The Texas State Railroad Still Leaves Palestine for Rusk

The track east of Palestine began behind prison walls. In 1896, the state started an industrial railroad at the Rusk prison ironworks to haul wood and iron ore. It later pushed the line west to reach the larger rail connections at Palestine. Regular service began in 1907, and the Palestine link opened in 1909.

The state poured more than $530,000 into that 31-mile spur, hoping a route to buyers would make the prison's iron products easier to sell. Rusk Penitentiary operated from 1883 to 1917, and its ironworks are gone, but the rails stayed. The old industrial line became the Texas State Railroad, tying Palestine to a chapter of state history that is harder than the polished coaches suggest.

Today, steam and diesel excursions travel between Palestine and Rusk. That keeps the old route in view instead of sealing it behind a marker or museum case. A passenger train still slips into the Piney Woods on track laid for iron, joining a present-day ride to a difficult piece of state history.