Texarkana is a city in

Bowie County, Texas Bowie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. Its legal county seat is Boston, though its courthouse is located in New Boston. As of the 2020 census, the population was 92,893. Bowie County is part of the Texarkana metropolitan s ...

, United States, in the

Ark-La-Tex The Ark-La-Tex (a portmanteau of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas; also stylized as Arklatex or ArkLaTex) is a socio-economic tri-state region where the Southern U.S. states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas join together. The region contains por ...

region. Located approximately from

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, Texarkana is a twin city with neighboring

Texarkana, Arkansas Texarkana is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Miller County, on the southwest border of the state. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 29,387. The city is located across the state line from its twin city ...

. 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 Miller County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,462. The county seat is Texarkana. Miller County is part of the Texarkana, TX-AR, Metropolitan Statisti ...

. 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 Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

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 Fulton is a town in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 201 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area. The community is named after steamboat inventor Robert Fulton. Geography Fulton is ...

to continue by rail. The Red River Bridge opened on March 20, 1874. Since then, trains have run directly from Texarkana to

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, Missouri. Keen rivalry existed between the 1870s railroad builders. The

Texas and Pacific Railroad 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 b ...

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 A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsTexas, 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 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 The Texarkana Moonlight Murders, a term coined by the contemporary press, was a series of four unsolved serial murders and related violent crimes committed in and around the Texarkana region of Arkansas and Texas in the late winter and sprin ...

. 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. Texarkana TX water tower

Geography

Texarkana is located at the junction of

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 ...

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 Wake Village is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Texarkana, Texas. It is part of the Texarkana metropolitan area. The population was 5,945 at the 2020 census. History Wake Village was founded in 1944 for the war ef ...

, to the west. It is in the

Central Time Zone The North American Central Time Zone (CT) is a time zone in parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, some Caribbean Islands, and part of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Central Standard Time (CST) is six hours behind Coordina ...

. 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 t ...

, 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

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 of ...

, 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 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 t ...

, 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 The Texas A&M University System is a state university system in Texas and is one of the state's six independent university systems. The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States, with a bu ...

, and to

Texarkana College Texarkana College is a public community college in Texarkana, Texas. History Texarkana College was formed in 1927, as a branch of the Texarkana Independent School District, which voted to proceed with plans for establishment of a community co ...

, 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 se ...

Religion

Texarkana is the headquarters of the theologically

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

American Baptist Association The American Baptist Association (ABA) is an Independent Baptist Christian denomination in United States. The headquarters is in Texarkana, Texas. The principal founder was Ben M. Bogard, a pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Little ...

, 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 borde ...

, Oklahoma, and

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

State government

Though the city was historically Democratic, Texarkana is currently represented by Republicans in both houses of the

Texas State Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...

. The state senator is

Bryan Hughes Bryan Hughes (born 19 June 1976) is an English football manager and former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder from 1994 to 2015, notably Premier League for Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic and Hull City as well as featuring ...

from District 1. State Representative

Gary VanDeaver Gary Wayne VanDeaver (born September 25, 1958) is an American politician serving as the state representative for the Texas House of Representatives' 1st district, which currently encompasses Bowie, Franklin, Lamar, and Red River counties in no ...

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 jails ...

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 John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Senate majority whip for ...

and

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...

; Texarkana is part of

Texas's 4th congressional district Texas's 4th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives is in an area of Northeast Texas, that includes some counties along the Red River northeast of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, as well as some outer eastern sub ...

, which is currently represented by Republican Pat Fallon. 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 John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

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, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

, on October 22, 1980. The

Federal Correctional Institution, Texarkana The Federal Correctional Institution, Texarkana (FCI Texarkana) is a low-security United States federal prison for male inmates in unincorporated Bowie County, Texas. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States ...

, is a

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...

facility in

unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...

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 The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

service to

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , also known as DFW Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas Region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Ai ...

. Texarkana Union Station is located in downtown Texarkana along the state line, with

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

's ''

Texas Eagle The ''Texas Eagle'' is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak between Chicago and San Antonio in the central and western United States. Prior to 1988, the train was known as the ''Eagle''. Trains #21 (southbound) and 22 (northbound) ...

'' 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 = Country , subdivision_name ...

and west to

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, continuing on to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

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, 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 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas st ...

