Panola County, Texas

County in Texas, United States

County in Texas
32°10′N 94°19′W / 32.16°N 94.31°W / 32.16; -94.31Country United StatesState TexasFounded1846SeatCarthageLargest cityCarthageArea
 • Total821 sq mi (2,130 km2) • Land802 sq mi (2,080 km2) • Water20 sq mi (50 km2)  2.4%Population
 (2020)
 • Total22,491 • Density27/sq mi (11/km2)Time zoneUTC−6 (Central) • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)Congressional district1stWebsitewww.co.panola.tx.us

Panola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,491.[1] The county seat is Carthage.[2] 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[3] entirely dry counties in Texas: the sale of alcohol was restricted or prohibited.

History

The Panola County Heritage Museum in downtown Carthage
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.[4] 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 square miles (2,130 km2), of which 802 square miles (2,080 km2) are land and 20 square miles (52 km2) (2.4%) are covered by water.[5]

Major highways

The TTC-69 component (recommended preferred) of the once-planned Trans-Texas Corridor went through Panola County.[6]

Adjacent counties and parishes

Communities

Cities

Town

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18503,871
18608,475118.9%
187010,11919.4%
188012,21920.8%
189014,32817.3%
190021,40449.4%
191020,424−4.6%
192021,7556.5%
193024,06310.6%
194022,513−6.4%
195019,250−14.5%
196016,870−12.4%
197015,894−5.8%
198020,72430.4%
199022,0356.3%
200022,7563.3%
201023,7964.6%
202022,491−5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1850–2010[9] 2010–2020[10]
Demographic Profile of Panola County, Texas
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[11] Pop 2020[10] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 17,521 16,098 73.63% 71.58%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3,850 3,244 16.18% 14.42%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 84 96 0.35% 0.43%
Asian alone (NH) 72 99 0.30% 0.44%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 3 7 0.01% 0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 24 26 0.10% 0.12%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 272 731 1.14% 3.25%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,970 2,190 8.28% 9.74%
Total 23,796 22,491 100.00% 100.00%

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.

As of the census[12] of 2000, 22,756 people, 8,821 households, and 6,395 families resided in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile (11 people/km2). The 10,524 housing units averaged 13 units per square mile (5.0/km2). 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:

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

Notable residents

Points of Interest

Politics

United States presidential election results for Panola County, Texas[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 9,326 81.44% 2,057 17.96% 68 0.59%
2016 8,445 81.08% 1,835 17.62% 136 1.31%
2012 7,950 77.71% 2,211 21.61% 69 0.67%
2008 7,582 74.22% 2,586 25.31% 48 0.47%
2004 7,021 70.16% 2,958 29.56% 28 0.28%
2000 5,975 65.85% 3,011 33.18% 88 0.97%
1996 4,008 44.59% 4,168 46.37% 812 9.03%
1992 3,473 37.22% 3,950 42.33% 1,909 20.46%
1988 4,642 52.87% 4,123 46.96% 15 0.17%
1984 5,676 63.88% 3,179 35.78% 30 0.34%
1980 4,022 51.92% 3,637 46.95% 88 1.14%
1976 3,218 46.12% 3,731 53.48% 28 0.40%
1972 4,324 73.74% 1,511 25.77% 29 0.49%
1968 1,586 26.67% 1,711 28.77% 2,650 44.56%
1964 2,818 51.83% 2,608 47.97% 11 0.20%
1960 2,264 50.11% 2,187 48.41% 67 1.48%
1956 2,538 52.48% 2,225 46.01% 73 1.51%
1952 2,080 41.75% 2,897 58.15% 5 0.10%
1948 256 9.08% 1,751 62.14% 811 28.78%
1944 221 8.83% 2,106 84.17% 175 6.99%
1940 179 5.87% 2,871 94.07% 2 0.07%
1936 95 3.74% 2,425 95.36% 23 0.90%
1932 50 1.85% 2,630 97.08% 29 1.07%
1928 420 24.21% 1,312 75.62% 3 0.17%
1924 119 5.33% 2,088 93.51% 26 1.16%
1920 268 16.15% 1,086 65.46% 305 18.38%
1916 125 8.77% 1,228 86.12% 73 5.12%
1912 82 5.37% 1,203 78.78% 242 15.85%

See also

  • flagTexas portal

References

  1. ^ "Panola County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "TABC Home Page". www.tabc.state.tx.us. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  4. ^ Handbook of Texas Online – PANOLA COUNTY
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  6. ^ TxDoT, TTC Section E, Detailed Maps 1 & 2, 2007-12-21 Archived 2009-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Association, Texas State Historical. "Grand Bluff, TX". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  8. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  9. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  10. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Panola County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  11. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Panola County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 28, 2018.

External links

  • Panola County government’s website
  • Panola County from the Handbook of Texas Online
  • Dry counties in Texas from the TABC
Places adjacent to Panola County, Texas
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Municipalities and communities of Panola County, Texas, United States
County seat: Carthage
Cities
Panola County map
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communitiesGhost townFootnotes
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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32°10′N 94°19′W / 32.16°N 94.31°W / 32.16; -94.31