Texas State Railroad offers opportunity to experience history

Jasper came late to the table where railroads were concerned, finally receiving its first train in 1901.

Many towns in East Texas already had rail lines, and the business community in Jasper was desperate enough to start their own, The Jasper Southern, before finally making connections with an established line, according to Nida Marshall in her book The Jasper Journal.

Railroads could make or break a town. Tiny Huntington should have been the big city in East Texas, but when the sheriff arrested a rowdy construction crew, the boss re-routed the line through Lufkin, making it the hub of East Texas commerce.

Marshall quoted The Jasper News-Boy’s Aug. 7, 1901 report of the first train:

“Jasper will do an immense business this fall. Our merchants are wide awake hustlers and have always done a good business in spite of our lack of transportation. This fall the road will not run past us.”

Tex Ritter popularized the call of porters boarding passengers from Houston to Shreveport. They sangout, “All aboard for Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo and Blair.”

KIRBYVILLE BROWNIE TROOP 2086 took a ride on the steam train to Rusk last summer. Winter hours are Saturdays only until March.Turn-of-the-century depots in both Rusk and Palestine offer shopping and dining.

Ritter’s lyrics say, “Old East Texas sure looks fine, drop me off just anywhere near Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo and Blair.”

There’s only one way to see what those passengers

saw—ride the steam train run by the Texas State Railroad in Rusk.

Vintage locomotives run Saturdays from Rusk to Palestine. In March the schedule expands to include Saturdays and Sundays with departures from either Rusk or Palestine. Special runs are set for school field trips.

The 50-mile round trip train ride takes four hours, which allows time for shopping or dining in turn-of-thecentury train stations. Eilenberger’s Bakery caters the food in the Palestine station, with beautiful grounds for a picnic lunch.

For make reservations, call 800 442-8951. For more information, visit www.texasstaterailroad. com.