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

Brachfield

Photographed by James Hulse, March 16, 2025

1. Brachfield Marker

Inscription. This rural community has been known by many names. First called Gibsontown, it changed to Murval when a post office operated from 1853 to 1866. During the 1890s, the Rusk County News labeled the locale Needmore, and a hotel and school soon opened. Brachfield post office (1900-1906) was named for Charles Louis Brachfield (1871-1947), who made a stump speech here while campaigning for political office. Brachfield served 23 years as state senator and county and district judge; in 1926, he ran for attorney general as the first Jewish candidate for statewide office. The school merged with Patrick School in 1912. Sawmills, cotton, dairy, cattle, poultry, oil and gas have supported the local economy.

Erected 2007 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13967.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1853.

Location. 32° 2.732′ N, 94° 38.916′ W. Marker is near Minden, Texas, in Rusk County. It is at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 840 and Farm to Market Road 1798, on the right when traveling south on Road 840. The marker is located at the corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11310 FM840, Henderson TX 75654, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as

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the crow flies: The Patrick Community (approx. 1.1 miles away); Welch Cemetery (approx. 1.7 miles away); Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church and Cemetery (approx. 2.1 miles away); Shiloh Cemetery (approx. 3½ miles away); Pine Hill Methodist Cemetery (approx. 3.8 miles away); Maple Grove Cemetery (approx. 3.9 miles away); Richard Brown (approx. 3.9 miles away); Pine Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church (approx. 3.9 miles away).

Also see . . . Brachfield, Charles Louis (1871–1947). Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

Charles Louis Brachfield, lawyer and jurist, was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on January 10, 1871, the oldest son of Benjamin and Yetta (Baruch) Brachfield. In 1877 the family moved to Texas and settled in Henderson, where Benjamin Brachfield worked as a merchant. Charles attended Henderson College and subsequently clerked in the law office of Judge W. H. Wood in Waco. He was admitted to the bar in 1890 at the age of nineteen and set up a law practice in Henderson. He was elected county judge in 1897 and reelected in 1898 and 1902. He served in the Texas Senate for eight years, from January 1903 through
Photographed by James Hulse, March 16, 2025

2. Brachfield Marker
September 1910, and was appointed District Court judge by Governor W. P. Hobby in 1918; he held this post until 1928. In 1926 Brachfield ran for attorney general, thus becoming the first Jew to seek statewide office.

(Submitted on March 22, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 22, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 187 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 22, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.