Franklin County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 10,359. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

History

Franklin County was erected and established in 1875, four decades after the independence of Texas, from land ceded by neighboring Titus County. Although the origin of the county's name is not recorded, it is generally believed to have been named after Judge Benjamin C. Franklin, the first appointed justice in the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Me ...

. There are two historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County. Franklin County was one of the last 30 prohibition, or entirely dry, counties in the state of Texas. Citizens of its

, voted to allow beer and wine sales, both on and off premises in May 2013.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.5%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate 30 Interstate 30 (I-30) is a Interstate Highway in the southern states of Texas and Arkansas in the United States. I-30 travels from I-20 west of Fort Worth, Texas, northeast via Dallas, and Texarkana, Texas, to I-40 in North Little Rock, A ...

* U.S. Highway 67 * U.S. Highway 271 * State Highway 11 * State Highway 37

Adjacent counties

* Red River County (north) * Titus County (east) * Camp County (southeast) * Wood County (south) * Hopkins County (west) * Delta County (northwest)

Communities

City

* Winnsboro (mostly in Wood County)

Town

(county seat)

Unincorporated communities

* Clearwater *

Cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the l ...

* Daphne * Eureka * Hagansport * Hopewell * Lakeview * Macon * Majors * New Hope * Purley * Scroggins

Demographics

''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.'' At the

2000 U.S. census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

, there were 9,458 people, 3,754 households, and 2,732 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 33 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 5,132 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.19%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 3.94%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.63% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 5.14% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 8.90% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. In 2020, the population was 10,359 and its racial and ethnic makeup was 76.03%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Am ...

, 3.80% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.59% some other race, 4.44% multiracial, and 14.05% Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $31,955, and the median income for a family was $37,064. Males had a median income of $28,806 versus $19,361 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $17,563. About 12.50% of families and 15.60% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 21.20% of those under age 18 and 12.30% of those age 65 or over. The median household income at the 2020 census increased to $59,632; the mean income was $82,203.

Economy

According to a study ordered by the Mount Vernon Economic Development Corporation in 2013, the local retail trade area population is 12,771 people. The county has 720 homes valued at $200,000 or more, 70 homes of $500,000 or more, and 72 homes valued at more than $1,000,000. Most of these homes are centered on

Lake Cypress Springs Lake Cypress Springs is a reservoir in northeast Texas, approximately east of Dallas, Texas. The lake is used for recreational, municipal, and industrial purposes. The lake is regularly monitored by a lake patrol, which enforces wake zones, ...

, which was twice voted the Most Beautiful Lake in Texas by the readers of Dallas' "D" magazine (2005, 2010). The lake is located about 10 miles south of Mount Vernon. The EDC study determined the average sale price of lakefront property on Lake Cypress Springs (2012) was $484,000, with 91 percent of the 1,400 water-front homes being second residences. This concentration of second residences causes the population of the county to increase between 3,000 and 8,000 people on weekends and during holidays, according to estimates by the Franklin County Water District, which oversees the lake and its visitors.

Education

The following school districts serve Franklin County: * Mount Vernon ISD * Rivercrest ISD (partly in Red River, Titus counties) * Saltillo ISD (mostly in Hopkins County) * Sulphur Bluff ISD (mostly in Hopkins County) * Winnsboro ISD (mostly in Wood County, small portion in Hopkins County)

Politics

Franklin County is represented in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...

by the Republican Gary VanDeaver of New Boston, Texas (Tx.HR Dist. 1). They are represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bryan Hughes of Mineola, Texas (Tx. Sen. Dist. 1). They are part of the Fourth Congressional District of Texas, represented by Republican U.S. Congressman

John Ratcliffe John Ratcliffe or John Ratcliff may refer to: Politicians *John Ratcliffe (American politician), former Director of National Intelligence, former congressman in Texas' 4th Congressional District, and former U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of ...

of Rockwall, Texas, from 2005 to 2020.

References

External links

Franklin County government's website

Franklin County Genealogical Society
* {{authority control Populated places established in 1875 1875 establishments in Texas