Texarkana, Texas

History

Railroads were quick to see the possibilities of connecting markets in this vast area. In the late 1850s, the builders of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad were pushing their line steadily south across Arkansas. By 1874, they crossed the Red River and reached the Texas state line. Between February 16 and March 19, 1874, trains ran between the Texas border and the Red River, whence passengers and freight were ferried north to Fulton, Arkansas to continue by rail. The Red River Bridge opened on March 20, 1874. Since then, trains have run directly from Texarkana to St. Louis, Missouri.

Keen rivalry existed between the 1870s railroad builders. The Texas and Pacific Railroad reached across Texas to the Arkansas state line. The border was the logical place for the different railways to connect. On December 8, 1873, the Texas and Pacific sold the first town lots for the future city. The first buyer was J. W. Davis, who purchased the land where today's Hotel McCartney now stands on the Texas side of the border, opposite Union Station which is split between both the Arkansas and Texas border.

Etymology

The name Texarkana is known to be a portmanteau of Texas, Arkansas, and nearby Louisiana. However, accounts of the name's origin differ, and it had been in use some time before the town was founded. The most popular tradition is that when the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway was building its line through the area, Col. Gus Knobel, a railroad surveyor, coined the name. He is said to have painted it on a plank and nailed it to a tree, saying "This is the name of a town which is to be built here." Another story tells of a Red River steamboat named The Texarkana, . A third account relates that a storekeeper named Swindle in Red Land, Louisiana, concocted a drink called "Texarkana Bitters".

Geography

Texarkana is located at the junction of Interstate 30 and US highways 59, 67, 71 and 82 in extreme northeastern Texas on the Texas-Arkansas border. It is bordered by the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, to the east, and by the smaller cities of Nash, Wake Village and Liberty Eylau, Texas to the west. It is in the Central Time Zone.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Texas city has a total area of 76.3 km2, of which 75.2 km2 is land and 1.1 km2, or 1.39%, is covered by water. The city is roughly 180 miles northeast of Dallas.

Several creeks run through the area including Wagner Creek, Cowhorn Creek, Swampoodle Creek and Days Creek.

Climate

• The warmest month is August.
• The highest recorded temperature was 117 °F (47 °C) in 1936.
• On average, the coolest month is January.
• The lowest recorded temperature was –6 °F (–21 °C) on December 22–23, 1989.
• The most precipitation on average occurs in December.
• A humid subtropical climate (Cfa) exists in the region.

|Jan record high F = 81 |Feb record high F = 89 |Mar record high F = 89 |Apr record high F = 95 |May record high F = 98 |Jun record high F = 105 |Jul record high F = 105 |Aug record high F = 112 |Sep record high F = 108 |Oct record high F = 95 |Nov record high F = 87 |Dec record high F = 83 |year record high F = 112

|Jan avg record high F = 73.3 |Feb avg record high F = 76.9 |Mar avg record high F = 83.6 |Apr avg record high F = 86.9 |May avg record high F = 91.1 |Jun avg record high F = 95.8 |Jul avg record high F = 99.9 |Aug avg record high F = 100.8 |Sep avg record high F = 97.2 |Oct avg record high F = 89.7 |Nov avg record high F = 80.1 |Dec avg record high F = 74.8 |year avg record high F = 102.0

|Jan avg record low F = 19.8 |Feb avg record low F = 24.9 |Mar avg record low F = 29.2 |Apr avg record low F = 37.7 |May avg record low F = 48.7 |Jun avg record low F = 61.8 |Jul avg record low F = 67.3 |Aug avg record low F = 65.8 |Sep avg record low F = 53.4 |Oct avg record low F = 38.9 |Nov avg record low F = 28.8 |Dec avg record low F = 23.9 |year avg record low F = 17.9

|Jan record low F = 2 |Feb record low F = −3 |Mar record low F = 15 |Apr record low F = 28 |May record low F = 38 |Jun record low F = 52 |Jul record low F = 57 |Aug record low F = 55 |Sep record low F = 38 |Oct record low F = 27 |Nov record low F = 16 |Dec record low F = −6 |year record low F = −6 | access-date = June 22, 2021 | archive-date = June 27, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150627103535/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=shv | url-status = dead | access-date = June 22, 2021}}

On May 22, 2008, a microburst producing winds up to 100 mph occurred over Stateline Avenue and surrounding communities. An analysis of radar data leading up to the damage showed that two severe thunderstorms came together on the south side of the city. One severe storm was moving northeastward from southern Bowie County, while the other was moving northwestward through Miller County. Both storms collided in an area just south of downtown Texarkana.

On May 16, 2020, a waterspout tornado formed in adjacent Lake Wright Patman.

On December 31, 2021, a rare weather phenomenon called "animal rain" caused fish to fall out of the sky and land in yards, on sidewalks and in business lots.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

2020 census

According to the 2020 United States census, there were 36,193 people, 14,148 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,228.13 PD/sqmi. The 16,270 housing units averaged 589.4 per square mile (227.5/km). Of the 16,280 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present. and 34.1% were not families; 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the age distribution of the population was 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,727, and for a family was $39,119. Males had a median income of $34,155 versus $21,143 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,815. About 19.4% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over. The most affluent area of Texarkana is Pleasant Grove, where the median income is $49,562 for each household and the median for a family is $57,219 in 2013.

