Marshall, Texas
Encyclopedia
Marshall is a city
in Harrison County
in the northeastern
corner of Texas
. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas
and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523. The city is the county seat
of Harrison County
.
Marshall was a political and production center of the Confederacy
during the Civil War and was a major railroad center of the T&P Railroad
from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century. The city's large African American
population and the presence of black institutions of higher learning made Marshall a center of the civil rights movement
in the American South
. The city is known for holding one of the largest light festivals in the United States, the Wonderland of Lights
, and, as the self-proclaimed Pottery Capital of the World, for its sizable pottery
industry.
Marshall is also referred to by various nicknames; the Cultural Capital of East Texas, the Gateway of Texas, the Athens of Texas the City of Seven Flags and Center Stage, a branding slogan adopted by the Marshall Convention and Visitors Bureau.
On January 18, 2010, Dr. John Tennison, a San Antonio physician and musicologist presented to a group of Marshall citizens the findings of his research into the origins of Boogie Woogie music. He concludes that the music first developed in the Marshall area in the early 1870s in close connection with the T&P Railroad and the logging industry. On May 13, 2010, the Marshall City Commission unanimously passed an ordinance declaring Marshall to be "the Birthplace of Boogie Woogie."
since the county was established in 1839, and was incorporated in 1843. The Republic of Texas
decided to choose the site of land granted by Peter Whetstone
and Isaac Van Zandt
after Whetstone had proven that the hilly location had a good water source. The city quickly became a major city in the state because of its position as a gateway to Texas on several major stage coach lines. The establishment of several "colleges"—schools offering little more than secondary education—earned Marshall the nickname the Athens of Texas, in reference to the ancient Greek city state. The city's growing importance was confirmed when Marshall was linked by a telegraph
line to New Orleans
, becoming the first city in Texas to have a telegraph service.
By 1860, the city was the fourth largest city in Texas
and the seat of the richest county. The county had more slave
s than any other in the state, making it a hotbed of anti-Union
sentiment, though some residents of Marshall nonetheless fought for the North. For example, brothers Lionel and Emmanuel Kahn, Jewish merchants in Marshall, fought on opposing sides in the conflict. When Gov. Sam Houston
refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Marshall's Edward Clark
was sworn in as governor. Marshall would also produce Texas's third Confederate
governor, Pendleton Murrah
. Marshall became a major Confederate city; producing gunpowder
and other supplies for the Confederate Army
, and hosting three conferences of Trans-Mississippi
and Indian Territory
leaders. The city also became the capital of Missouri
's Confederate government-in-exile, earning it the nickname the City of Seven Flags—a nod to the flag of Missouri
in addition to the other six flags that have flown over the city.
Marshall became the seat of civil authority and headquarters of the Trans-Mississippi Postal Department after the fall of Vicksburg
. The city may have been the intended target of a failed Union advance that was rebuffed at Mansfield, Louisiana
. Towards the end of the Civil War
, the Confederate States government had $9.0 million in Treasury notes and $3.0 million in postage stamp
s shipped to Marshall, possibly meaning that Marshall was the intended destination of a government preparing to flee from advancing armies.
Marshall was occupied by Union forces on June 17, 1865. During Reconstruction the city was home to an office of the Freedmen's Bureau and was the base for Union troops. In 1873 The Methodist Episcopal Church
founded Wiley College
to educate free men. African-Americans came to the city seeking opportunities and protection until 1878, when the Citizens Party, led by former Confederate General Walter P. Lane
and his brother George, took control of the city and county governments and ran Unionists, Republicans and many African-Americans out of town. The Lanes ultimately declared Marshall and Harrison County "redeemed" from Union and African-American control. Despite this the African-American community would continue to progress with the establishment of Bishop College
in 1881 and the certification of Wiley by the Freedman's Aid Society
in 1882.
Marshall's "Railroad Era" began in the early 1870s. Harrison County citizens voted to offer $300,000 bond subsidy, and the City of Marshall offered to donate land north of the downtown to the Texas and Pacific Railway
if the company would move to Marshall. T&P President Jay Gould
accepted and located the T&P's workshops and general offices for Texas
in Marshall. The city benefited immediately from a population explosion. By 1880 the city was one of the South's largest cotton
markets. The city's new prosperity became apparent with the opening of J. Weisman and Co., the first department store
in Texas, and with the installation of a single lightbulb in the Texas and Pacific Depot, Marshall became the first city in Texas to have electricity. Prosperity brought out elements which led to some nationally known crimes being tried in the city, including the trials for the attempted murder of Maurice Barrymore
. During this period of wealth, many of the city's now historic homes were constructed. The city's most prominent industry, pottery manufacturing, began with the establishment of Marshall Pottery
in 1895.
Despite the prosperity of the railroad era, poverty continued to be a problem in the city among all races, but tensions between whites and African-Americans continued to worsen as segregation crystallized in the city. The rural areas of Harrison County
saw greater interaction between white people and African-Americans. There, whites and blacks being neighbors was commonplace. Even though the areas surrounding Marshall were somewhat integrated, racism
was still apparent in everyday life. The fact that several plantation
owners divided up sizable tracts of land and gave them to their former slaves may also have contributed to these tensions.
