HENDERSON, Texas — As we get closer to the fourth of July, watermelon sellers are starting to see their seasonal push.
And one area of east Texas used to be known as the watermelon capital of the world, and that city is Henderson.
It all has to do with land area.
Back in the fifties and sixties, thousands of acres of Rusk County were farmland.
But as ranching and coal mining made it's way to the area, it stunted much of that growth.
But that doesn't mean the watermelon industry is leaving Henderson, anytime soon.
The Green family has been farming Watermelons in Rusk County for five generations.
They tell KETK that harvesting watermelons is more mental and physical, that you have to push through the heat, and learn to truly enjoy your time on the farmland.
The green farms and stores sell watermelons across the state of Texas and into Louisiana and Arkansas, still doing their part to keep up with those lofty Henderson expectations.
And they say, it's not just the rain, and the drip irrigation that keeps their watermelons growing for East Texans, it's also their pride in their family name.