Panola County, Texas

History

Jonathon Anderson, a migrant from the United States and founder of Panola County, donated nearly 100 acres of land in the 1800s to get the county started. Panola County was formed in 1846 from sections of Harrison and Shelby counties. Developed for cotton plantations, it was named after a Choctaw/Chickasaw word for cotton. In the antebellum years, planters used enslaved African Americans as workers on their large plantations. After the Civil War, freedmen worked largely as tenant farmers and sharecroppers in this area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 821 sqmi, of which 802 sqmi are land and 20 sqmi (2.4%) are covered by water.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 59.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 59
  • [[Image:I-369 (TX).svg|25px]] Interstate 369 is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places.
• [[Image:US 79.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 79
• [[Image:Texas 43.svg|20px]] State Highway 43
• [[Image:Texas 149.svg|20px]] State Highway 149
• [[Image:Texas 315.svg|20px]] State Highway 315
• [[Image:Texas FM 10.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 10
• [[Image:Texas FM 31.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 31
• [[Image:Texas FM 124.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 124
• [[Image:Texas FM 1970.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 1970

The TTC-69 component (recommended preferred) of the once-planned Trans-Texas Corridor went through Panola County.

Adjacent counties and parishes

• Harrison County (north)
• Caddo Parish, Louisiana (northeast)
• De Soto Parish, Louisiana (east)
• Shelby County (south)
• Rusk County (west)

Communities

Cities

• Beckville
• Carthage (county seat)
• Tatum (mostly in Rusk County)

Town

• Gary City

Unincorporated communities

• Grand Bluff
• Bethany (partly in Caddo Parish, LA)
• Clayton
• Corinth
• Deadwood
• DeBerry
• Galloway
• Long Branch
• Midyett
• Murvaul
• Panola
• Riderville
• Old Center

Ghost towns

• Center Point
• Freeman, Texas
• Grand Bluff
• Mineral Springs
• Pulaski

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010–2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 22,491. The median age was 41.9 years, with 23.6% of residents under the age of 18 and 20.8% aged 65 years or older. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 74.0% White, 14.5% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian,

28.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 8,921 households in the county, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.7% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 10,733 housing units, of which 16.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.1% were owner-occupied and 20.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.4%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 22,756 people, 8,821 households, and 6,395 families resided in the county. The population density was 28 /mi2. The 10,524 housing units averaged 13 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 78.78% White, 17.67% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 1.87% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. About 3.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 8,821 households, 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were not families; 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was distributed as 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,909, and for a family was $37,595. Males had a median income of $31,333 versus $19,017 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,439. About 11.60% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.50% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

These school districts serve Panola County:

• Beckville ISD
• Carthage ISD
• Elysian Fields ISD (mostly in Harrison County)
• Gary ISD
• Joaquin ISD (mostly in Shelby County)
• Tatum ISD (mostly in Rusk County)
• Tenaha ISD (mostly in Shelby County)

Panola College, a junior college, has operated in Carthage since 1947.

All of Panola County is in the service area of Panola College.

Notable residents

• Tex Ritter, country music singer, born in Murvaul
• Jim Reeves, country music singer, born in Galloway

Points of Interest

• Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and Tex Ritter Museum is located in Carthage.

Politics

References

References

1. "Panola County, Texas".
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. "TABC Home Page".
4. [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcp02 Handbook of Texas Online – PANOLA COUNTY]
5. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
6. [http://www.keeptexasmoving.com/index.php/ttc_i69_current_map TxDoT, TTC Section E, Detailed Maps 1 & 2, 2007-12-21] {{webarchive. link. (February 7, 2009)
7. Association, Texas State Historical. "Grand Bluff, TX".
8. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". [[US Census Bureau]].
9. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010". Texas Almanac.
10. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Panola County, Texas".
11. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Panola County, Texas".
12. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Panola County, Texas".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
14. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
15. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
16. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Panola County, TX". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
18. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.194. PANOLA COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]. See also "Sec. 130.184. KILGORE JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA" which states that the Panola County part of [[Tatum ISD]] is not in the [[Kilgore Junior College]] district.
19. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
20. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".