Natural gas
arrived in the city from a field on Caddo Lake
in 1909. Under the leadership of John L. Lancaster
, the Texas and Pacific Railway experienced its height during the first half of the 20th century, Marshall's ceramics industry expanded to the point that the city began to be called the "Pottery Capital of the World." Marshall's industry received a boost with the discovery of what was then the largest oil field in the world at nearby Kilgore
in 1930. Small landmarks of progress, such as the first student at Marshall High School to have a car, Lady Bird Johnson
, excited the working class and poor. These small notes of progress would pale in comparison to the coming civil rights movement.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries children of both races had been raised to accept the status quo
of racial segregation
. African-American Marshall resident George Dawson
later wrote about his childhood experiences with segregation in his book Life Is So Good. He described how, despite African-American children's acceptance of segregation, in some instances its demands were too outrageous to follow. For example, Dawson described how he had refused the demand of one employer who expected him to eat with her dogs. Other racist tactics were more overt; between October 1903 and August 1917 at least twelve people were lynched. Not all instances of lynching were reported by authorities, so the number the number is likely an undercount.
In the early and mid 20th century Marshall's traditionally black colleges
were thriving intellectual and cultural centers. Three major civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and later Jesse Jackson
attended Bishop College
while James L. Farmer Jr. went to Wiley College
, and Texas's member of the Harlem Renaissance
, Melvin B. Tolson
, wrote while teaching at Wiley.
With the increasing success of Wiley and Bishop, Marshall developed as one of the hearths of the civil rights movement, spurring key court challenges to Jim Crow
on a national and state level. In 1950, the Marshall Board of Censors banned the movie Pinky from the city because it portrayed an interracial couple. The theater manager was convicted of a misdemeanor for showing the film and the case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court
, which overturned the conviction.
Inspired by the teachings of professors, such as Melvin B. Tolson, students and former students of the colleges mobilized to challenge and dismantle Jim Crow. Fred Lewis, as the secretary of the Harrison County
NAACP, challenged the oldest White Citizens Party in Texas and the laws it enforced; ultimately abolishing Jim Crow in the county with the Perry v. Cyphers
verdict. Heman Sweatt, a Wiley graduate, tried to enroll in the University of Texas at Austin
Law school
, but was denied entry because of the color of his skin; he then sued and the Texas Supreme Court
ordered the desegregation of postgraduate studies in Texas in the Sweatt v. Painter
decision. James L. Farmer Jr., another Wiley graduate, became an organizer of the Freedom Rides and a founder of the Congress of Racial Equality
.
would continue into the 1960s, 70s and 80s. In the 1960s, students organized the first sit-in
s in Texas in the rotunda
of the county courthouse on Whetstone Square in a move to end segregation of public schools; in 1970, all Marshall public schools were integrated. Also in that year, Carolyn Abney became the first woman to be elected to the city commission. In April 1975 local businessman Sam Birmingham became the first African-American to be elected to the city commission and, in the 1980s, Marshall's first African-American mayor
. Birmingham retired in 1989 for health concerns and was succeeded by his wife, Jean Birmingham, who became the first African-American woman to serve on the commission.
Marshall's railroad industry subsequently declined with the conversion of most trains to diesel fuel, the proliferation of air travel, and the construction of the Interstate highway system after World War II
. The T&P Shops closed in the 1960s and T&P passenger service ceased in 1970. The Texas oil bust of the 1980s devastated the local economy and the city's population declined by about a thousand between 1980 and 1990.
During the mid-20th century the city lost many of its landmarks. Some buildings were demolished because their owners disregarded their historic importance and preferred “modern” structures, others were demolished
because their owners felt they could no longer afford to maintain them. By 1990, Marshall's opera house, the Missouri Capitol, the Moses Montefiore Synagogue, the original Viaduct, the Capitol Hotel, and the campus of Bishop College (including the Wyalucing plantation house) had been demolished. In the 1970s the city began to look at the preservation
efforts of nearby Jefferson
, increasingly developing a preservationist trend throughout the remainder of the 20th century.
Due to newly completed construction projects, the city was one of ten designated an All American City
in 1976 by the National Civic League
. In 1978, then Taipei
mayor, Lee Teng-Hui
, and Marshall mayor, William Q. Burns, signed legislation recognizing Marshall as a sister city with the much larger Taipei. During this period Bill Moyers
won an Emmy
for his documentary Marshall, Texas: Marshall, Texas chronicling the history of race relations in the city. Despite these instance of national and international attention the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s where largely a period of social and economic decline, as the city was surpassed in population and economic clout by its younger rival Longview
.
The city began to concentrate on diversifying its economy in the 1980s and 1990s, with tourism emerging as an increasingly important area of the city’s economy. Two new festivals joined the longstanding Stagecoach Days, the Fire Ant Festival and the Wonderland of Lights
. The Fire Ant Festival gained national attention through television features on shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show
, but it was the Wonderland of Lights that by far became the most popular—growing to become one of the largest light festivals in the United States. By 2000, the Wonderland of Lights had become such a part of the cityscape that the lighted dome of the Old Courthouse had become the most recognizable symbol of the city. 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the famed Wonderland of Lights festival and the City expects more than 200,000 visitors during the event's 40 day run beginning with the official lighting ceremony on November 23, 2011.
The first decade of the 21st century saw moderate economic growth and a renaissance of the downtown. By 2005, the Joe Weisman & Company building, the T&P Depot, the former Hotel Marshall (now known as "The Marshall"), and the former Harrison County Courthouse were either restored or under restoration. Restaurants, boutiques, and loft apartments infused the downtown economy and saved historic structures in decline. Many historic homes outside of downtown continue to deteriorate and some structures in moderate condition were approved for demolition for replacement by prefabricated or tin structures. The square has become quite busy again, with few empty buildings. However, lack of funding and manpower has slowed movement on demolition and salvage of historic homes.
