Carthage, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carthage, Texas
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| City of Carthage | |
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The historic Hawthorn-Clabaugh-Patterson House is now used for offices of the Carthage Chamber of Commerce.
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| Motto(s):
"Country at its best!"
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Location of Carthage, Texas
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Panola |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.68 sq mi (27.67 km2) |
| • Land | 10.66 sq mi (27.61 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 299 ft (91 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,569 |
| • Density | 603.28/sq mi (232.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
75633
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| Area code(s) | 903 |
| FIPS code | 48-13108 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409400 |
Carthage is a city in Panola County, Texas. It is the main city, also known as the county seat, of Panola County. The city is located in eastern Texas, about 20 miles (32 km) from the Louisiana state line. In 2020, about 6,569 people lived there.
Contents
History of Carthage
Carthage was started in 1847. This was two years after Texas became part of the United States. During the American Civil War, many men from Carthage and Panola County fought for the Confederate side. However, an African-American man named Milton M. Holland, who was formerly enslaved, fought for the Union. He earned a special award called the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
The town of Carthage, Texas, was named after Carthage, Mississippi. That town was established earlier, in 1834.
After the Civil War, Carthage grew slowly at first. Farmers in the county grew a lot of cotton, corn, and sweet potatoes. The city began to grow faster in 1888. This was when a railroad, along with telegraph and telephone lines, reached Carthage.
During the Great Depression, a large natural gas field was found near Carthage. After World War II, this gas field became very important. It turned out to be the biggest in the United States at the time. This discovery helped the city grow a lot. The population jumped from about 1,300 people to 5,000. During this time, a new courthouse and a high school were built. In 1947, Panola College, a local college, was started in Carthage. A radio station, KGAS-AM 1590, also began broadcasting in 1955.
The city continued to grow, and in 1997, Panola General Hospital was built. Today, it has a 24-hour emergency room.
In 1998, the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame opened in Carthage. It honors famous country music artists who were born in Texas. The Tex Ritter Museum is also part of this hall of fame. Later that year, KGAS-FM started broadcasting country music in Carthage.
Geography and Climate
Carthage covers a total area of about 10.5 square miles (27.2 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part covered by water.
The weather in Carthage is known for its hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.
| Climate data for Carthage, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
90 (32) |
92 (33) |
93 (34) |
98 (37) |
103 (39) |
106 (41) |
108 (42) |
109 (43) |
95 (35) |
88 (31) |
85 (29) |
109 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.8 (13.8) |
61.4 (16.3) |
68.8 (20.4) |
76.0 (24.4) |
82.8 (28.2) |
89.3 (31.8) |
92.4 (33.6) |
93.1 (33.9) |
87.4 (30.8) |
78.0 (25.6) |
66.6 (19.2) |
58.9 (14.9) |
76.0 (24.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.5 (8.1) |
50.4 (10.2) |
57.5 (14.2) |
64.7 (18.2) |
72.8 (22.7) |
79.8 (26.6) |
82.8 (28.2) |
82.8 (28.2) |
76.7 (24.8) |
66.3 (19.1) |
55.6 (13.1) |
48.5 (9.2) |
65.4 (18.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.1 (2.3) |
39.5 (4.2) |
46.3 (7.9) |
53.5 (11.9) |
62.8 (17.1) |
70.3 (21.3) |
73.2 (22.9) |
72.5 (22.5) |
66.0 (18.9) |
54.5 (12.5) |
44.5 (6.9) |
38.2 (3.4) |
54.8 (12.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 5 (−15) |
4 (−16) |
18 (−8) |
28 (−2) |
39 (4) |
45 (7) |
55 (13) |
50 (10) |
38 (3) |
26 (−3) |
12 (−11) |
1 (−17) |
1 (−17) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.66 (118) |
4.23 (107) |
4.92 (125) |
4.72 (120) |
4.35 (110) |
4.04 (103) |
3.64 (92) |
3.44 (87) |
3.67 (93) |
4.54 (115) |
4.44 (113) |
5.63 (143) |
52.28 (1,328) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.3 (0.76) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.8 (2.0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 6.3 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 7.3 | 8.9 | 85.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Carthage (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 290 | — | |
| 1890 | 554 | 91.0% | |
| 1920 | 1,366 | — | |
| 1930 | 1,651 | 20.9% | |
| 1940 | 2,178 | 31.9% | |
| 1950 | 4,750 | 118.1% | |
| 1960 | 5,262 | 10.8% | |
| 1970 | 5,392 | 2.5% | |
| 1980 | 6,447 | 19.6% | |
| 1990 | 6,496 | 0.8% | |
| 2000 | 6,664 | 2.6% | |
| 2010 | 6,779 | 1.7% | |
| 2020 | 6,569 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Demographics is the study of a population's features, like age, race, and how many people live in households.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (NH) | 3,990 | 60.74% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,271 | 19.35% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 22 | 0.33% |
| Asian (NH) | 57 | 0.87% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 2 | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 9 | 0.14% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 208 | 3.17% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,010 | 15.38% |
| Total | 6,569 |
In 2020, there were 6,569 people living in Carthage. They lived in 2,550 households, and 1,739 of these were families.
In 2010, there were 6,779 people. About 29.8% of households had children under 18. About 14.8% of households had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household had 2.45 people.
The average age of people in Carthage was 35.9 years. About 24.6% of the population was under 18.
Culture and Arts
Carthage is home to the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. This museum celebrates famous country music artists from Texas. It also includes the Tex Ritter Museum. The Jim Reeves Memorial is located just outside Carthage. Both Jim Reeves and Tex Ritter were famous country music singers from nearby communities.
Education
All schools in Carthage are part of the Carthage Independent School District.
The city also has Panola College, which is a two-year community college. It is located next to Carthage City Hall. Panola College serves all of Panola County.
Media
Carthage has two local radio stations: KGAS 1590 AM and KGAS 104.3 FM. There is also a local newspaper called The Panola Watchman.
Notable People
- John Booty was an American football player.
- Jacke Davis was an American professional baseball player.
- Milton M. Holland was the first Texan to receive the Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War.
- Philip Humber was an American professional baseball player.
- Mildred Fay Jefferson was the first African-American woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School.
- Derek Wayne Johnson is an American film director.
- Margie Neal was a newspaper publisher and the first American woman elected to the Texas State Senate.
- Jim Reeves was a famous American country and popular music singer.
- Brandon Rhyder is an American country music singer.
- Tex Ritter was an American actor and a pioneer of American country music.
- Jack Boynton Strong was an American politician and lawyer.
Images for kids
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The Esquire Theater in Carthage hosts Country music on Saturday evenings.
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First State Bank and Trust Company in downtown Carthage
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Anderson Park is located in the center of downtown Carthage.
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Historical marker commemorating Colored Town, a black business section that had its prime from 1940 to 1965, from East Panola to Live Oak streets
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See also
In Spanish: Carthage (Texas) para niños
