Harrison County, Texas facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Harrison County
U.S. county
Harrison County Courthouse in Marshall
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1842
Named for	Jonas Harrison
Seat	Marshall
Largest city	Marshall
Area
• Total	916 sq mi (2,370 km²)
• Land	900 sq mi (2,000 km²)
• Water	16 sq mi (40 km²) 1.7%%
Population (2020)
• Total	68,839
• Density	75/sq mi (29/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Harrison County is a county located on the eastern border of Texas. In 2020, about 68,839 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Marshall. The county was created in 1839 and officially started in 1842. It is named after Jonas Harrison, who was a lawyer and a leader in the Texas Revolution.

Before the Civil War, Harrison County was known for its large cotton farms. Many enslaved African Americans were forced to work on these farms. They made up a big part of the population. After the Civil War, African Americans continued to be a majority in the county for many years. However, they faced many challenges, including laws that made it hard for them to vote.

Later, many African Americans moved away from the South to find new jobs and escape unfair laws. Since the late 1900s, more white residents have moved into the county. Harrison County is part of the Marshall micropolitan area. This means it's a smaller city area that is also connected to the larger Longview-Marshall region. It is also part of the Ark-La-Tex area, where Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas meet.

History of Harrison County
- Early Settlement and Growth
- Changes After the Civil War
Geography and Nature
Towns and Communities
- Cities
- Unincorporated Communities
Population and People
Education in Harrison County
Politics
More to Explore
See also

History of Harrison County

Early Settlement and Growth

People from the United States began settling in what is now Harrison County in the 1830s. In 1835, the Mexican government gave land grants to these settlers. After the Texas Revolution, Harrison County was formed in 1839 from Shelby County. It was named after Jonas Harrison, a key figure in the revolution. The county officially began operating in 1842.

Old Harrison County Courthouse in Marshall lit at Christmas, 2005

In 1846, parts of Harrison County were used to create Panola and Upshur counties. The city of Marshall was founded in 1841. It became the county seat in 1842.

The area attracted many farmers from the Southern United States. They started large cotton farms and brought enslaved African Americans to work on them. East Texas, including Harrison County, had many cotton farms and a large enslaved population. By 1850, Harrison County had more enslaved people than any other county in Texas. In 1860, about 59% of the county's population, or 8,746 people, were enslaved.

In 1861, the county's voters, who were mostly white men, strongly supported leaving the United States.

Changes After the Civil War

After the Civil War ended, Harrison County was part of the area controlled by federal troops during a time called Reconstruction. Some white residents were unhappy with the changes, especially giving voting rights to formerly enslaved people. For a while, the county government included both white and Black officials.

By 1880, a group called the Citizen's Party gained control of the county government. They kept control for many years. This was partly because new state laws made it very difficult for African Americans to vote. White residents also used violence to maintain control. Harrison County had a high number of violent acts against African Americans during this time.

In the 1870s, the county's economy grew beyond farming. The Texas and Pacific Railway set up its main offices and repair shops in Marshall. This brought new jobs and helped transport cotton and other goods.

Even with new industries, Harrison County remained mostly a farming area until the 1930s. From 1880 to 1930, African Americans made up about 60% of the population. Many worked as tenant farmers, meaning they rented land to farm.

In 1901, new laws in Texas made it harder for African Americans to vote. These laws included poll taxes, which required people to pay to vote. These restrictions lasted until the 1960s, when new national laws protected voting rights.

Oil was discovered in the county in 1928, which helped the economy. However, the Great Depression in the 1930s greatly affected farming. World War II helped end the depression. From 1940 to 1970, many African Americans moved from the South to the West Coast. They sought new jobs in defense factories and to escape unfair laws.

The county's population decreased until 1980, when it started to grow again. More white residents have moved in, making them the majority. In recent years, many conservative white voters in Texas have joined the Republican Party.

Geography and Nature

Harrison County covers about 916 square miles. About 900 square miles are land, and 16 square miles (1.7%) are water. The northern and eastern parts of the county drain into the Red River in Louisiana. This happens through creeks like Little Cypress Creek, Cypress Bayou, and Caddo Lake. The southern part of the county drains into the Sabine River, which forms part of its southern border. These rivers and lakes were very important for travel in the past.

