Cherokee County, Texas
Encyclopedia
As of the census
of 2000, there were 46,659 people, 16,651 households, and 12,105 families residing in the county. The population density
was 44 people per square mile (17/km²). There were 19,173 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.34% White
, 15.96% Black
or African American
, 0.47% Native American
, 0.40% Asian
, 0.06% Pacific Islander
, 7.43% from other races
, and 1.34% from two or more races. 13.24% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 16,651 households out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples
living together, 12.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.30% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,313, and the median income for a family was $34,750. Males had a median income of $26,410 versus $19,788 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $13,980. About 13.70% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over.
group of the Caddo
tribe built a village in the area about 800 A.D.
and continued to live in the area until the 1830s, when they migrated to the Brazos River. The Federal Government moved them to the Brazos Indian Reservation in 1855 and later to Oklahoma.
The Cherokee
s, Delaware
, Shawnee
, and Kickapoo, began settling in the area circa 1820. The Cherokee tried unsuccessfully to gain a grant to their own land from the Mexican
government. Sam Houston
, adopted son of Chief Oolooteka (John Jolly
) of the Cherokee, negotiated the January 14, 1836 treaty between Chief Bowl
of the Cherokees and the Republic of Texas
.
On December 16, 1837, the Texas Senate declared the treaty null and void,
and continued further encroachment of Cherokee lands. On October 5, 1838, Indians massacred members of the Isaac Killough family
at their farm northwest of the site of present Jacksonville, leading to the Cherokee War of 1839 and the expulsion of all Indians from the county.
and Father Damián Massanet explored the area on behalf of Spain
in 1691. Louis Juchereau de St. Denis
began trading with the Hasinais in 1705. Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas Mission was originally established in 1690 but was re-established in 1716 by Captain Domingo Ramon. It was abandoned again because of French incursions and re-established in 1721 by the Marques de San Miguel de Aguyao.
In 1826, empresario David G. Burnet
received a grant from the Coahuila y Tejas
legislature to settle 300 families. then. The settlers were mostly from the southern states and brought with that lifestyle with them. By contracting how many families each grantee could settle, the government sought to have some control over colonization.
in 1846. It was organized the same year. Rusk
became the county seat.
Cherokee County voted in favor of secession from the Union.
In 1872, the International – Great Northern Railroad caused Jacksonville
to relocate two miles east to be near the tracks. The Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railway built north-to-south through the county between 1882-1885. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad
in 1905, and the Texas State Railroad
in 1910 both gave rise to new county towns along their tracks.
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 46,659 people, 16,651 households, and 12,105 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 44 people per square mile (17/km²). There were 19,173 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.34% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 15.96% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.47% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.40% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.06% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 7.43% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.34% from two or more races. 13.24% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 16,651 households out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.30% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,313, and the median income for a family was $34,750. Males had a median income of $26,410 versus $19,788 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $13,980. About 13.70% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over.
Native Americans
The HasinaiHasinai
The Hasinai Confederacy was a large confederation of Caddo-speaking Native Americans located between the Sabine and Trinity rivers in eastern Texas...
group of the Caddo
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
tribe built a village in the area about 800 A.D.
and continued to live in the area until the 1830s, when they migrated to the Brazos River. The Federal Government moved them to the Brazos Indian Reservation in 1855 and later to Oklahoma.
The Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
s, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
, and Kickapoo, began settling in the area circa 1820. The Cherokee tried unsuccessfully to gain a grant to their own land from the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
government. Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
, adopted son of Chief Oolooteka (John Jolly
John Jolly
John Jolly, ; , was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation—West when the 1828 constitution was adopted...
) of the Cherokee, negotiated the January 14, 1836 treaty between Chief Bowl
The Bowl (Cherokee chief)
The Bowl was one of the leaders of the Chickamauga Cherokee under Dragging Canoe who fought against the United States of America during the Chickamauga wars...
of the Cherokees and the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
.
On December 16, 1837, the Texas Senate declared the treaty null and void,
and continued further encroachment of Cherokee lands. On October 5, 1838, Indians massacred members of the Isaac Killough family
at their farm northwest of the site of present Jacksonville, leading to the Cherokee War of 1839 and the expulsion of all Indians from the county.
