 Sadly, America's worst school disaster happened in Rusk County in 1937, when nearly 300 people, most of them children, were killed in a natural gas explosion at the London Independent School District (which has since consolidated into West Rusk County Consolidated Independent School District).According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.5%) is covered by water.As of the census of 2000, 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families resided in the county.