Cherokee County Northbound Safety Rest Area - near Jacksonville, TX - Highway Rest Areas on Waymarking.com

The site of this rest area is on a scenic ridge 240 feet above the surrounding terrain with 30 mile views of a wide, pine tree covered valley below. The ridge is part of a long, flat-topped hill that extends for nine miles.

The county was named for the Cherokee tribe of Native Americans who lived in this area. Nearby points of interest include Mission Tejas State Historical Park, Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site, Tyler State Park, Jim Hogg State Historic Park, and Fort Parker. The Texas State Railroad State Historical Park operates two antique trains on 25 scenic miles between depots in Rusk and Palestine.

The Texas Historical Marker on site includes the following text:

LOVE'S LOOKOUT

On this nine mile long ridge there are two historic lookout points which command a view of 30 to 35 miles. Between this site, with an elevation of 713 ft., and Point Lookout (1/4 mi. NW), lies a narrow valley. An Indian trail and later a pioneer road crossed this valley. The pass became known as McKee's Gap in 1846, after Thomas McKee led a group of Presbyterians here from Tennessee and began the town of Larissa (3.5 mi. nw). Named by McKee's son the Rev. T. N. McKee, the village flourished as the location of Larissa College from the 1850s until the 1870s. Point Lookout was a popular recreational area for citizens of Larissa until the railroad bypassed the town and it declined.

Around the turn of the century, John Wesley Love (1858-1925) bought this land and developed a 600-acre peach orchard. Known as Love's Lookout, the scenic point was used for outings by area residents. After Love's death, his family gave 22.22 acres, including the lookout site, to the state for a park. The City of Jacksonville bought 25 adjoining acres and developed both tracts as a WPA project.

J. L. Brown (1866-1944) and Jewel Newton Brown (1873-1966), former Larissa residents, gave the city 122 acres next to the park in 1940 in tribute to pioneers of Larissa. (1978)

Much of this information is from the Texas Department of Transportation's website

Highway Number: US69 Common Name for the Highway: N. Jackson Street Highway Access Direction: North Rest Area Name: Cherokee County Northbound Facilities: Air-conditioned lobby and restrooms Picnic Tables Drinking Water Telephones Family/Assisted Restroom Handicap Access Services: There are vending machines. Special Features: There is a Texas Historical Marker: WM41B0 and a Blue Star Memorial Highway marker: WM4AC2 here, along with the Wi-Fi hotspot: WM9NTQ WiFi: yes

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