The Texas Prison System built a short rail line from the Rusk State Penitentiary to hardwood timber stands where charcoal was made for firing the prison's iron ore furnaces. That line became the foundation of the Texas State Railway, organized in 1896 to make the prison self-supporting and to develop the region's economy. Built by prisoners and supervised by the State Penitentiary System, the line was completed in 1909 to Palestine, where it connected with existing routes. Financial woes and the closing of the furnaces led to the line being leased to the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, and later the Texas and Southeastern Railroad, which operated it until 1969. Control of the line was transferred to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1972 for development as a state park. Texas Department of Corrections inmates restored the tracks between Rusk and Palestine, new depots and parks were built at each terminus, and vintage steam locomotives and rail cars were purchased to provide tourist passenger service from Palestine to Rusk. The park became one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state.