Editing Tenaha, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Tenaha, Texas
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| image_skyline      = TenahaTexasTower.JPG
| image_caption      = 
| image_map          = Shelby County Tenaha.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location within [[Shelby County, Texas|Shelby County]] (left) and [[Texas]]
<!-- Location -->
| coordinates        = {{coord|31|56|37|N|94|15|08|W|region:US-TX_type:city_source:GNIS|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Texas]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Shelby County, Texas|Shelby]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = 
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 1886
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 9.74
| area_land_km2      = 9.70
| area_water_km2     = 0.04
| area_total_sq_mi   = 3.76
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.74
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.02
<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes = 
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_total   = 989
| population_density_sq_mi = 306.09
| population_density_km2 = 118.18
<!-- General information -->
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 354
| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 75974
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| area_code          = [[Area code 936|936]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 48-72188 <ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2413374<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2413374}}</ref>
}}

'''Tenaha''' is a town in [[Shelby County, Texas|Shelby County]], [[Texas]], United States. The population was 989 at the 2020 census.

==History==
Tenaha was established on February 2, 1886.  The community was named by members of the Hicks family (Cherokee) for Tenehaw Municipality, from the Spanish, the original name of Shelby County.

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 4.0&nbsp; square miles (10.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 4.0&nbsp; square miles (10.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.04&nbsp; square miles (0.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (0.50%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1910= 491
|1920= 577
|1930= 591
|1940= 608
|1950= 715
|1960= 1097
|1970= 1094
|1980= 1005
|1990= 1072
|2000= 1046
|2010= 1160
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census; census.gov]</ref>
|2020=989}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Tenaha racial composition as of 2020'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4872188&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=May 25, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref><br> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.<ref>https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|271
|27.4%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|349
|35.29%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|1
|0.1%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|1
|0.1%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|26
|2.63%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|341
|34.48%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''989'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 989 people, 559 households, and 394 families residing in the town.

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2010, there were 1,160 people, 422 households, and 287 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|268.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 475 housing units at an average density of {{convert|122.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial and ethnic makeup of the town was 37.6% non-Hispanic [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 36.6% non-Hispanic [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 24.0% [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race, and 1.9% other.

Of the 422 households, 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 20.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals living alone; 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and mean household income was $31,055. Median family income was $26,154, and mean family income was $32,600. The town's [[per capita income]] was $11,600. About 33.6% of families and 35.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 46.4% of those under age 18 and 30.4% of those aged 65 or over.

== Infrastructure ==

=== Police department ===

==== Asset forfeiture controversy ====
{{Main|Tenaha, Texas asset forfeiture controversy}}
In 2009, Tenaha became a defendant in a [[class action]] lawsuit over allegations that local police regularly made improper seizures of cash, jewelry, and property from [[African-American]] and [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino]] motorists passing through the town.<ref name="cnn-seizures" /> Arrested drivers were given a choice of either going to jail on money-laundering [[felony]] charges or handing over all their valuables in order to be allowed to walk free. In one case a couple surrendered $6,000 to keep their children out of child protection services.<ref name="Chicago Tribune">{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-texas-profiling_wittmar10,0,6051682.story|title=Texas police seize black motorists' cash, cars|date=May 5, 2009|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=March 10, 2009}}</ref> In addition to taking of valuables from motorists who were not criminally charged, Tenaha officials allegedly agreed to lenient sentences for known drug traffickers in exchange for cash forfeitures.<ref name="Houston Chronicle">{{cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/news/article/Texas-DA-reportedly-offered-leniency-for-cash-2235636.php|title=Texas DA reportedly offered leniency for cash|last=Robbins|first=Danny|date=October 25, 2011|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref>

Between 2006 and 2008, Tenaha Marshal’s Office used [[Asset forfeiture|state forfeiture regulations]] to seize property from nearly 200 motorists. In about 50 of the cases, suspects were charged with drug possession. But in 147 incidents, marshals seized cash, jewelry, cell phones and automobiles even though no contraband was found, and the motorist was not charged with any crime.<ref name="chicago">{{cite news |date=May 5, 2009 |title=Highway robbery? Texas police seize black motorists' cash, cars |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-texas-profiling_wittmar10,0,6051682.story |access-date=March 10, 2009}}</ref> Many of these were African-American or Latino drivers.<ref name="cnn-seizures" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/chi-texas-profiling_wittmar10,0,5349218.story|title=Highway robbery? Texas marshals seize black motorists' cash, cars|last=Witt|first=Howard|date=March 10, 2009|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=May 7, 2009}}</ref> At least 150 motorists had property seized by Tenaha marshal’s office, totaling more than US$3 million.<ref name="cnn-seizures">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/05/texas.police.seizures/index.html|title=Texas marshals shake down drivers, lawsuit claims|last=Tuchman|first=Gary|author2=Katherine Wojtecki |date=May 5, 2009|publisher=CNN|access-date=May 5, 2009}}</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Tenaha is located on a junction of <!--[[Interstate 69 in Texas|Interstates 69]] and [[Interstate 369 (Texas)|369]] as well as--> [[U.S. Route 59 in Texas|U.S. Routes 59]], [[U.S. Route 84 in Texas|84]] and [[U.S. Route 96|96]]. In the future, [[Interstate 69 in Texas|Interstate 69]] and [[Interstate 369 (Texas)|Interstate 369]] is planned to intersect at Tenaha.

==Education==
Public education in the town of Tenaha is provided by the [[Tenaha Independent School District]]. The best known alumnus of [[Tenaha High School]] is [[Jim Wilkinson (communications)|Jim Wilkinson]] (James R. Wilkinson), who gave up plans to become an undertaker to go to work for Republican Congressman [[Dick Armey]] in 1992. He served as General [[Tommy R. Franks]]' director of strategic communications, and is deputy national security advisor for communications as of December 2003.

==Media==
The Light and Champion, a news and information company, serves Shelby County, as well as Logansport, Louisiana.

==Notable people==

* [[Bobo Barnett]], a circus clown whose career lasted from the late 1920s to the early 1970s
* [[Wayne Christian]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Texas House of Representatives|state representative]] for Shelby and neighboring counties
* [[George Peddy]], State representative for Shelby County<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpe13|title=George Edwin Bailey Peddy|publisher=tshaonline.org|access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{notelist}}

{{Shelby County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Shelby County, Texas]]
[[Category:Towns in Texas]]