Panola County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Panola County
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The Panola County Courthouse in Carthage
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Location within the U.S. state of Texas
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 Texas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1846 |
| Seat | Carthage |
| Largest city | Carthage |
| Area | |
| • Total | 821 sq mi (2,130 km2) |
| • Land | 802 sq mi (2,080 km2) |
| • Water | 20 sq mi (50 km2) 2.4% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 22,491 |
| • Density | 27.395/sq mi (10.577/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Panola County is a county in the eastern part of Texas, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 22,491 people lived there. The main town and county seat is Carthage.
Panola County is known for its history with cotton farming. Its name comes from a Choctaw word that means "cotton."
Contents
History of Panola County
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Panola County was created in 1846. It was formed from parts of Harrison and Shelby counties. Jonathon Anderson, who moved from the United States, helped start the county. He gave almost 100 acres of land for it.
The county was named after a Choctaw/Chickasaw word for cotton. In the early years, large farms called plantations grew a lot of cotton. People were forced to work on these plantations. After the American Civil War, many people who had been forced to work became tenant farmers or sharecroppers. They rented land and paid with a share of their crops.
Geography of Panola County
Panola County covers a total area of about 821 square miles. Most of this area, about 802 square miles, is land. The remaining 20 square miles, or 2.4%, is covered by water.
Major roads and highways
Several important roads pass through Panola County:
U.S. Highway 59
Interstate 369 is being built and will mostly follow U.S. 59.
U.S. Highway 79
State Highway 43
State Highway 149
State Highway 315
Farm to Market Road 10
Farm to Market Road 31
Farm to Market Road 124
Farm to Market Road 1970
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Neighboring counties and parishes
Panola County shares borders with these other counties and parishes:
- Harrison County (to the north)
- Caddo Parish, Louisiana (to the northeast)
- De Soto Parish, Louisiana (to the east)
- Shelby County (to the south)
- Rusk County (to the west)
Communities in Panola County
Panola County has several towns and communities.
Cities in Panola County
- Beckville
- Carthage (This is the county seat, where the county government is located)
- Tatum (mostly in Rusk County)
Town in Panola County
Unincorporated communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or town:
- Grand Bluff
- Bethany (partly in Caddo Parish, LA)
- Clayton
- Corinth
- Deadwood
- DeBerry
- Galloway
- Long Branch
- Midyett
- Murvaul
- Panola
- Riderville
- Old Center
Ghost towns
These are places that used to be towns but are now abandoned:
- Center Point
- Freeman, Texas
- Grand Bluff
- Mineral Springs
- Pulaski
Population of Panola County
The population of Panola County has changed over the years. In 1850, there were 3,871 people. By 1900, the population grew to 21,404. In 2020, the county had 22,491 residents.
The people living in Panola County come from many different backgrounds. In 2020, about 71.58% of the people were White (not Hispanic or Latino). About 14.42% were Black or African American. About 9.74% of the population was Hispanic or Latino, who can be of any race.
Education in Panola County
Students in Panola County attend schools in several different school districts:
- Beckville ISD
- Carthage ISD
- Elysian Fields ISD (mostly in Harrison County)
- Gary ISD
- Joaquin ISD (mostly in Shelby County)
- Tatum ISD (mostly in Rusk County)
- Tenaha ISD (mostly in Shelby County)
Panola College is a junior college located in Carthage. It has been helping students learn since 1947. All of Panola County is served by Panola College.
Famous people from Panola County
- Tex Ritter, a famous country music singer, was born in Murvaul.
- Jim Reeves, another well-known country music singer, was born in Galloway.
Places to visit
- The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and Tex Ritter Museum are located in Carthage. You can learn about famous Texas country music artists there.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Panola (Texas) para niños
