Cherokee County History Page: 41
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Cherokee County's fourth courthouse,
the present one, was dedicated and
opened formally on Nov. 11, 1941, as
several thousand people crowded the
courthouse lawn for the event and then
toured the building when county offi-
cials were hosts. Texas Governor Coke
R. Stevenson was the featured speaker.
Judge H. T. Brown, also a former state
representative from the county, presided
at the function. Most of the materials
used in the structure are native ones.
The final payment on the structure was
made May 26, 1950. The building cost
about $600,000. - Templeton Photo
CollectionRozelle, W. P. Murray, and A. N. Walley, decided that a new
courthouse and jail were a necessity. They decided to house both in
a new structure to be built through a joint Cherokee County-Works
Progress Administration project. The Gill and Bennett firm was
employed as architects, and Louis Nelms came into the undertak-
ing later in charge of construction. Because farmers and workmen
in the area needed cash and native material was available, both
were used wherever possible. The collection of native stone and
materials began in June, 1939. Wrecking the old courthouse com-
menced in January, 1940. Construction began April 19, 1940, with
excavation for the basement and foundations.
Quarries and shops were set up to mine and shape the native
sandstone. The red sandstone which forms the basement walls and
greater portion of the interior walls came from four miles west of
Dialville and was shaped in the stone yard in Rusk. Twenty-six
thousand cubic feet of stone went into the structure. The white
sandstone for the exterior was quarried near Alto and was shaped
in Rusk. Six thousand cubic feet were used. The building design was
kept simple so that it would not be dated and out of style in onegeneration. Structural work for the first floor was finished in
August, 1940, and the building was completed the next year. It has
been described as having a rubble work exterior and terrazzo floors.
The main lobby has Montana travertine walls.
Congressman Nat Patton and other dignitaries were present
when Texas Governor Coke Stevenson gave the dedicatory address
Nov. 11, 1941, before a happy throng. The final payment of $15,000
was made May 26, 1950, by County Auditor J. Finan Smith, who
had worked under all administrations involved in the building
program and who signed the first and last checks for the court-
house. The structure cost approximately $600,000, of which the
Federal government paid $430,000 and the county paid
$170,000. - Ogreta W. Huttash.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
History of Cherokee County and Hills of Cherokee, Hattie Joplin Roach.
Commissioners Court minutes.
Marie Whitehead's talk to Cherokee County Heritage Association.
Rusk Cherokeean, June 1, 1950.PARKS AND RECREATION
LOVE's LOOKOUT PARKTHE SCENIC area around Love's Lookout, four miles north of
Jacksonville on US 69, has been a popular recreational site since
the middle 1840's. The people of the old town of Larissa gathered at
Point Lookout (one-fourth mile northwest of Love's Lookout) for
picnics and outings until the railroad bypassed the town and it
declined.
Around the turn of the century, John Wesley Love bought the
land which included the point that became known as Love's Look-
out. This point became an important gathering place for outings by
the people from a large area.
After Love's death, his family gave 22.22 acres including the
lookout site, to the State of Texas for a park.
During the W. P. A. days, the City of Jacksonville bought 25
adjoining acres and developed the two tracts as a park. Picnic units,
an amphitheater, and a concession stand were built. Native stone
was used for most of the construction.
Along with the development of the place as a city park, some
Jacksonville citizens bought some acreage adjoining the park andbuilt an Olympic-size swimming pool.
For many years the park was one of the most popular recreation
points in East Texas. It was the gathering place for school picnics,
family reunions, swimming parties, and other outings.
As time passed, nature destroyed the amphitheater, where
Easter sunrise worship services had been held, and the rock con-
cession stand was dismantled.
A few years ago the original 22.22 acres were deeded to the Texas
Department of Highways and Public Transportation (current ti-
tle) and it was changed into a large roadside park and comfort
station. It is well-kept with modern picnic units and is used exten-
sively for picnics, reunions, and other gatherings. Many sightseers
visit the place daily for the 35-mile scenic view.
In 1940, J. L. Brown and Jewel Newton Brown, his wife, gave 122
acres adjoining the park to the City of Jacksonville to be developed
as a memorial park in tribute to the pioneers of Larissa. In 1965, the
Larissa park trust agreement was dissolved and the land was given
to the Jacksonville Public Library Association, Inc., with the stipu-a; ! $i ^...- --
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Cherokee County Historical Commission (Tex.). Cherokee County History, book, 2001; Jacksonville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth354360/m1/51/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Cherokee County Historical Commission.