Panola County, Texas

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Panola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,491,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with its county seat in Carthage.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Located in East Texas and originally developed for cotton plantations, the county's name is derived from a Choctaw word for cotton.

Until 2013, Panola County was one of about 30<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> entirely dry counties in Texas: the sale of alcohol was restricted or prohibited.

History

File:Carthage July 2017 26 (Panola County Heritage Museum and The Texas Tea Room).jpg

The Panola County Heritage Museum in downtown Carthage

File:Panola Watchman newspaper, Carthage, TX IMG 2954.JPG

The Panola Watchman newspaper was first published in 1873 in Carthage by Tom M. Bowers (1837-1916), a Confederate veteran who earlier printed the Carthage Banner.

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.<ref>Handbook of Texas Online – PANOLA COUNTY</ref> 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 Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert (2.4%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

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

The TTC-69 component (recommended preferred) of the once-planned Trans-Texas Corridor went through Panola County.<ref>TxDoT, TTC Section E, Detailed Maps 1 & 2, 2007-12-21 Template:Webarchive</ref>

Adjacent counties and parishes

Communities

Ghost towns

Demographics

Template:US Census population

**Panola County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	17,629	17,521	16,098	77.47%	73.63%	71.58%
Black or African American alone (NH)	4,013	3,850	3,244	17.63%	16.18%	14.42%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	74	84	96	0.33%	0.35%	0.43%
Asian alone (NH)	53	72	99	0.23%	0.30%	0.44%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	3	7	0.00%	0.01%	0.03%
Other Race alone (NH)	9	24	26	0.04%	0.10%	0.12%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	179	272	731	0.79%	1.14%	3.25%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	798	1,970	2,190	3.51%	8.28%	9.74%
Total	22,756	23,796	22,491	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 22,756 people, 8,821 households, and 6,395 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 10,524 housing units averaged Template:Convert. 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:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

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.<ref>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.</ref>

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

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External links

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Template:Panola County, Texas Template:Texas counties Template:Texas Template:Authority control

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