Early exploration and settlers
Domingo Terán de los RíosDomingo Terán de los Ríos
Domingo Terán de los Ríos served as the first governor of Spanish Texas from 1691 to 1692.-Previous service:Terán served the Spanish crown in Peru for two decades. He came to Mexico in 1681, and was governor of the province of Sonora y Sinaloa for approximately five years...
and Father Damián Massanet explored the area on behalf of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1691. Louis Juchereau de St. Denis
Louis Juchereau de St. Denis
Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis was born in Beauport, New France to Nicolas Juchereau and Marie Thérèse Giffard, the eleventh of twelve children. He was the grandson of Robert Giffard de Moncel, a surgeon who became a nobleman of New France. St...
began trading with the Hasinais in 1705. Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas Mission was originally established in 1690 but was re-established in 1716 by Captain Domingo Ramon. It was abandoned again because of French incursions and re-established in 1721 by the Marques de San Miguel de Aguyao.
In 1826, empresario David G. Burnet
David G. Burnet
David Gouverneur Burnet was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas , second Vice President of the Republic of Texas , and Secretary of State for the new state of Texas after it was annexed to the United States of America.Burnet was born in Newark,...
received a grant from the Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.It had two capitals: first Saltillo, and then Monclova...
legislature to settle 300 families. then. The settlers were mostly from the southern states and brought with that lifestyle with them. By contracting how many families each grantee could settle, the government sought to have some control over colonization.
County established and growth
Cherokee County was formed from Nacogdoches CountyNacogdoches County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 59,203 people, 22,006 households, and 14,039 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile . There were 25,051 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
in 1846. It was organized the same year. Rusk
Rusk, Texas
Rusk is a city in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,085 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cherokee County.-Geography:Rusk is located at ....
became the county seat.
Cherokee County voted in favor of secession from the Union.
In 1872, the International – Great Northern Railroad caused Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
to relocate two miles east to be near the tracks. The Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railway built north-to-south through the county between 1882-1885. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad
Texas and New Orleans Railroad
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad is a former railroad in Texas and Louisiana. At one point the company was the largest railroad in Texas, with of trackage in 1934, but by 1961 there were only remaining when it was merged with parent company Southern Pacific....
in 1905, and the Texas State Railroad
Texas State Railroad
The Texas State Railroad is a historic 25-mile railroad between Rusk and Palestine, Texas. The start of the railroad dates back to 1881. Its original purpose was to bring in raw materials for a prison iron foundry and to take the finished product out. The railroad grew and eventually expanded to...
in 1910 both gave rise to new county towns along their tracks.
Cities and towns
|
Gallatin, Texas Gallatin is a city in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 378 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gallatin is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.... Jacksonville, Texas Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical... New Summerfield, Texas New Summerfield is a city in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 998 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Summerfield is located at .... Reese, Texas Reese is an unincorporated rural community in Cherokee County, Texas, United States, situated in the East Texas region. Its population was last estimated at 75 , but no current U.S. Census data is available.-Geography and topography:... |
Reklaw, Texas Reklaw is a city in Cherokee and Rusk Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 327 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Reklaw is located at .... (partially in Rusk County Rusk County, Texas As of the census of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile... ) Rusk, Texas Rusk is a city in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,085 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cherokee County.-Geography:Rusk is located at .... Troup, Texas Troup is a city in Cherokee and Smith Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 1,949 at the 2000 census. Troup is the 2nd community to legalize Beer, Wine, and Liquor for retail sale in Smith County since 1939, just 2nd to Winona, that legalized back in 2010.Troup lies in two... (partially in Smith County Smith County, Texas As of the census of 2000, there were 174,706 people, 65,692 households, and 46,904 families residing in the county. The population density was 188 people per square mile . There were 71,701 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile... ) Wells, Texas Wells is a town in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 769 at the 2000 census.Wells is served by the 75976 Zip Code and 936 Area Code.-Geography:Wells is located at .... |
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Cherokee County, Texas
- Chuck HopsonChuck HopsonCharles L. Hopson, II, known as Chuck Hopson , is a pharmacist and businessman in Jacksonville, Texas, who has been since 2001 a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 11, which includes Cherokee, Houston, Panola and Rusk counties in the northeastern portion of his...
, Texas state representative from Cherokee County
External links
- Cherokee County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of TexasUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
- Historic Cherokee County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
- Cherokee County Sons of Confederate Veterans