Bowie County, Texas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Bowie County
U.S. county
The Bowie County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1840
Named for	James Bowie
Seat	Boston (legal); New Boston (courthouse)
Largest city	Texarkana
Area
• Total	923 sq mi (2,390 km²)
• Land	885 sq mi (2,290 km²)
• Water	38 sq mi (100 km²) 4.1%
Population (2020)
• Total	92,893
• Density	100.64/sq mi (38.858/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 4th

Bowie County (/ˈbuːi/ BOO-ee) 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 statistical area. The county is named for James Bowie, the legendary knife fighter who died at the Battle of the Alamo.

History
- Native Americans
- Explorations and county established
Geography
- Major highways
- Adjacent counties
Demographics
Education
Notable people
Transportation
See also

History

Native Americans

The farming Caddoan Mississippian culture dates as early as the Late Archaic Period 1500 BCE in Bowie County. The Hernando de Soto expedition of 1541 resulted in violent encounters. Spanish and French missionaries brought a smallpox, measles malaria and influenza epidemics against which the Caddo had no immunity. Eventually, these issues and problems with the Osage, forced the Caddo to abandon their reservations. Settlers had peaceful relations with the 19th Century Shawnee, Delaware, and Kickapoo in the area.

Explorations and county established

French explorer Jean Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe founded the military fort Le Poste des Cadodaquious in 1719 . The fort remained in continuous use until 1770. The Red River Expedition of 1806 which passed through Bowie County, headed by Thomas Freeman and Dr. Peter Custis, was of great diplomatic and economic importance to President Thomas Jefferson. Bowie County was established in December 1840 and named for James Bowie, reduced to its present size in 1846. DeKalb was the temporary county seat, with Boston becoming the permanent county seat in 1841.

Bowie County in the years leading up to the American Civil War was settled mostly by Southerners who brought their slave labor system to work the cotton fields. By 1860, slaves outnumbered whites 2,651 to 2,401. The county voted 208-15 in favor of secession from the Union. While Bowie was never a battlefield in that war, it was nevertheless occupied during Reconstruction. Between 1860 and 1870 the population declined.

When the Texas and Pacific Railway was constructed through the county, a new town named Texarkana was founded.

Bowie was hit hard by the Great Depression like everywhere else. Measurable relief came late when the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant was established in 1942. The base was active until 2009. The Red River Army Depot, opened in 1941, remains active. The two installations occupied almost 40,000 acres (160 km²) and provided job opportunities for thousands.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 923 square miles (2,390 km²), of which 885 square miles (2,290 km²) is land and 38 square miles (98 km²) (4.1%) is water.

Major highways

I-30
I-49
I-369
US 59
US 67
US 71
US 82
US 259
SH 14
FM 44
SH 93
SH 151
FM 558
FM 559
FM 989
FM 1397
FM 2148

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	2,912	—
1860	5,052	73.5%
1870	4,684	−7.3%
1880	10,965	134.1%
1890	20,267	84.8%
1900	26,676	31.6%
1910	34,827	30.6%
1920	39,472	13.3%
1930	48,563	23.0%
1940	50,208	3.4%
1950	61,966	23.4%
1960	59,971	−3.2%
1970	67,813	13.1%
1980	75,301	11.0%
1990	81,665	8.5%
2000	89,306	9.4%
2010	92,565	3.6%
2020	92,893	0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010–2020

**Demographic Profile of Bowie County, Texas**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	61,343	55,855	66.27%	60.13%
Black or African American alone (NH)	22,230	23,084	24.02%	24.85%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	572	554	0.62%	0.60%
Asian alone (NH)	721	1,082	0.78%	1.16%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	45	69	0.05%	0.07%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	88	332	0.10%	0.36%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	1,504	4,315	1.62%	4.65%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	6,062	7,602	6.55%	8.18%
Total	92,565	92,893	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.

At of the census of 2000, 89,306 people, 33,058 households, and 23,438 families resided in the county. The population density was 101 inhabitants per square mile (39/km²). The 36,463 housing units averaged 41 units per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 73.26% White, 23.42% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. About 4.47% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2020, its population increased to 92,893; the racial and ethnic makeup of the county transitioned to 60.13% non-Hispanic white, 24.85% Black or African American, 0.60% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.16% Asian alone, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 0.36% some other race or ethnicity, 4.65% multiracial, and 8.18% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.

Education

These school districts serve Bowie County:

De Kalb ISD
Hooks ISD
Hubbard ISD
Leary ISD
Liberty-Eylau ISD
Malta ISD
Maud ISD

New Boston ISD
Pleasant Grove ISD
Red Lick ISD
Redwater ISD
Simms ISD
Texarkana ISD

All of Bowie County is in the service area and taxation area of Texarkana College.

Notable people

Jean Baptiste Brevelle (1698-1754), early 18th century explorer, trader and soldier of Fort Saint Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches and Le Poste des Cadodaquious, the first European settlement in the county. Namesake of nearby Brevelle Lake.