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Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States, in the Ark-La-Tex region. Located approximately from
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, Texarkana is a twin city with neighboring Texarkana, Arkansas. The Texas city's population was 36,193 at the 2020 census. The city and its Arkansas counterpart form the core of the Texarkana Metropolitan Statistical Area, encompassing all of Bowie County, Texas, and Miller County, Arkansas. The two cities had a combined population of 65,580 in the 2020 decennial census, and the metropolitan area had a population of 149,482.


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, opposite Union Station. 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 The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway (St. L., I. M. & S.), commonly known as the Iron Mountain, was an American railway company that operated from 1874 until 1917 when it was merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad. History The Iro ...
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".


20th century to present

Racial discrimination continued after the abolition of slavery in both states. Violent attacks on blacks and lynchings took place, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blacks were largely disenfranchised throughout the South from the turn of the century until after passage of federal voting rights legislation in 1965 and enforcement. On May 22, 1922, Hullen Owens, an African-American man, was lynched by a large white mob made up of thousands of people. In the late winter and spring of 1946, from February 22 to May 3, residents of the two cities were terrorized by violent attacks against four young couples. Five of the eight individuals were killed, in what were called the Texarkana Moonlight Murders. Law enforcement believed the attacks to be the work of a serial killer, but no one was ever prosecuted for these crimes. The attacks took place in both Texarkana, Arkansas, and the twin city area in Texas.


Geography

Texarkana is located at the junction of Interstate 30 and US highways 59, 67, 71, and 82 in extreme northeast Texas on the Texas-Arkansas border, at (33.437170, –94.067394). It is bordered by the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, to the east, and by the smaller cities of Nash and Wake Village, Texas, to the west. It is in the Central Time Zone. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the Texas city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.39%, is covered by water. The city is roughly 180 miles northeast of
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
.


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) in 1989. * The most precipitation on average occurs in November. * A humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'') exists in the region. 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.


Demographics

According to the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...
, there were 36,193 people, 14,148 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. The population density was . 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 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,City of Texarkana 2009 CAFR
. Retrieved November 15, 2010
the top employers in the city 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.


Education


Public school districts

Schools in Texarkana, Texas, are under the jurisdiction of the Texarkana Independent School District, the Liberty-Eylau Independent, 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 A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior s ...
.


Religion

Texarkana is the headquarters of the theologically conservative American Baptist Association, whose Missionary Baptist churches are most numerous in Texas, Arkansas,
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.


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 A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of ...
is Bryan Hughes from District 1. State Representative Gary VanDeaver represents Texas House District 1. The
Texas Department of Criminal Justice The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jai ...
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; Texarkana is part of Texas's 4th congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican
Pat Fallon Patrick Edward Fallon (born December 19, 1967) is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he has been the U.S. representative for since 2021. He served the 30th district of the Texas Senate from 2019 to 2021. ...
. 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 James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
, 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.


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 Texarkana Union Station is a historic train station in the Texarkana metropolitan area serving Amtrak, the United States' national passenger rail system. The Arkansas-Texas border bisects the structure; the eastern part, including the waiting room ...
is located in downtown Texarkana along the state line, with Amtrak's '' Texas Eagle'' providing daily service east to
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
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. Interstate 30 passes through Texarkana on the north. Loop 151 on the west of the city forms part of the
Texarkana Loop The Loop is a beltway around Texarkana, TX and Texarkana, AR, which are twin cities in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Texas. Consisting of a section of Interstate 49 (I-49) in Arkansas, and Loop 151 and a section of I-369 and U.S ...
, 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.


Downtown murals

Across the Texarkana TX Arts & Historic District downtown, a colorful array of murals are for viewing. The murals have helped promote local talent and encouraged engagement from the community. Several murals have been used for social media and professional photos. File:Screenshot 20220606-085455 Facebook.jpg, alt=, Texarkana Kress murals File:Screenshot 20220606-090230 Facebook.jpg, alt=, Texarkana Scott Joplin mural File:Screenshot 20220606-090434 Facebook.jpg, alt=, Orchid Lady File:Screenshot 20220606-090055 Facebook.jpg, alt=, Texarkana Kress butterfly mural File:Screenshot 20220606-085156 Facebook.jpg, alt=, TXK mural File:Texarkana Mural.jpg, alt=, Texarkana balloon mural


