Palestine, Texas Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==History== Indigenous groups such as the [[Coushatta]] Tribe occupied this area for thousands of years before European encounter. During the years of Spanish and Mexican control of major parts of the Southwest, what became East Texas was lightly settled by Europeans. ===Founding=== A trading post was established by Anglo Americans here about 1843, and some settlers gathered around it.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas|date=1893|publisher=Lewis Publishing Company|location=Chicago|page=262|url=http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth46827/m1/268/sizes/l/|access-date=28 September 2014}}</ref> In 1846, the Texas Legislature created Palestine to serve as a seat for the newly established Anderson County. James R. Fulton, Johnston Shelton, and William Bigelow were hired by the first Anderson County commissioners to survey the surrounding land and lay out a town site. This consisted of a central courthouse square and the surrounding 24 blocks.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth11916/ | title=Original Platmap of the City of Palestine, TX | website=Portal to Texas History | access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref> The city was named after [[Palestine, Illinois]], as suggested by Micham Main and or Daniel Parker, a minister of Pilgrim Church who had migrated with the Main family and numerous other settlers from that town.<ref name=courthouses>{{cite book | title=The Courthouses of Texas | last1=Kelsey | first1=Mavis P. Sr. | last2=Dyal | first2=Donald H. | publisher=Texas A&M University Press | place=College Station | isbn=0-89096-546-3 | page=31 | year=1993}}</ref> By 1858, Palestine had grown to a population of 2000. An 1861 state almanac showed that the city was connected to the rest of Texas via a tri-weekly stagecoach that served Huntsville, Crockett, and Nacogdoches.<ref>{{cite book| title=The Texas Almanac for 1861 |year=1860 | place=Galveston, TX | url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123767/m1/292/?q=palestine | access-date=August 25, 2022 | publisher=University of North Texas Libraries | work=The Portal to Texas History | page=292}}</ref> In 1861 a joint resolution called for the construction of the "Metropolitan Railroad" from Texarkana to Austin, passing through Palestine, Henderson, and Fairfield.<ref>{{cite book| title=The Texas Almanac for 1861 |year=1860 | location=Galveston, Texas | url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123767/m1/118/?q=palestine | access-date=August 25, 2022 | website=The Portal to Texas History | page=118}}</ref> These plans were interrupted when the [[American Civil War]] broke out. In the postwar period, during the [[Reconstruction era]], the timber trade and town growth were stimulated in the 1870s by the construction of a railroad through here.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isjl.org/history/archive/tx/palenstine.html|title=Palestine, Texas|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616174754/http://www.isjl.org/history/archive/tx/palenstine.html|archive-date=2012-06-16}}</ref> The city had a population of more than 10,000 by 1898.<ref>{{cite book|title=Palestine City Directory, 1898-1899|date=1898|publisher=Hensley-Arnold Co|page=18|url=http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth39139/m1/18/}}</ref> ===Railroad=== [[File:O. W. Gray & Son Palestine, Texas ca. 1885 UTA.jpg|thumb|Map of Palestine, circa 1885|left]] The International Railroad and the Houston and Great Northern Railroad first connected Palestine to the city of [[Hearne, Texas|Hearne]] in 1872.<ref>{{cite book | title=The Texas Almanac for 1872, and Emigrant's Guide to Texas | year=1872 | url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123777/ | access-date=August 26, 2022 | work=The Portal to Texas History}}</ref> Later that year it was connected northeast to [[Longview, Texas|Longview]]. The railroad merged in 1873 to become the [[International–Great Northern Railroad|International and Great Northern Railroad]] (IGN). The IGN later became part of the [[Missouri Pacific Railroad]], then ultimately [[Union Pacific Railroad]]. In 1875, IGN president H.M. Hoxie moved to Palestine and built the first Victorian mansion there. Successful merchant owners and railroad executives built other elaborate homes along South Sycamore Street. The IGN built a major depot in 1892 and a modern passenger coach shop in 1902, making Palestine an important locomotive and coach location. These shops continued to operate until 1954. At that time, the present facility was built, which is exclusively for freight-car repair. Today, the Palestine Car Shop is one of only two car shops on the Union Pacific Railroad that perform major modifications and repairs to freight cars. The Palestine UP workforce has more than 100 employees.