The Sam B. Hall, Jr. Federal Courthouse became one of the busiest courthouses in the country, the venue for such cases as the Democratic challenge to the 2003 redistricting
of Texas and the TiVo
suit of EchoStar
over DVR
patent rights.
An unusual number of patent
lawsuits are being filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
which includes Marshall, Tyler
, and Texarkana
. Marshall has a reputation for plaintiff
-friendly juries
for the 5% of patent lawsuits that reach trial
, resulting in 78% plaintiff wins. The number of patent suits filed in 2002 was 32, and the number for 2006 has been estimated at 234. Only the United States District Court for the Central District of California
in Los Angeles will have more patent suits filed than Marshall.
The city entered into a legal battle with local residents and environmentalist about the amount of water it could draw out of Caddo Lake—the source of the city’s water—dominated city-county relation during the decade.
The City of Marshall has a Council-manager
form of municipal government, with all governmental powers resting in a legislative body called a Commission. The Commission passes all city law
s and ordinances, adopts budget
s, determines city policy, and appoints city officials, including the City Manager
. The city manager, rather than a mayor
, serves as the executive of the city government and thus is in charge of enforcing city laws and administering the city's various departments.
The City Commission
The City Commission has seven members, each elected to serve a single-member district. Districts 1–4 divide the city into four districts, and the districts 5–7 divide the city into three districts that overlay Districts 1–4, so every location in the city falls in two districts, one from each set. Each Commissioner is elected
to a two-year term. Districts 1–4 hold elections in odd-numbered years and districts 5–7 in even years; elections are held in the spring. After each election, the City Commission selects a commissioner to serve as Chairman of the Commission, generically called a Mayor, until after the next year's election. If no one files to run against a commissioner, as happened with District 1 in 2005, the commissioner is reinstated and an election for that district is not held that year. The City Commission meets twice a month on the second and fourth Thursdays, in addition to any special sessions that are called or regular meetings that are canceled. The Commission provides a public forum before each regular session, providing citizens the opportunity to address the commission for two minutes without forward notice, with notice additional time may be scheduled. The Commission meetings are broadcast on radio
and on the local Government-access television (GATV), Public-access television
cable TV station.
Commission members
Municipal services
Management of the city and coordination of city services are provided by:
State government
Marshall is represented in the Texas Senate
by Republican Kevin Eltife
, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives
by Republican Bryan Hughes
, District 5.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
(TDCJ) operates the Marshall District Parole Office in Marshall.
Federal government
At the Federal level, the two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn
and Kay Bailey Hutchison
; Marshall is part of of Texas' US Congressional 1st District, which is currently represented by Republican Louie Gohmert
.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Marshall Post Office.
Marshall is roughly 150 miles (241.4 km) east of Dallas, Texas
and 40 miles (64.4 km) west of Shreveport, Louisiana
. The intersection of US 80 and US 59 and the intersection of US 59 and Interstate 20
are located within the city limits of Marshall.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 29.6 square miles (76.7 km²), of that, 29.6 square miles (76.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.27%) is water.
Marshall is closer to the capitals of Arkansas (Little Rock, 190 miles (305.8 km)), Louisiana (Baton Rouge, 239 miles (384.6 km)), and Mississippi
(Jackson
, 243 miles (391.1 km)) than it is to the capital of Texas (Austin
, 253 miles (407.2 km)).
The city lies within the Eastern Interconnection
rather than the Texas Interconnection
making it part of only 15% of the state to lie outside of that power grid.
The city is bisected along a north-south axis by East End Blvd. (US 59). The eastern half of the city is bisected along an east-west axis by US 80 which east of its intersection with US 59 is called Victory Drive and west of US 59 is named Grand Ave. The Harrison County Airport and Airport Baseball Park are located to the south of Victory Dr. off of Warren Dr.
To the west of US 59, south of Pinecrest Dr. are older suburbs; north of Pinecrest Dr. the oldest portion of the city stretches northward over seven hills. This portion of the city radiates out from downtown which is centered on the Old Harrison County Courthouse in Peter Whetstone Square. Immediately to the north of the square is the Ginocchio National Historic District
where the city's Amtrak
Terminal is located. This region of the city is bisected along an east-west by Grand Ave. (US 80). Spreading out from downtown is a belt of Antebellum
and Victorian
homes centered on Rusk and Houston Streets.
To the west of downtown are some of the oldest African-American neighborhoods in Texas
, centered around Wiley College
. To the north of Grand Ave. (US 80) are neighborhoods that were built largely by employees of the Texas and Pacific Railway
. In addition to the Ginocchio National Historic District, this part of the city is home to East Texas Baptist University
, and three historic cemeteries: Marshall Cemetery, Powder Mill Cemetery, and Greenwood, which is divided into Christian
and Jewish sections.
, characterized by hot summers and fairly mild winters. On average, Marshall receives 51.2 inches (1,300 mm) of rain per year. The precipitation is relatively evenly spread throughout year, with only the summer months of July and August receiving less than 3.5 inches (89 mm) on average.