Notable people

* Joe Anderson, NFL wide receiver * Miller Barber, golfer * Jesse Belvin, singer, pianist, and songwriter *
Footsie Blair Clarence Vick "Footsie" Blair (July 13, 1900 – July 1, 1982) was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played three seasons in the majors, from 1929 to 1931, for the Chicago Cubs. In a 246 game major league career, Blai ...
, (1900-1982) - was a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago Cubs. *
J.B. Bobo J. B. Bobo (11 February 1910 in Texarkana, Texas – 12 September 1996) was a magician most known for his work and writing in the arena of coin magic Coin magic is the manipulating of coins to entertain audiences. Money Magic, pp. 175-221. Becau ...
, magician * Ben M. Bogard, clergyman, founder of American Baptist Association in Texarkana in 1924 *
Willie Buchanon Willie James Buchanon (born November 4, 1950) is an American former football player who was a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He was defensive rookie of the year in 1972 and a t ...
, football player *
Melvin Bunch Melvin Lynn Bunch, Jr. (born November 4, 1971), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played parts of two seasons in the majors: with the Kansas City Royals and for the Seattle Mariners. He also played three seasons in Japan for the Chun ...
, baseball player * David Crowder, musician * Robert Ealey, electric blues singer * Carl Finch, musician, founder of Brave Combo * Corinne Griffith, silent-film actress * Harmonica Slim, blues harmonicist, singer, and songwriter * Rich Houston, football player *
V. E. Howard Verna Elisha Howard (September 29, 1911 – September 28, 2000), known as V. E. Howard, was an American minister and radio evangelist based in Texarkana, Texas, who founded the ''International Gospel Hour''. Family background Howard w ...
, clergyman who founded the ''International Gospel Hour'' and was the pastor of the Walnut Street Church of Christ in Texarkana *
LaMichael James LaMichael Keondrae "LaMike" James (born October 22, 1989) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Oregon and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. ...
, football player for the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
and Miami Dolphins * Brandon Jones, NFL wide receiver * Parnelli Jones, race car driver in International Motorsports Hall of Fame * 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 The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
*
Eddie Mathews Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931 – February 18, 2001) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman. He played 17 seasons for Boston / Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1952–1966); Houston Astros (1967) and Detroit Tigers (1967� ...
, baseball player in Hall of Fame *
Will Middlebrooks William Scott Middlebrooks (born September 9, 1988) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Boston Red Sox on May 2, 2012, and played with them through 2014. He also play ...
, baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers *
Craig Monroe Craig Keystone Monroe (nicknamed "C. Mo") (born February 27, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and current sportscaster. He played for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pira ...
, baseball player * Mac Morgan, opera singer * Dustin Moseley, baseball player * Ross Perot, businessman and politician * Charles B. Pierce, movie producer * Molly Quinn, actress *
John D. Raffaelli John D. Raffaelli is an American lobbyist born in Texarkana, Texas.Kim Eisler, He is the Founder and a partner in the Washington, DC, based lobbying firm Capitol Counsel LLC. Education Raffaelli holds a B.S. degree in business administration ...
, American lobbyist *
James Theodore Richmond James Theodore (Ted) Richmond also known as "Twilight Ted" (May 26, 1890 – December 3, 1975) was an American writer, conservationist, non-denominational preacher, and noted librarian. Background Richmond was born the second of five sons of a ...
, writer, conservationist * Bill Rogers, golfer * Dame Marjorie Morris Scardino, Pulitzer Prize-winning publisher and CEO of Pearson PLC *
Michael Jarboe Sheehan Michael Jarboe Sheehan (born July 9, 1939) is a retired American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the eleventh Archbishop of Santa Fe. He was the Bishop of Lubbock from 1983 to 1993. Early life and ministry Michael Sheehan was bor ...
, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe * Rod Smith, NFL player for Denver Broncos *
Drew Stubbs Robert Andrew Stubbs (born October 4, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Baltimore ...
, baseball player for the Colorado Rockies *
Marshall Terrill Marshall Terrill (born December 17, 1963, in Texarkana, Texas) is an American author and journalist. He is noted for biographies on Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Billy Graham and Pete Maravich. Early years: 1963-1982 Terrill is ...
, author *
Aysel Teymurzadeh Aysel Teymurzadeh ( az, Aysel Məhəmməd qızı Teymurzadə; born 25 April 1989, Baku) is an Azerbaijani pop and R&B singer. She has become well known after singing the song "Always" along with Arash during the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in ...
, singer, performer * Michael Trimble, opera singer, voice teacher *
Nathan Vasher Nathaniel DeWayne Vasher (born November 17, 1981) is a former American football cornerback who played seven seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Texas and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of ...
, football player *
Michael Wacha Michael Joseph Wacha (; born July 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. He pla ...
, baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals * Frank D. White, governor of Arkansas from 1981 to 1983 * Otis Williams, musician, founding member of The Temptations


Notes


References

*


External links


City of Texarkana, Texas portal

Texarkana Chamber of Commerce

Handbook of Texas Online: Texarkana, Texas

Texarkana Gazette

Texarkana Convention & Visitors Bureau
{{authority control . Cities in Bowie County, Texas Cities in Texarkana metropolitan area Cities in the Ark-La-Tex Texarkana, Texas Twin cities Cities in Texas