Cass County, Texas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cass County
U.S. county
Cass County Courthouse in Linden
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1846
Named for	Lewis Cass
Seat	Linden
Largest city	Atlanta
Area
• Total	960 sq mi (2,500 km²)
• Land	937 sq mi (2,430 km²)
• Water	23 sq mi (60 km²) 2.4%%
Population (2020)
• Total	28,454
• Density	29.64/sq mi (11.44/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 28,454. The county seat is Linden. The county was named for United States Senator Lewis Cass (D-Michigan), who favored the U.S. annexation of Texas in the mid-19th century.

History
Geography
Communities
Demographics
Education
In popular culture
See also

History

Cass County was formed in 1846 from sections of Bowie County. It was named for Lewis Cass, a U.S. Senator from Michigan who had favored the annexation of Texas to the United States.

The county was originally developed by planters for cotton plantations. By 1860, the majority of the population were enslaved African Americans. After the war, freedmen worked largely as tenant farmers and sharecroppers into the early 20th century. Black residents faced violence and discrimination in Cass County, which was the location of nine lynchings, the fifth-highest total among Texas' 254 counties.

From 1861 to 1871, this county was known as Davis County, after Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America. (It should not be confused with the still extant Jeff Davis County in West Texas.)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 960 square miles (2,500 km²), of which 937 square miles (2,430 km²) is land and 23 square miles (60 km²) (2.4%) is water.

Cass County, Texas is one of only three counties in Texas to border two other U.S. states (the others are Bowie and Dallam counties). Cass County forms part of the tripoint of Texas-Arkansas-Louisiana.

Adjacent counties and parish

Major highways

U.S. Highway 59
- Interstate 369 is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places.
State Highway 8
State Highway 11
State Highway 77
State Highway 155
Farm to Market Road 248
Farm to Market Road 250

State protected area

Atlanta State Park

Communities

Cities

Atlanta
Hughes Springs (small part in Morris County)
Linden (county seat)
Queen City

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Almira
Antioch
Bryans Mill
Carterville
Cass
Cornett
Cusseta
Dalton
Fairview
Gum Springs
Huffins
Kildare
Lanark
Lanier
New Colony
Nickleberry
O'Farrell
Patman
Pruitt
Red Hill
Roach
Smyrna
Springdale
Three States (extends into Arkansas and Louisiana)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	4,991	—
1860	8,411	68.5%
1870	8,875	5.5%
1880	16,724	88.4%
1890	22,554	34.9%
1900	22,841	1.3%
1910	27,587	20.8%
1920	30,041	8.9%
1930	30,030	0.0%
1940	33,496	11.5%
1950	26,732	−20.2%
1960	23,496	−12.1%
1970	24,133	2.7%
1980	29,430	21.9%
1990	29,982	1.9%
2000	30,438	1.5%
2010	30,464	0.1%
2020	28,454	−6.6%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010–2020

**Demographic Profile of Cass County, Texas**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	23,522	21,028	77.21%	73.90%
Black or African American alone (NH)	5,299	4,518	17.39%	15.88%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	133	155	0.44%	0.54%
Asian alone (NH)	89	119	0.29%	0.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	4	10	0.01%	0.04%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	15	86	0.05%	0.30%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	349	1,202	1.15%	4.22%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,053	1,336	3.46%	4.70%
Total	30,464	28,454	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.

The 2020 U.S. census reported a population of 28,454 residents, down from 2010's 30,464. The racial makeup of the county in 2010 was 78.20% White, 19.47% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 1.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the population in 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 73.90% non-Hispanic white, 15.88% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.30% some other race, 4.22% multiracial, and 4.70% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.

In 2010, there were 12,190 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families; 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. The median income for a household in the county was $28,441, and the median income for a family was $35,623. Males had a median income of $30,906 versus $19,726 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,777. About 14.70% of families and 17.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.20% of those under age 18 and 17.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Cass County Club at East Texas State Normal College in 1921

The following school districts serve Cass County:

Atlanta ISD
Avinger ISD (small portion in Marion County)
Bloomburg ISD
Hughes Springs ISD (small portion in Morris County)
Linden-Kildare CISD
McLeod ISD
Pewitt CISD (mostly in Morris County, small portion in Titus County)
Queen City ISD

Marietta Independent School District was formerly in operation. It consolidated into Pewitt ISD in 2008.

The majority of Cass County is in the service area of Texarkana College. Areas in Avinger ISD, Hughes Springs ISD, and Pewitt CISD within Cass County are instead assigned to Northeast Texas Community College.

In popular culture

Don Henley named his 2015 album Cass County, as he had grown up here.

Cass County, Texas facts for kids

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