Rusk in Cherokee County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Site of Rusk Public School No. 2 for African Americans

Photographed By James Hulse, September 1, 2023

1. Site of Rusk Public School No. 2 for African Americans Marker

Inscription. By 1884 the Rusk Public School District maintained two schools: No. 1 for its Anglo students and No. 2 for its African American students. A yearly average of 50 students met in a small house built here about 1895 to house Rusk Public School No. 2. In 1939 the Rusk Independent School District erected a new school building southeast of downtown Rusk for its African American students. Named after long-term principal G.W. Bradford, the facility was used until Rusk integrated its schools in the 1960s. Many graduates of this school became highly respected professionals.

Erected 1993 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 6926.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1884.

Location. 31° 47.74′ N, 95° 9.477′ W. Marker is in Rusk, Texas, in Cherokee County. Marker is on West 6th Street, 0.1 miles east of Butler Avenue. The marker is located along the highway with no available parking. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 531 West 6th Street, Rusk TX 75785, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of Sam Houston Speeches (approx. 0.3 miles away); Old College Bell (approx. 0.3 miles away); Confederate Training Camp

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(approx. 0.4 miles away); Site of the Union Hotel/Bracken House/Acme Hotel (approx. 0.4 miles away); Cherokee County C.S.A. (approx. half a mile away); Cherokee County Veterans Memorial (approx. half a mile away); First Presbyterian Church of Rusk (approx. half a mile away); Norman Law Firm (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rusk.

Also see . . . Education For African Americans. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

The education of African American children during the late period of slavery, after 1800, was sporadic and unreliable in Texas as in other Southern states. Formal education was practically nonexistent for African Americans. Education most often consisted of on-the-job training in a variety of occupations. Before the Civil War most people believed education of African Americans would lead to discontent and rebellion. A few did support instruction and often volunteered their services. According to the census of 1850, 58,558 African Americans, representing 27.5 per cent of the population, lived in Texas. Fewer than 1 percent, or 397, were free, of which
Photographed By James Hulse, September 1, 2023

2. The view of the Marker from the street
217 were believed to be literate, 20 were in school, and 58 were illiterate adults. There are no actual statistics available on the 58,151 enslaved African Americans, but available data indicate that a portion of the slave population had been instructed in the basic rudiments of reading and writing.

(Submitted on September 5, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The Site of Rusk Public School No. 2 for African Americans image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, September 1, 2023

3. The Site of Rusk Public School No. 2 for African Americans

Credits. This page was last revised on September 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 72 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 5, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.