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 Jesse Lorenzo Belvin (December 15, 1932 – February 6, 1960) was an American singer, pianist and songwriter popular in the 1950s. Belvin co-wrote the 1954 Penguins' doo-wop classic " Earth Angel", which sold more than 10 million copies, while h ...

, 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, Bla ...

, (1900-1982) - was a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago Cubs. * J.B. Bobo, magician * Ben M. Bogard,

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

man, founder of American Baptist Association in Texarkana in 1924 * Willie Buchanon, football player * Melvin Bunch, baseball player * David Crowder, musician *

Robert Ealey Robert Daniel Ealey (December 6, 1925 – March 8, 2001) was an American electric blues singing, singer, who performed Texas blues. Among other releases, he recorded a couple of albums for Black Top Records in the 1990s, having earlier forme ...

, electric blues singer *

Carl Finch Carl Finch (born November 29, 1951, in Texarkana, Texas) is a guitarist, keyboard player, accordionist, vocalist, songwriter and record producer who co-founded the Grammy-winning polka/dance band Brave Combo in 1979 in Denton, Texas. Career highl ...

, musician, founder of

Brave Combo Brave Combo is a polka/ rock/ worldbeat band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by guitarist/keyboardist/accordionist Carl Finch, they have been a prominent fixture in the Texas music scene for more than thirty-five years. Their music, bot ...

Corinne Griffith Corinne Griffith (née Griffin; November 21, 1894 – July 13, 1979) was an American film actress, producer, author and businesswoman. Dubbed "The Orchid Lady of the Screen," she was widely regarded as one of the most beautiful actresses of the ...

, silent-film actress * Harmonica Slim, blues harmonicist, singer, and songwriter *

Rich Houston Richard Charles Houston (November 16, 1945 – December 11, 1982) was an American football wide receiver who played five seasons with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth r ...

, football player * V. E. Howard, clergyman who founded the ''International Gospel Hour'' and was the pastor of the Walnut Street Church of Christ in Texarkana * LaMichael James, 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 National ...

and

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

* Brandon Jones, NFL wide receiver *

Parnelli Jones Rufus Parnell Jones (born August 12, 1933) is an American former professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race. In 1962, he became the ...

, race car driver in

International Motorsports Hall of Fame The International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) is a hall of fame located adjacent to the Talladega Superspeedway (formerly Alabama International Motor Speedway) located in Talladega County, east central Alabama. It enshrines those who have co ...

* Scott Joplin,

ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott J ...

music composer and pianist * Jeff Keith, lead singer of rock band Tesla *

Jarrion Lawson Jarrion Lawson (born May 6, 1994) is an American sprinter and long jumper. He placed third in the men's long jump at the 2012 World Junior Championships. Competing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, he won five individual NCAA championship titles and ...

, American sprinter and long jumper * Joshua Logan, film and stage director,

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

and Pulitzer Prize winner *

Ryan Mallett Ryan Mallett (born June 5, 1988) is a former American football quarterback who is currently the head football coach at White Hall High School in White Hall, Arkansas. He played college football at Arkansas, and was drafted by the New England P ...

, 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 it ...

* Eddie Mathews, baseball player in Hall of Fame * Will Middlebrooks, baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers * Craig Monroe, baseball player * Mac Morgan, opera singer * Dustin Moseley, baseball player * Ross Perot, businessman and politician * Charles B. Pierce, movie producer *

Molly Quinn Molly Caitlyn Quinn is an American actress who has worked in theatre, film, and television. Her roles include Alexis Castle, daughter of the title character on ABC's ''Castle'', and the voice of Bloom, one of the main characters in the Nickelod ...

, actress * John D. Raffaelli, American lobbyist * James Theodore Richmond, writer, conservationist * Bill Rogers, golfer * Dame Marjorie Morris Scardino, Pulitzer Prize-winning publisher and CEO of Pearson PLC * Michael Jarboe Sheehan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe * Rod Smith, NFL player for

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

* Drew Stubbs, baseball player for the Colorado Rockies * Marshall Terrill, author * Aysel Teymurzadeh, singer, performer * Michael Trimble, opera singer, voice teacher * Nathan Vasher, football player * Michael Wacha, baseball player for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

Frank D. White Frank Durward White (born Durward Frank Kyle Jr.; June 4, 1933 – May 21, 2003) was an American banker and politician who served as the 41st governor of Arkansas. He served a single two-year term from 1981 to 1983. Early years, family, ed ...

, 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