<ref name="Union Pacific Railroad History: Train Towns">{{cite web|url= http://up150.com/towns/Palestine/TX|title= About The Union Pacific Railroad|access-date= September 2, 2016|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160327163026/http://up150.com/towns/Palestine/TX|archive-date= March 27, 2016}}</ref> After the state completed the Rusk Penitentiary near the city of Rusk, the state leased [[convict labor]] to the railroad as workers. The railroad originally transported raw materials to the [[iron]] [[smelter]] located at the Rusk Penitentiary. In 1906, the line reached Maydelle, and by 1909, the line was completed when it reached Palestine. Regularly scheduled train service ceased in 1921. The line was leased to various railroad companies until 1969, when they abandoned it during national restructuring of the industry. The [[Texas Legislature]] adapted the railroad as a state park in 1972, to be devoted to operating trains that showed some of the state's railroad history. The Texas State Railroad is a [[state park]] that allows visitors to ride trains pulled by diesel and [[steam locomotive]]s between the park's [[Victorian architecture|Victorian-style]] [[train station|depot]]s and through the [[forest]]s of [[East Texas]]. This short railroad line dates to 1883. ===Modern era=== In 1914, the county's fifth courthouse was completed. It is still in use. One of the many historical sites is [[Sacred Heart Catholic Church and School|Sacred Heart Catholic Church]], which was designed by [[Nicholas J. Clayton]]. In 1928, oil was discovered at Boggy Creek, east of Palestine. The production of oil resources added to and diversified the town's economy. Palestine became a center for oil-well servicing and supplies in support of other producing fields found later elsewhere in Anderson County.<ref name="Texas State Historical Association - About Palestine">{{cite web|url= https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hep01|title=Texas State Historical Association |access-date= September 16, 2016}}</ref> Construction of the earth-filled Blackburn Crossing Dam on the [[Upper Neches River]], creating Lake Palestine as a reliable source of water, was begun in 1960, and completed in 1962. A municipal water authority manages this resource. The dam was enlarged from 1969 to 1972 to 75 feet high, and 5,720 feet long.<ref name="Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority - About Blackburn Dam">{{cite web|url= http://www.unrmwa.org/aboutus/blackburndam.html|title= Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority|access-date= September 16, 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161009020959/http://www.unrmwa.org/aboutus/blackburndam.html|archive-date= 2016-10-09|url-status= dead}}</ref> About 40% of the content from the 2003 [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster]] was recovered, seven astronauts were killed in the accident.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/10/dairy-survived |title=Diary Survived Shuttle Accident, Goes On Display |quote=cardboard-covered, three-ring bound .. found wet and crumpled .. field .. Palestine, Texas. |author=Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides |date=October 2008}}</ref> Debris from ''Columbia'' was found in and outside Palestine and other East Texas towns.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=LATimes.com [[Los Angeles Times]] |title=Pride Turns to Grief and Disbelief in Israel |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-02-na-israel2-story.html |date=February 2, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.universetoday.com/19198/astronaut-diary-survives-columbia-accident/|title=Astronaut Diary Survives Columbia Accident |date=6 October 2008|publisher= Universe Today}}</ref> Palestine's [[NASA]] [[Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility]] (renamed in honor of the shuttle crew), has flown 1,700 high-altitude balloons for universities and research agencies. On November 15, 2015, a [[Gun violence in the United States|mass shooting]] took place at a campsite several miles northwest of Palestine. Six people were killed by an intoxicated neighbor who was upset about losing his family's land. The shooter was charged with capital murder.<ref>{{cite web |author=KLTV Digital Media Staff |url=http://www.kltv.com/story/30528560/sheriff-six-killed-in-campsite-homicide-suspect-charged |title=Sheriff, six killed in campsite homicide, suspect charged |website=KLTV ABC|date=November 16, 2015 }}</ref> He was convicted and sentenced to death by a [[Brazos County, Texas|Brazos County]] jury on November 15, 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/man-convicted-of-killing-6-in-texas-gets-death-penalty|title=Man convicted of killing 6 in Texas gets death penalty|work=Associated Press|agency=KEYE-TV}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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