Return to Northern Cherokee County, Texas

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I drove North on US Hwy 69 passing through Alto, Rusk and Jacksonville, Texas. On a high ridge just North of Jacksonville I made my first stop at a picnic area and rest stop on the East Side of the highway called Loves Overlook; with a very nice viewing area and rest rooms. In 1904 Wesley Love purchased land there and planted a 600 acre peach orchard. After Wesley died in 1925 his wife donated 22 acres to the State of Texas for a state park. This site turned into a great place for travelers to stop and visit. At the overlook I had a chat with an old local employee of the State of Texas about the exact location of the ghost town of Larissa (my main destination) with negative results.

I drove a short distance North and turned West on Texas Hwy 855, then South on Cherokee County Road 3405. Not far I turned West on Cherokee County Road 3409. After about a mile 3409 turned North and I drove West on Cherokee County Road 3411. After a few miles I made a brief stop at the older of two Larissa cemeteries, on the South side of the county road.

I drove a few more miles west on 3411 and turned South on an unmarked county road to the Isaac Killough family massacre site. In the 1930s a sandstone obelisk was built there, and later an historic marker was placed there by the State of Texas. That historic marker had bullet holes through it, and the back of the marker was hit by a shotgun blast. I find that very disrespectful.

While at the site some other locals made a stop there. I had a brief chat, but they did not know where the exact location of Larissa, so I moved on.

I backtracked to Cherokee Country Road 3405 and drove a mile South to County Road 3402. I drove about 100 yards East on 3402 and made a stop to explore on foot the North side of the county road were I felt certain was the site of the Larissa Ghost Town. I walked the forest for an hour looking for structures and the Larissa historic marker. I found nothing there except old abandoned car and truck tires. Note: Cherokee County maps have red triangles that locate their historic markers.

According to Wikipedia, the original settlers in Larissa were the Killough, Wood, and the Williams families (from Alabama); who also lost family members at the Killough Massacre site on October 5, 1838. When they received their land grant from the Republic of Texas, they did not know that all that land was granted to the combined Cherokee Nation by the treaty signed in 1836 by Sam Houston and John Forbs who represented the Cherokees. This land was highly disputed! Later T.N. McKee incorporated Larissa and the post office opened in 1847. In 1848 a masonic Lodge was built and a schoolhouse called Larissa Academy. In 1856 Larissa College was charted by the State of Texas who constructed a three story college building, with other buildings, while Larissa grew in size. Larissa College built an observatory with a very large world class telescope for that time. After the US Civil War Larissa declined and in 1870 the Larissa College closed. Later Texas put an historic marker at the site of the college.

I drove South on County Road 3405 to US Hwy 175, and turned Westbound. I crossed the Neches River into Anderson County and up a hill to the Cuney Frankston Natural Spring to drink some clean cool water. In the 1930s the spring was developed with a pipe coming out of the rock for drinking water. Often I find local minority people stocking up with drinking water cuz their local water systems have low quality water.

I backtracked East on Hwy 175 into Cherokee County and on to Jacksonville. I turned South on Texas Hwy 347 and made a brief stop at the Old Rusk Tramway historic marker. Not far South of there I made a stop at the Dialville "Ghost" Town, founded by John Dial, an ex-US Civil War soldier. John Dial and his family settled in that area in 1866. In 1885 Dialville was incorporated and had a post office, a Masonic Lodge and other businesses lined the streets. Their cash crops were tomatoes and peaches. Though long defunked, Dialville has an active community; but with no post office or services except churches.

I drove South on Hwy 347 about three miles To US Hwy 84 where I turned West to Maydelle, a town founded in 1906 when the Texas State Railroad was constructed (by convicts from the Texas Penitentiary in Rusk) from Rusk to Maydelle; that would be completed to Palestine in Anderson County. I parked my truck by the old Maydelle Depot, and walked to the mechanical engine turntable. The train engine with tender could detach and spin around to return to the Rusk Depot. Note: the turntable is no longer functional.

I drove a short distance West to Cherokee County Road 2125 South to the extinct community of Java; named after an empty sack of coffee found there. I returned on County Road 2185 North to US Hwy 84. I made a few stops on the way home, but the sun had set making photos not practical.

Commentary: Who committed the Killough massacre? The Texas Cherokees started in current day North Carolina under Chief Duwali (AKA Chief Bowles). They were pushed out of their homeland by encroaching anglos. They had peace treaties that were quickly broken by the whites who wanted the land, until they landed in East Texas. They signed a peace treaty with Sam Houston on February 23, 1836 that gave them permanent land rights to a large section between the Angelina and Neches Rivers. The senate of the Republic of Texas voided the treaty and started giving that land to white settlers against the wishes of Sam Houston. Now some Cherokees (or other associated tribes) must have taken part of that massacre. (I feel certain that Native American involvement was not approved by Chief Duwali.) The Tejano, Vincinte Cordoba Rebellion was going on and they were involved directly or indirectly in the massacre. There was probably some runaway Afro slaves involved also. There are also stories about anglos dressed as Indians in the mix. When Mirabeau Bonehead Lamar became president of the Republic of Texas in 1839, he quickly signed the Indian Removal (Extermination) Act, using the Killough Massacre as an excuse. Then Texas hero TJ Rusk was happy to lead the Army of the Republic of Texas and the Texas Rangers to kill off the Cherokees and mutilate the bodies...including the peaceful Chief Duwali.

My opinion: I think the fear and hate is growing worse every day. In the USA the Republicans and Democrats are at war with themselves. Some people running for public office follow their anti-christ (donnie jerk turd); and will not accept defeat if they lose the vote. There are constant wars of hate in the world going on, that some date back for centuries. Nuclear facilities in the USA and Russia are at high alert due to the war in Ukraine. We must stop the hate! We are all brothers here on Mother Earth. We quickly need to learn to live together in peace...or we will certainly all die together!

completed

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Photos

Loves Overlook (picnic area)
US Hwy 69, North of Jacksonville

Larissa Cemetery
Cherokee County Road 3411

Killough Massacre Site on Cherokee County map
unmarked road by Cherokee County Road 3411

Killough Massacre Obelisk
unmarked road by Cherokee County Road 3411,
constructed in the 1930s

Killough Massacre Historic Marker
unmarked road by Cherokee County Road 3411

Lacy's Fort
(Stock pic from West of Alto, Texas.)
This is where the eight survivors of the massacre found safety three days later.

Cuney Frankston Natural Spring
US Hwy 175, West of Neches River in Anderson County,
very good drinking water

Old Rusk Tramway
Texas Hwy 347.
(Not a good investment.)

Dialville Ghost Town
Texas Hwy 347. Two story structure was a general store. The next section was a Masonic Lodge

Dialville Ghost Town
Masonic Lodge Stone

Maydelle Railroad Turntable
Texas State Railroad
US Hwy 84

Java Ghost Town on Texas State Railroad
access from Cherokee County Roads 2185 or 2125