In the spring months during the transition from winter to summer, severe weather
is not uncommon, and tornadoes have hit the city in the past, including an F2 that struck the southern side of town in 2000, wiping out a Domino's Pizza
on US Highway 59.
Summers in Marshall are hot and humid, with average temperatures higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29°C) from June through September. Temperatures above 100°F (38°C) are not uncommon, with a highest recorded temperature of 112°F (44°C) in August 1909.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 23,935 people, 8,730 households, and 6,032 families residing in the city. The population density
was 809.5 people per square mile (312.5/km²). There were 9,923 housing units at an average density of 335.6 per square mile (129.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.66% White, 38.59% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.83% from other races
, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.64% of the population. In 2000 the Asian population is mostly India
ns from Andhra Pradesh
, Gujarat, or Maharashtra
and Chinese
from Hong Kong
and Fuzhou
.
There were 8,730 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples
living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,335, and the median income for a family was $37,438. Males had a median income of $30,146 versus $21,027 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,491. About 17.8% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.5% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
, also known as BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, education
at several institutes of higher learning, manufacturing such as wood kitchen cabinets at Republic Industries, military parts at Woodlawn Manufacturing
and pottery at several manufacturers. Tourism
is also an important industry with about one million tourists visiting the city each year.
Marshall has a local sales tax of 2.0%. The Marshall Economic Development Corporation or MEDCO lobbies companies to locate in Marshall and offers incentives to businesses that do. The Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of local businesses to local, state, and national leaders. And it has Marshall Mall.
There are nearly two thousand college students in Marshall at East Texas Baptist University
and the historically black Wiley College
, Texas State Technical College-Marshall and Panola College
-Marshall. ETBU is the largest of the four institutions.
, a subsidiary of Longview's newspaper, as well as an ABC
news office. Three radio stations, KMHT, KMHT-FM, and KBWC, are based in the city. There are no television stations in the city, but the city is within the reception area of stations based in Shreveport, Louisiana
: KTBS (ABC), KSLA (CBS
), KMSS
(FOX), KTAL
(NBC
), KPXJ
(The CW), KSHV
(My Network TV), and KLTS (Louisiana Public Broadcasting
). The local cable company
, Cobridge Communications provides Public-access television
channels that show local football
games produced by KMHT radio, live and replays of meeting of the City and County commissions, and streams audio from KMHT.
People from Marshall are called "Marshallites".
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Harrison County
Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County is a county of the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 62,110. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary. It is located in the Ark-La-Tex region...
in the northeastern
Northeast Texas
Northeast Texas is a region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Texas. It is geographically centered around two metropolitan areas strung along Interstate 20: Tyler in the west and Longview/Marshall to the east...
corner of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523. The city is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Harrison County
Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County is a county of the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 62,110. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary. It is located in the Ark-La-Tex region...
.
Marshall was a political and production center of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
during the Civil War and was a major railroad center of the T&P Railroad
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....
from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century. The city's large African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
population and the presence of black institutions of higher learning made Marshall a center of the civil rights movement
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
in the American South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. The city is known for holding one of the largest light festivals in the United States, the Wonderland of Lights
Holiday Trail of Lights
The Holiday Trail of Lights is a festival held in Northwest Louisiana during the Christmas season.Six North Louisiana cities participate in the Trail: Natchitoches , Shreveport, Bossier City, Minden, Monroe-West Monroe, Alexandria-Pineville....
, and, as the self-proclaimed Pottery Capital of the World, for its sizable pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
industry.
Marshall is also referred to by various nicknames; the Cultural Capital of East Texas, the Gateway of Texas, the Athens of Texas the City of Seven Flags and Center Stage, a branding slogan adopted by the Marshall Convention and Visitors Bureau.
On January 18, 2010, Dr. John Tennison, a San Antonio physician and musicologist presented to a group of Marshall citizens the findings of his research into the origins of Boogie Woogie music. He concludes that the music first developed in the Marshall area in the early 1870s in close connection with the T&P Railroad and the logging industry. On May 13, 2010, the Marshall City Commission unanimously passed an ordinance declaring Marshall to be "the Birthplace of Boogie Woogie."
The Republic of Texas and the Civil War (1841-1860)
The city was founded in 1841 as the seat of Harrison County, after repeated failed attempts to establish a county seat on the Sabine RiverSabine River (Texas-Louisiana)
The Sabine River is a river, long, in the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. In its lower course, it forms part of the boundary between the two states and empties into Sabine Lake, an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico. The river formed part of the United States-Mexican international boundary during...
since the county was established in 1839, and was incorporated in 1843. 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...
decided to choose the site of land granted by Peter Whetstone
Peter Whetstone
Peter Whetstone was an early pioneer leader in the Republic of Texas most remembered for founding the city of Marshall, Texas with Isaac Van Zandt.Whetstone married Dicey, or Dicy, Webster in 1816 in Arkansas...
and Isaac Van Zandt
Isaac Van Zandt
Isaac Van Zandt was a political leader in the Republic of Texas. Van Zandt County, Texas, was named in his honor....
after Whetstone had proven that the hilly location had a good water source. The city quickly became a major city in the state because of its position as a gateway to Texas on several major stage coach lines. The establishment of several "colleges"—schools offering little more than secondary education—earned Marshall the nickname the Athens of Texas, in reference to the ancient Greek city state. The city's growing importance was confirmed when Marshall was linked by a telegraph
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
line to New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, becoming the first city in Texas to have a telegraph service.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and the seat of the richest county. The county had more slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s than any other in the state, making it a hotbed of anti-Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
sentiment, though some residents of Marshall nonetheless fought for the North. For example, brothers Lionel and Emmanuel Kahn, Jewish merchants in Marshall, fought on opposing sides in the conflict. When Gov. 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...
refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Marshall's Edward Clark
Edward Clark (governor)
Edward Clark was the eighth Governor of Texas. His term coincided with the beginning of the American Civil War.-Biography:...
was sworn in as governor. Marshall would also produce Texas's third Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
governor, Pendleton Murrah
Pendleton Murrah
Pendleton Murrah was the tenth Governor of Texas. His term in office coincided with the American Civil War.A native of South Carolina, Murrah graduated from Brown University in 1848. He moved to Texas and opened a law practice in Marshall. He ran and was defeated for the U.S...
. Marshall became a major Confederate city; producing gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
and other supplies for the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
, and hosting three conferences of Trans-Mississippi
Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
The Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War was the major military and naval operations west of the Mississippi River. The area excluded the states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, which formed the Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War.The campaign classification...
and Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
leaders. The city also became the capital of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
's Confederate government-in-exile, earning it the nickname the City of Seven Flags—a nod to the flag of Missouri
Flag of Missouri
The Flag of the State of Missouri was designed and stitched in Jackson, Missouri, by Marie Elizabeth Watkins Oliver , the wife of former State Senator R.B. Oliver. Her design was adopted in 1913 and remains unchanged to this day....
in addition to the other six flags that have flown over the city.
Marshall became the seat of civil authority and headquarters of the Trans-Mississippi Postal Department after the fall of Vicksburg
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
. The city may have been the intended target of a failed Union advance that was rebuffed at Mansfield, Louisiana
Mansfield, Louisiana
Mansfield is a city in and the parish seat of DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,001 at the 2010 census. Mansfield is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. Towards the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Confederate States government had $9.0 million in Treasury notes and $3.0 million in postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s shipped to Marshall, possibly meaning that Marshall was the intended destination of a government preparing to flee from advancing armies.
Reconstruction and the Railroad era (1865-1895)
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
founded Wiley College
Wiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
to educate free men. African-Americans came to the city seeking opportunities and protection until 1878, when the Citizens Party, led by former Confederate General Walter P. Lane
Walter P. Lane
Walter Paye Lane was a Confederate general during the American Civil War who also served in the armies of the Republic of Texas and the United States of America.-Early life:...
and his brother George, took control of the city and county governments and ran Unionists, Republicans and many African-Americans out of town. The Lanes ultimately declared Marshall and Harrison County "redeemed" from Union and African-American control. Despite this the African-American community would continue to progress with the establishment of Bishop College
Bishop College
Bishop College was a historically black college, founded in Marshall, Texas, and later moved to Dallas, Texas, that operated from 1881 to 1988.-History:...
in 1881 and the certification of Wiley by the Freedman's Aid Society
Freedman's Aid Society
The Freedmen’s Aid Society was founded in 1861 during the American Civil War by the American Missionary Association , a group supported chiefly by the Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist churches in the North. It organized a supply of teachers from the North and provided housing for them,...
in 1882.
Marshall's "Railroad Era" began in the early 1870s. Harrison County citizens voted to offer $300,000 bond subsidy, and the City of Marshall offered to donate land north of the downtown to the Texas and Pacific Railway
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....
if the company would move to Marshall. T&P President Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
accepted and located the T&P's workshops and general offices for Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in Marshall. The city benefited immediately from a population explosion. By 1880 the city was one of the South's largest cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
markets. The city's new prosperity became apparent with the opening of J. Weisman and Co., the first department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
in Texas, and with the installation of a single lightbulb in the Texas and Pacific Depot, Marshall became the first city in Texas to have electricity. Prosperity brought out elements which led to some nationally known crimes being tried in the city, including the trials for the attempted murder of Maurice Barrymore
Maurice Barrymore
Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blythe —stage name Maurice Barrymore — was the patriarch of the Barrymore acting family and great-grandfather of actress Drew Barrymore.-Early life:...
. During this period of wealth, many of the city's now historic homes were constructed. The city's most prominent industry, pottery manufacturing, began with the establishment of Marshall Pottery
Marshall Pottery
Marshall Pottery Inc. is the largest manufacturer of red clay pots in the United States. Marshall Pottery operates a 100,000 ft² retail store adjacent to its headquarters in Marshall, Texas, which attracts over 500,000 tourists each year....
in 1895.
Despite the prosperity of the railroad era, poverty continued to be a problem in the city among all races, but tensions between whites and African-Americans continued to worsen as segregation crystallized in the city. The rural areas of Harrison County
Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County is a county of the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 62,110. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary. It is located in the Ark-La-Tex region...
saw greater interaction between white people and African-Americans. There, whites and blacks being neighbors was commonplace. Even though the areas surrounding Marshall were somewhat integrated, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
was still apparent in everyday life. The fact that several plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
owners divided up sizable tracts of land and gave them to their former slaves may also have contributed to these tensions.
Early and mid- 20th century
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
arrived in the city from a field on Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake is a lake and wetland located on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Southeastern culture of Native Americans called Caddoans or Caddo, who lived in...
in 1909. Under the leadership of John L. Lancaster
John L. Lancaster
John L. Lancaster was president of the Texas and Pacific Railway during the first half of the 20th century....