Neighboring Counties

Marion County (north)
Caddo Parish, Louisiana (east)
Panola County (south)
Rusk County (southwest)
Gregg County (west)
Upshur County (northwest)

Main Roads

I-20
Future I-369 / US 59
US 80
SH 43
SH 49
SH 154

Protected Natural Areas

Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Towns and Communities

Cities

Hallsville
Longview (mostly in Gregg County)
Marshall (county seat and largest city)
Scottsville
Uncertain
Waskom

Unincorporated Communities

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	11,822	—
1860	15,001	26.9%
1870	13,241	−11.7%
1880	25,177	90.1%
1890	26,721	6.1%
1900	31,878	19.3%
1910	37,243	16.8%
1920	43,565	17.0%
1930	48,937	12.3%
1940	50,900	4.0%
1950	47,745	−6.2%
1960	45,594	−4.5%
1970	44,841	−1.7%
1980	52,265	16.6%
1990	57,483	10.0%
2000	62,110	8.0%
2010	65,631	5.7%
2020	68,839	4.9%
2024 (est.)	71,370	8.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010–2020

**Harrison County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
*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 may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	43,044	42,654	42,039	69.30%	64.99%	61.07%
Black or African American alone (NH)	14,861	14,303	13,448	23.93%	21.79%	19.54%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	165	277	294	0.27%	0.42%	0.43%
Asian alone (NH)	186	331	483	0.30%	0.50%	0.70%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	21	26	28	0.03%	0.04%	0.04%
Other race alone (NH)	28	52	267	0.05%	0.08%	0.39%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	489	734	2,441	0.79%	1.12%	3.55%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	3,316	7,254	9,839	5.34%	11.05%	14.29%
Total	62,110	65,631	68,839	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

In 2000, the county had 62,110 people. There were 23,087 households and 16,945 families. The population density was about 69 people per square mile. By 2020, the population grew to 68,839.

In 2020, the population was made up of different groups. About 61.07% were non-Hispanic white. About 19.54% were Black or African American. About 14.29% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Other groups included Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and people of two or more races. This shows the county's population is becoming more diverse.

In 2018, the average household income was $51,202. About 14.7% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Education in Harrison County

Several school districts serve the students of Harrison County:

Elysian Fields ISD (also in Panola County)
Hallsville ISD
Harleton ISD
Karnack ISD
Marshall ISD
New Diana ISD (mostly in Upshur County)
Ore City ISD (mostly in Upshur County, some in Marion County)
Waskom ISD

Most of Harrison County is part of the service area for Panola College. However, the Hallsville ISD area is served by Kilgore Junior College.

Politics

The county is represented in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Chris Paddie. He used to be the mayor of Marshall.

United States presidential election results for Harrison County, Texas
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	22,658	74.92%	7,369	24.37%	216	0.71%
2020	21,466	72.23%	7,908	26.61%	343	1.15%
2016	18,749	70.62%	7,151	26.94%	648	2.44%
2012	17,512	66.92%	8,456	32.31%	202	0.77%
2008	17,103	65.38%	8,887	33.97%	168	0.64%
2004	16,473	62.82%	9,642	36.77%	108	0.41%
2000	13,834	60.23%	8,878	38.65%	258	1.12%
1996	9,835	45.42%	10,307	47.60%	1,513	6.99%
1992	8,733	38.50%	9,538	42.05%	4,412	19.45%
1988	11,957	56.18%	8,974	42.16%	354	1.66%
1984	12,618	61.52%	7,773	37.90%	118	0.58%
1980	9,328	53.32%	7,746	44.28%	419	2.40%
1976	7,787	49.79%	7,796	49.85%	56	0.36%
1972	9,600	68.28%	4,333	30.82%	127	0.90%
1968	3,668	26.29%	4,959	35.55%	5,324	38.16%
1964	5,568	46.67%	6,351	53.24%	11	0.09%
1960	4,613	46.39%	5,108	51.36%	224	2.25%
1956	5,048	64.76%	2,668	34.23%	79	1.01%
1952	4,708	51.01%	4,516	48.93%	5	0.05%
1948	946	16.93%	2,504	44.81%	2,138	38.26%
1944	619	12.36%	3,588	71.63%	802	16.01%
1940	681	13.11%	4,515	86.89%	0	0.00%
1936	302	8.14%	3,400	91.69%	6	0.16%
1932	528	11.47%	4,057	88.12%	19	0.41%
1928	1,776	46.69%	2,023	53.18%	5	0.13%
1924	463	14.19%	2,573	78.88%	226	6.93%
1920	377	11.85%	2,134	67.09%	670	21.06%
1916	172	10.64%	1,374	85.02%	70	4.33%
1912	140	9.70%	1,140	79.00%	163	11.30%