Atlanta, Texas

Atlanta is a city in Cass County, northeastern Texas, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the city had a population of 5,675, which decreased to 5,433 as of 2020.

History

Atlanta was established in 1872 with the building of the Texas and Pacific Railway and was named for Atlanta, Georgia, former home of many early settlers; a post office was opened that same year. Atlanta, Texas, is now the second-largest Atlanta in the nation. Other "Atlantas" exist in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and elsewhere. Atlanta, Texas, is known as "Hometown, USA".

By 1885, the community had 1,500 residents, who had founded three White and two Black churches, two schools, a bank, several sawmills, a number of general stores, and a weekly newspaper, the ''Citizens' Journal.'' Lumbering was the chief industry. The lumber boom reached its peak around 1890, when the population was 1,764. When the community was incorporated in 1929, it had 1,900 residents and 105 businesses.

The onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s forced many businesses to close, and in 1936, Atlanta had 85 rated businesses. The opening of the Rodessa oilfield in 1935, however, helped mitigate the worst effects of the Depression. By 1940, the town had modern canneries, lumber mills, wholesale houses, a brick plant, a hospital, and a population of 2,453. Subsequently, Atlanta grew steadily, topping the 4,000 mark for the first time in the early 1960s. In 1990, its population was 6,118. By 2000, the population had dropped to 5,745. Principal industries include farming, forestry, oil, and tourism.

Geography

Atlanta is the largest city in Cass County and is located in eastern Cass County. It is bordered to the north by Queen City.

U.S. Route 59 bypasses the city to the west, leading north to Texarkana and southwest to Linden. Texas State Highway 77 passes through the southern side of the city, leading southeast to the Louisiana border and northwest to Douglassville. Texas State Highway 43 passes through the center of Atlanta and leads south to Marshall.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Atlanta has a total area of , of which , or 1.19%, is covered by water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, 5,433 people, 2,118 households, and 1,466 families were residing in the city.

As of the 2010 census 5,745 people, 2,254 households, and 1,571 families were living in the city. The population density was . The 2,556 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 68.13% White, 29.23% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.72% of the population.

Of the 2,254 households, 32.9% had children under t18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were not families. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the age distribution was 27.0% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 74.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,188, and for a family was $32,679. Males had a median income of $29,286 versus $19,715 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,013. About 19.0% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.4% of those under 18 and 19.4% of those 65 or over.

Education

Most of Atlanta is served by the Atlanta Independent School District, which operates Atlanta High School. The remainder is zoned to Queen City Independent School District,
2010 map
/ref> which operates Queen City High School.

Atlanta is also served by Texarkana College (the majority of Cass County, including Atlanta ISD and Queen City ISD, is in the college's service area).Texas Education Code, "Sec. 130.203. TEXARKANA COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA."
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Texas A&M-Texarkana is in the area.

Notable people

* Derrick Blaylock, former National Football League (NFL) player
* Tony Buzbee, Texas attorney
* Susanna Clark, artist and country/folk songwriter, was born in Atlanta.
* Bessie Coleman (1892–1926), civil aviator
* Ellen DeGeneres, talk show host and comedian
* Phil Epps, former NFL player
* Tracy Lawrence, country musician
* Andrea Lee, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
* Gordon McLendon, pioneer of American commercial broadcasting
* Slim Richey (1938–2015), musician, was born in Atlanta.
* Max Sandlin is a former Democratic congressman.
* Joseph Strickland, former Roman Catholic bishop
* Drew Stubbs, baseball player
* Nat Stuckey, American country singer
* Ted Thompson, former general manager of the Green Bay Packers

References

External links

AtlantaTexas.org
- City website by the Atlanta City Development Corporation..

Texas State Historical Association
- Atlanta, TX information

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Cities in Texas
Cities in Cass County, Texas
Cities in the Ark-La-Tex
Populated places established in 1871
1871 establishments in Texas