390 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (1.5%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 59.svg U.S. Highway 59 (US 59 briefly travels through the far extreme southeastern corner of Rusk County)
    • I-69.svg The future route of Interstate 69 is planned to follow the current route of US 59 in most places.
  • US 79.svg U.S. Highway 79
  • US 84.svg U.S. Highway 84
  • US 259.svg U.S. Highway 259
  • Texas 42.svg State Highway 42
  • Texas 43.svg State Highway 43
  • Texas 64.svg State Highway 64
  • Texas 149.svg State Highway 149
  • Texas 315.svg State Highway 315
  • Texas 322.svg State Highway 322
  • Texas 323.svg State Highway 323

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 8,148 —
1860 15,803 93.9%
1870 16,916 7.0%
1880 18,986 12.2%
1890 18,559 −2.2%
1900 26,099 40.6%
1910 26,946 3.2%
1920 31,689 17.6%
1930 32,484 2.5%
1940 51,023 57.1%
1950 42,348 −17.0%
1960 36,421 −14.0%
1970 34,102 −6.4%
1980 41,382 21.3%
1990 43,735 5.7%
2000 47,372 8.3%
2010 53,330 12.6%
2020 52,214 −2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020

2020 census

Rusk County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 35,237 32,022 66.07% 61.33%
Black or African American alone (NH) 9,359 8,240 17.55% 15.78%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 199 195 0.37% 0.37%
Asian alone (NH) 203 231 0.38% 0.44%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 14 18 0.03% 0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 50 162 0.09% 0.31%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 659 1,767 1.24% 3.38%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7,609 9,579 14.27% 18.35%
Total 53,330 52,214 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Education

The following school districts serve Rusk County:

  • Carlisle ISD
  • Cushing ISD (mostly in Nacogdoches County)
  • Garrison ISD (mostly in Nacogdoches County)
  • Henderson ISD
  • Kilgore ISD (mostly in Gregg County)
  • Laneville ISD
  • Leverett's Chapel ISD
  • Mount Enterprise ISD
  • Overton ISD
  • Rusk ISD (mostly in Cherokee County)
  • Tatum ISD (partly in Panola County)
  • West Rusk CC ISD

Rusk County's first officially authorized school was the Rusk County Academy.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Rusk (Texas) para niños

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