Economy

According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, City of Texarkana 2021 ACFR . Retrieved August 24, 2023 the top employers in the Texarkana Metropolitan Statistical Area, are:

Government

Local government

According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city's various funds had $36.0 million in revenues, $37.0 million in expenditures, $18.9 million in total assets, $3.5 million in total liabilities, and $7.2 million in investments.

State government

Though the city was historically Democratic, Texarkana is currently represented by Republicans in both houses of the Texas State Legislature. The state senator is Bryan Hughes from District 1. State Representative Gary VanDeaver represents Texas House District 1.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Texarkana District Parole Office in Texarkana.

The Texas Sixth Court of Appeals is located downtown in the Bi-State Justice Building.

Federal government

At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz; since a remap in 2022, the city of Texarkana is part of Texas's 1st congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican Nathaniel Moran. Much of the rest of Bowie County is in Texas's 4th congressional district.

The Federal Courthouse (which also holds the downtown post office) is located directly on the Arkansas–Texas state line and is the only federal office building to straddle a state line. During his campaign for the presidency, John F. Kennedy spoke on the steps of the courthouse September 13, 1960, and so did President Jimmy Carter, on October 22, 1980.

The Federal Correctional Institution, Texarkana, is a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in unincorporated Bowie County just outside the southwest border of the city.

Education

Public school districts

Different portions of the city limits are under the jurisdiction of the Texarkana Independent School District, the Liberty-Eylau Independent School District, Pleasant Grove Independent School District, and Red Lick Independent School District.

Colleges and universities

Texarkana is home to Texas A&M University–Texarkana, a four-year branch of the Texas A&M University System, and to Texarkana College, a community college.

Media

Television

Texarkana is part of the Shreveport-Texarkana media market, the 89th largest media market in the country and second-largest in the state of Louisiana, behind only New Orleans. The market's NBC affiliate, KTAL-TV 6, is licensed to Texarkana. Texarkana is also served by KTBS-TV 3 (ABC), KSLA 12 (CBS), KTSH-CD 19 (Telemundo), KPXJ 21 (CW), KMSS-TV 33 (Fox), KSHV-TV 45 (MyNetworkTV), and two PBS member stations: KETG 9 and KLTS-TV 24.

Radio

4 AM radio stations and 19 FM stations (including a LPFM) serve Texarkana. Although most stations are locally owned, Townsquare Media has a cluster in the area.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Texarkana Regional Airport is located in Texarkana, Arkansas, and serves general aviation and American Eagle service to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Texarkana Union Station is located in downtown Texarkana along the state line, with Amtrak's Texas Eagle providing daily service east to Chicago and west to San Antonio, continuing on to Los Angeles three days a week with intermediate points.

The Texarkana Urban Transit District provides bus transportation to major areas of town along nine different routes. Service runs from 5:30 am to 6:20 pm Monday–Saturday.

Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Jefferson Lines.

Interstate 30 passes through Texarkana on the north. Loop 151 on the west of the city forms part of the Texarkana Loop, a three-quarter loop around the west, south, and east of the twin cities with I-30 completing the loop on the north. Interstate 369 shares the western portion of Loop 151. Interstate 49 is a newly constructed interstate corridor on the Arkansas side of the city which connects Texarkana to Shreveport, Louisiana.

Notable people

• McTelvin Agim, NFL defensive end
• Joe Anderson, NFL wide receiver
• Miller Barber (1931–2013), former PGA Tour golfer
• Bonnie Baxter, artist
• Jesse Belvin, singer, pianist, and songwriter
• Footsie Blair (1900–1982), Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago Cubs
• J.B. Bobo, magician
• Ben M. Bogard, clergyman, founder of American Baptist Association in Texarkana in 1924
• Ray Bourbon (1902–1971), female impersonator
• Melvin Bunch, former MLB baseball player
• David Crowder, musician
• James C. Dodd, architect
• Robert Ealey, electric blues singer
• Jack Favor, rodeo performer
• Carl Finch, musician, founder of Brave Combo
• Corinne Griffith, silent-film actress
• Harmonica Slim, blues harmonicist, singer, and songwriter
• Rich Houston, former New York Giants NFL football player
• V. E. Howard, clergyman who founded the International Gospel Hour
• LaMichael James, football player for the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins
• Brandon Jones, NFL wide receiver
• Scott Joplin, ragtime music composer and pianist
• Jeff Keith, lead singer of rock band Tesla
• Jarrion Lawson, American sprinter and long jumper
• Joshua Logan, film and stage director, Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner
• Ryan Mallett, NFL quarterback for Baltimore Ravens
• Eddie Mathews, baseball player in Hall of Fame
• Will Middlebrooks, baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers
• Craig Monroe, baseball player
• Mac Morgan, opera singer
• Ross Perot, businessman and politician
• Molly Quinn, actress
• John D. Raffaelli, American lobbyist
• James Theodore Richmond, writer, conservationist
• Joscelyn Roberson, USA artistic gymnast
• Bill Rogers, golfer
• Dame Marjorie Morris Scardino, Pulitzer Prize-winning publisher and CEO of Pearson PLC
• Michael Jarboe Sheehan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe
• Drew Stubbs, baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies
• Marshall Terrill, author
• Aysel Teymurzadeh, singer, performer
• Michael Trimble, opera singer, voice teacher
• Nathan Vasher, football player
• Michael Wacha, baseball player for the San Diego Padres
• Frank D. White, governor of Arkansas from 1981 to 1983
• Otis Williams, musician, founding member of The Temptations

Notes

References

Bibliography

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