Heritage Center of Cherokee County, Texas

05/31/2026

I am still working on American Revolution Patriots whose descendants live here in Cherokee County or are buried here. I have just reached over 200. Of those that I have found so far, I have found 17 sons or daughters buried here, whose fathers were part of the American Revolution. Amazing! That includes Jim Hogg's grandparents, who were born in 1768.

Also, I keep running into men who fought in the King's Mountain Battle fought in 58 minutes on October 7, 1780. This decisive battle was a turning point in the Revolutionary War leading up to the last battle at Yorktown. So far, I have found 12 men who had a descendant migrate to Cherokee County. There is an interesting story that just came up today -- the Goforth family story. Capt. Allen Preston Goforth, Army Air Corps in WWII, buried in Jacksonville City Cemetery had a ggg grandfather die in the Kings Mountain Battle. See the attached photo that tells the story.

05/31/2026

Drive through Rusk to see Southern Pine Locomotive Company railroad work yard, steam engine, and depot during this restoration process located on S. Barron St. and 2nd Street just south of downtown Rusk. Museum will open in the Depot as soon as it is finished with restoration later this year.

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

!!!! MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY TODAY !!!! 10 A.M. IN RUSK --
COURTHOUSE LAWN. MUSEUM WILL BE OPEN AFTER CEREMONY TO SEE THE MILITARY HALL OF HONOR AND AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXHIBIT. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN A REPRINT OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE!

05/24/2026

Monday, May 25 at 10 a.m. Memorial Day Ceremony on the Courthouse lawn in Rusk by the Veterans Memorial Monument on the northwest corner.

PLEASE SHARE!!!!! We will be remembering our fallen soldiers.

After the ceremony, visit at the museum in Rusk - 208 S. Henderson St. There are 250 dog tags hanging from the ceiling in the Military Hall of Honor -- made in 2019 for each of the fallen soldiers whose names are on the Jacksonville Monument — those men who died during wartime in WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

I was unable to find information on the following names, so if you know anything about them, please comment. WWI -- John Derden, Fred Garrison, Chester Grisby, A.C. McDaniel, Toby Stevens. WWII -- Ray Compton, Coster DeHaven, John H. Dodge, Dillma Easley, Frank Hackson, Tommy Marshall, A. W. Willis. KOREA - Charlie Moran, John T. Thompson.

There is one man that we have recently found that is not on this monument. His name is J. C. Davis from Bullard, Cherokee County. His is MIA in WWII, a Steward's Mate First Class on the USS Gambier Bay, attacked by Japanese battleship on October 25, 1944 -- 150 men died - J.C. Davis was one among others that were never recovered. J.C.'s name is on the Wall of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery along with over 36,000 other MIA's. The Cemetery staff located his name on the Wall and emailed it to me. See photos plus J. C. Davis' story in the comments. He now has a dog tag hanging on the post in the Military Hall of Honor in the museum.

We will be open a short time tomorrow after the Memorial Day Ceremony on the Courthouse lawn at 10 a.m.

05/20/2026

Rusk 4th Graders group pictures are at the end -- 46 pictures posted of their scavenger hunt in museum. They did a fantastic job!! -- Tuesday, May 19, 2026 --

05/17/2026

05/17/2026

"The Continental Congress having ordered Friday the 17th instant to be observed as a day of "fasting, humiliation and prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions, and to prosper the Arms of the United Colonies, and finally, establish the peace and freedom of America upon a solid and lasting foundation" -- the General commands all officers and soldiers to pay strict obedience to the Orders of the Continental Congress, and by their unfeigned and pious observance of their religious duties, incline the Lord and Giver of Victory to prosper our arms." George Washington, General Orders, Head Quarters, New York, May 15, 1776

Source: https://share.google/m3dGmV8dlPfjUkeIe

Compliments of George Washington Society, an educational 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your tax deductible contributions are appreciated: https://georgewashingtonsociety.org/