Ruston’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 4 old photos of Ruston. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗During the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War, word soon reached the young parish near what is now Ruston, that the Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Pacific Railroad would begin to run across north Louisiana, linking the Deep South with the West (the current operator is Canadian Pacific Kansas City). Robert Edwin Russ, the Lincoln Parish sheriff from 1877–1880, donated 640 acres (2.6 km2) to the town and the area was eventually known as Ruston in his honor.
In 1883, commercial and residential lots were created and sold for $375 apiece; and soon the sawing of lumber and clacking of hammers could be heard throughout the area.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Ruston’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ruston’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District …, 1880: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Ruston
See all 38 →
Ruston, decade by decade
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as 1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Louisiana (LA) - Lincoln Parish - Ruston - ED 31-1, ED 31-2, ED 31-3, ED 31-4, … (1880) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Historic places
National Register · via Wikidata
From Wikimedia Commons (3), the Library of Congress (1) and the National Register (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.