, the Texas and Pacific Railway experienced its height during the first half of the 20th century, Marshall's ceramics industry expanded to the point that the city began to be called the "Pottery Capital of the World." Marshall's industry received a boost with the discovery of what was then the largest oil field in the world at nearby Kilgore
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk Counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the home of Kilgore College, and was also the childhood home of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn...
in 1930. Small landmarks of progress, such as the first student at Marshall High School to have a car, Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson
Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 during the presidency of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources and made that...
, excited the working class and poor. These small notes of progress would pale in comparison to the coming civil rights movement.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries children of both races had been raised to accept the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
of racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
. African-American Marshall resident George Dawson
George Dawson (author)
George Dawson was called "America's favorite poster child for literacy" after learning to read at the age of 98. His life story, Life Is So Good, was published in 2000.-Early and mid-life:...
later wrote about his childhood experiences with segregation in his book Life Is So Good. He described how, despite African-American children's acceptance of segregation, in some instances its demands were too outrageous to follow. For example, Dawson described how he had refused the demand of one employer who expected him to eat with her dogs. Other racist tactics were more overt; between October 1903 and August 1917 at least twelve people were lynched. Not all instances of lynching were reported by authorities, so the number the number is likely an undercount.
In the early and mid 20th century Marshall's traditionally black colleges
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
were thriving intellectual and cultural centers. Three major civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and later Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
attended Bishop College
Bishop College
Bishop College was a historically black college, founded in Marshall, Texas, and later moved to Dallas, Texas, that operated from 1881 to 1988.-History:...
while James L. Farmer Jr. went to Wiley College
Wiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
, and Texas's member of the Harlem Renaissance
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...
, Melvin B. Tolson
Melvin B. Tolson
Melvin Beaunorus Tolson was an American Modernist poet, educator, columnist, and politician. His work concentrated on the experience of African Americans and includes several long historical poems. His work was influenced by his study of the Harlem Renaissance, although he spent nearly all of...
, wrote while teaching at Wiley.
With the increasing success of Wiley and Bishop, Marshall developed as one of the hearths of the civil rights movement, spurring key court challenges to Jim Crow
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
on a national and state level. In 1950, the Marshall Board of Censors banned the movie Pinky from the city because it portrayed an interracial couple. The theater manager was convicted of a misdemeanor for showing the film and the case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, which overturned the conviction.
Inspired by the teachings of professors, such as Melvin B. Tolson, students and former students of the colleges mobilized to challenge and dismantle Jim Crow. Fred Lewis, as the secretary of the Harrison County
Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County is a county of the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 62,110. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary. It is located in the Ark-La-Tex region...
NAACP, challenged the oldest White Citizens Party in Texas and the laws it enforced; ultimately abolishing Jim Crow in the county with the Perry v. Cyphers
Perry v. Cyphers
Perry v. Cyphers 186 F.2d 608 is the case that resulted in a court ruling that struck down Jim Crow legislation in Harrison County, Texas....
verdict. Heman Sweatt, a Wiley graduate, tried to enroll in the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The 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...
Law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
, but was denied entry because of the color of his skin; he then sued and the Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
ordered the desegregation of postgraduate studies in Texas in the Sweatt v. Painter
Sweatt v. Painter
Sweatt v. Painter, , was a U.S. Supreme Court case that successfully proved lack of equality, in favor of a black applicant, the "separate but equal" doctrine of racial segregation established by the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson. The case was also influential in the landmark case of Brown v...
decision. James L. Farmer Jr., another Wiley graduate, became an organizer of the Freedom Rides and a founder of the Congress of Racial Equality
Congress of Racial Equality
The Congress of Racial Equality or CORE was a U.S. civil rights organization that originally played a pivotal role for African-Americans in the Civil Rights Movement...
.
Late 20th century
The progression of civil rightsCivil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
would continue into the 1960s, 70s and 80s. In the 1960s, students organized the first sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
s in Texas in the rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
of the county courthouse on Whetstone Square in a move to end segregation of public schools; in 1970, all Marshall public schools were integrated. Also in that year, Carolyn Abney became the first woman to be elected to the city commission. In April 1975 local businessman Sam Birmingham became the first African-American to be elected to the city commission and, in the 1980s, Marshall's first African-American mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. Birmingham retired in 1989 for health concerns and was succeeded by his wife, Jean Birmingham, who became the first African-American woman to serve on the commission.
Marshall's railroad industry subsequently declined with the conversion of most trains to diesel fuel, the proliferation of air travel, and the construction of the Interstate highway system after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The T&P Shops closed in the 1960s and T&P passenger service ceased in 1970. The Texas oil bust of the 1980s devastated the local economy and the city's population declined by about a thousand between 1980 and 1990.
During the mid-20th century the city lost many of its landmarks. Some buildings were demolished because their owners disregarded their historic importance and preferred “modern” structures, others were demolished
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
because their owners felt they could no longer afford to maintain them. By 1990, Marshall's opera house, the Missouri Capitol, the Moses Montefiore Synagogue, the original Viaduct, the Capitol Hotel, and the campus of Bishop College (including the Wyalucing plantation house) had been demolished. In the 1970s the city began to look at the preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
efforts of nearby Jefferson
Jefferson, Texas
Jefferson is an historic city in Marion County in northeastern Texas, United States. The population was 2,024 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County, Texas, and is situated in East Texas...
