Ruston is a small city and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana. During the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, railroads began to run through Louisiana and the town began to take shape due to its location on the trains' routes, and the 640 acres donated by Robert Edwin Russ, for whom it is named. Ruston grew to become both an economic and eduction center, and Louisiana Tech University, known earlier as Ruston College, has been an integral part of that growth. As a college town, Ruston has a lot to offer with many cultural and sporting events at the university, along with outdoor parks and trails. Recently, Where To Retire Magazine featured Ruston as one of “8 Tax-Friendly Towns” as it is considerd to be easy on taxation, and offers many other amenities important to retirees.
With a population of just over 22,000, the median age here is only 24 years, due to a student population of over 12,000. Many notable people attended Louisiana Tech including Terry Bradshaw, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Karl Malone, a pro basketball Hall of Famer and famous country music singers Kix Brooks and Trace Adkins. Picture of City Hall and picture of Greenwood Cemetery from the Civil War era courtesy of Wikipedia and Billy Hathorn; picture of Louisiana Tech University's Keeny Hall courtesy of Wikipedia and Stirlingrb. |