Cherokee

Formed July 13, 1846 (67^th county)

Cherokee County (50,845), Rusk (5,551), Jacksonville (14,544)

The 1941 limestone Art Deco and Modern courthouse is located in middle of the square at Main and 6^th Streets.  United States Highway 84, heading west after its intersection with United States Highway 69, becomes 6^th Street through the town.  The building’s designer was Gill and Bennett, Inc.  A 1953 Annex supports the courthouse.  Five courthouses have been in Rusk since the formation of Cherokee County on July 13, 1846.  The county was originally part of Nacogdoches County and the 67^th county.  The county was named for the Native American tribe that was located in this region from 1822-1839.  The county seat was named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, Texas military commander and legislator.  He also provided his name to Rusk County.  Cherokee County is the birthplace of 2 Texas Governors, James S. Hogg and Thomas M. Campbell. 

Cherokee County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Two District Court Judges and Two County Court Judges serve Cherokee County.  The county is in the East Texas pine area south of Tyler, Texas.  The county center is 9 miles North-Northwest of Rusk nearer Turney.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Smith, Rusk, Nacogdoches, Angelina, Houston, Anderson, and Henderson counties. 

The area of the county is 1062 square miles.  It is 66 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 63 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 47.88 persons per square mile making it 72 out of 254 in the state.  Cherokee County has 47.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 69 crosses from Smith County in the north into Angelina County in the southeast.  United States Highway 79 enters from the east, Rusk County, and exits to the west, Anderson County.  United States Highway 84 crosses the county further south from Rusk County into Anderson County.  United States Highway 175 enters from the northwest, Anderson County, and terminates in Cherokee County.  A sitting L best describes the shape for the county.  The Neches River is the western border and the Angelina River is the southern half of the east border.  Rusk is located slightly south of the center.  Jacksonville is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Rusk is the county seat and Jacksonville is the largest city.  Rusk is 10.9% of the county population while Jacksonville is 28.6% of the county population.  This county is in the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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