, increasingly developing a preservationist trend throughout the remainder of the 20th century.
All-America City Award
The All-America City Award is given by the National Civic League annually to ten cities in the United States.The oldest community recognition program in the nation, the award recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon...
in 1976 by the National Civic League
National Civic League
The National Civic League is an American non-profit organization that advocates for transparency, effectiveness, and openness in local government...
. In 1978, then Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
mayor, Lee Teng-Hui
Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
, and Marshall mayor, William Q. Burns, signed legislation recognizing Marshall as a sister city with the much larger Taipei. During this period Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
won an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for his documentary Marshall, Texas: Marshall, Texas chronicling the history of race relations in the city. Despite these instance of national and international attention the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s where largely a period of social and economic decline, as the city was surpassed in population and economic clout by its younger rival Longview
Longview, Texas
Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is...
.
The city began to concentrate on diversifying its economy in the 1980s and 1990s, with tourism emerging as an increasingly important area of the city’s economy. Two new festivals joined the longstanding Stagecoach Days, the Fire Ant Festival and the Wonderland of Lights
Holiday Trail of Lights
The Holiday Trail of Lights is a festival held in Northwest Louisiana during the Christmas season.Six North Louisiana cities participate in the Trail: Natchitoches , Shreveport, Bossier City, Minden, Monroe-West Monroe, Alexandria-Pineville....
. The Fire Ant Festival gained national attention through television features on shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, but it was the Wonderland of Lights that by far became the most popular—growing to become one of the largest light festivals in the United States. By 2000, the Wonderland of Lights had become such a part of the cityscape that the lighted dome of the Old Courthouse had become the most recognizable symbol of the city. 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the famed Wonderland of Lights festival and the City expects more than 200,000 visitors during the event's 40 day run beginning with the official lighting ceremony on November 23, 2011.
Twenty-first century
The Sam B. Hall, Jr. Federal Courthouse became one of the busiest courthouses in the country, the venue for such cases as the Democratic challenge to the 2003 redistricting
2003 Texas redistricting
The 2003 Texas redistricting refers to a controversial mid-decade congressional redistricting plan appealed to the United States Supreme Court in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry...
of Texas and the TiVo
TiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
suit of EchoStar
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
over DVR
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
patent rights.
An unusual number of patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
lawsuits are being filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is the Federal district court with jurisdiction over the eastern part of Texas and is a part of the Fifth Circuit. The court's headquarters are in Tyler, Texas and has five subdivision offices in Beaumont, Lufkin, Marshall,...
which includes Marshall, Tyler
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
, and Texarkana
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
. Marshall has a reputation for plaintiff
Plaintiff
A plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the term used in some jurisdictions for the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
-friendly juries
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
for the 5% of patent lawsuits that reach trial
Jury trial
A jury trial is a legal proceeding in which a jury either makes a decision or makes findings of fact which are then applied by a judge...
, resulting in 78% plaintiff wins. The number of patent suits filed in 2002 was 32, and the number for 2006 has been estimated at 234. Only the United States District Court for the Central District of California
United States District Court for the Central District of California
The United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...
in Los Angeles will have more patent suits filed than Marshall.
The city entered into a legal battle with local residents and environmentalist about the amount of water it could draw out of Caddo Lake—the source of the city’s water—dominated city-county relation during the decade.
Governance
Local governmentThe City of Marshall has a Council-manager
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of municipal government, with all governmental powers resting in a legislative body called a Commission. The Commission passes all city law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
s and ordinances, adopts budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
s, determines city policy, and appoints city officials, including the City Manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
. The city manager, rather than a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, serves as the executive of the city government and thus is in charge of enforcing city laws and administering the city's various departments.
The City Commission
The City Commission has seven members, each elected to serve a single-member district. Districts 1–4 divide the city into four districts, and the districts 5–7 divide the city into three districts that overlay Districts 1–4, so every location in the city falls in two districts, one from each set. Each Commissioner is elected
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
to a two-year term. Districts 1–4 hold elections in odd-numbered years and districts 5–7 in even years; elections are held in the spring. After each election, the City Commission selects a commissioner to serve as Chairman of the Commission, generically called a Mayor, until after the next year's election. If no one files to run against a commissioner, as happened with District 1 in 2005, the commissioner is reinstated and an election for that district is not held that year. The City Commission meets twice a month on the second and fourth Thursdays, in addition to any special sessions that are called or regular meetings that are canceled. The Commission provides a public forum before each regular session, providing citizens the opportunity to address the commission for two minutes without forward notice, with notice additional time may be scheduled. The Commission meetings are broadcast on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and on the local Government-access television (GATV), Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV station.
Commission members
| District | 2010 Commission | 2002 Commission | 1999 Commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 1 | Gloria Moon | Katie Jones | Jean Birmingham |
| District 2 | Zephaniah Timmins | Alonza Williams | Alonza Williams |
| District 3 | Ed Hoffman | Ed Carlile | Chris Horsley |
| District 4 | Jack Hester | Jack Hester | Audrey Kariel (Mayor) |
| District 5 | Charlie Oliver | John Wilborn | John Wilborn |
| District 6 | Chris Paddie | Bryan Partee | Michael Smith |
| District 7 | William Buddy Power (Mayor) | Ed Smith | Martha Robb |
Municipal services
Management of the city and coordination of city services are provided by:
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| City Manager | Frank Johnson |
| Assistant City Manager | Ardis Wright |
| Director of Finance | Lisa Agnor |
| Fire Chief | Kenneth J. "Buzz" Snyder |
| Police Chief | Stan Spence |
| Director of Planning & Community Development | Winston Robinson |
State government
Marshall is represented in the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
by Republican Kevin Eltife
Kevin Eltife
Kevin Paul Eltife is a businessman from Tyler, Texas, who is a Republican member of the Texas Senate. He was sworn in on March 5, 2004, as a result of a special election, to represent District 1...
, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
by Republican Bryan Hughes
Bryan Hughes
Bryan Hughes is an English professional footballer who is currently playing for English League Two side Accrington Stanley. He notably played in the Premier League for Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic and Hull City...
, District 5.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
(TDCJ) operates the Marshall District Parole Office in Marshall.
Federal government
At the Federal level, the two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn
John Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
and Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
; Marshall is part of of Texas' US Congressional 1st District, which is currently represented by Republican Louie Gohmert
Louie Gohmert
Louis Buller Gohmert, Jr. is an American politician and current Republican U.S. Representative from Texas's 1st congressional district.-Life and career:...
.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Marshall Post Office.
Geography
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and 40 miles (64.4 km) west of Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. The intersection of US 80 and US 59 and the intersection of US 59 and Interstate 20
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
are located within the city limits of Marshall.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 29.6 square miles (76.7 km²), of that, 29.6 square miles (76.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.27%) is water.
Marshall is closer to the capitals of Arkansas (Little Rock, 190 miles (305.8 km)), Louisiana (Baton Rouge, 239 miles (384.6 km)), and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
(Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, 243 miles (391.1 km)) than it is to the capital of Texas (Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, 253 miles (407.2 km)).
The city lies within the Eastern Interconnection
Eastern Interconnection
The Eastern Interconnection is one of the two major alternating current power grids in North America. The other major interconnection is the Western Interconnection...
rather than the Texas Interconnection
Texas Interconnection
The Texas Interconnection is one of the three minor alternating current power grids in North America. The other two minor interconnections are the Québec Interconnection and the Alaska Interconnection...
making it part of only 15% of the state to lie outside of that power grid.
The city is bisected along a north-south axis by East End Blvd. (US 59). The eastern half of the city is bisected along an east-west axis by US 80 which east of its intersection with US 59 is called Victory Drive and west of US 59 is named Grand Ave. The Harrison County Airport and Airport Baseball Park are located to the south of Victory Dr. off of Warren Dr.
To the west of US 59, south of Pinecrest Dr. are older suburbs; north of Pinecrest Dr. the oldest portion of the city stretches northward over seven hills. This portion of the city radiates out from downtown which is centered on the Old Harrison County Courthouse in Peter Whetstone Square. Immediately to the north of the square is the Ginocchio National Historic District
Ginocchio National Historic District
Ginocchio Historic District, in Marshall, Texas is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district takes its name from the Ginocchio family who operated a hotel, The Ginocchio, in the district during the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
where the city's Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Terminal is located. This region of the city is bisected along an east-west by Grand Ave. (US 80). Spreading out from downtown is a belt of Antebellum
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
and Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
homes centered on Rusk and Houston Streets.
To the west of downtown are some of the oldest African-American neighborhoods in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, centered around Wiley College
Wiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
. To the north of Grand Ave. (US 80) are neighborhoods that were built largely by employees of the Texas and Pacific Railway
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....
. In addition to the Ginocchio National Historic District, this part of the city is home to East Texas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University is a private, coeducational Christian university in Marshall, Texas, United States associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.- History :...
, and three historic cemeteries: Marshall Cemetery, Powder Mill Cemetery, and Greenwood, which is divided into Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and Jewish sections.
Climate
Marshall has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
, characterized by hot summers and fairly mild winters. On average, Marshall receives 51.2 inches (1,300 mm) of rain per year. The precipitation is relatively evenly spread throughout year, with only the summer months of July and August receiving less than 3.5 inches (89 mm) on average.
In the spring months during the transition from winter to summer, severe weather
Severe weather
Severe weather phenomena are weather conditions that are hazardous to human life and property.- Examples Include :Severe weather can occur under a variety of situations, but three characteristics are generally needed: a temperature or moisture boundary, moisture, and , instability in the...
is not uncommon, and tornadoes have hit the city in the past, including an F2 that struck the southern side of town in 2000, wiping out a Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
on US Highway 59.
Summers in Marshall are hot and humid, with average temperatures higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29°C) from June through September. Temperatures above 100°F (38°C) are not uncommon, with a highest recorded temperature of 112°F (44°C) in August 1909.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census the population of Marshall was 23,523. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 42.6% non-Hispanic white, 38.1% non-Hispanic black, 0.8% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 1.7% reporting two or more races and 17.0% Hispanic or Latino. The three largest identified Asian racial groups were Asian Indian, Vietnamese and Chinese, in that order. However the unspecified "other Asian" category outnumbered any of these specific groups.As of the census
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 23,935 people, 8,730 households, and 6,032 families residing in the city. 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 809.5 people per square mile (312.5/km²). There were 9,923 housing units at an average density of 335.6 per square mile (129.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.66% White, 38.59% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.83% 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 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.64% of the population. In 2000 the Asian population is mostly India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
ns from Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Gujarat, or Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Fuzhou
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
.
There were 8,730 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% 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, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,335, and the median income for a family was $37,438. Males had a median income of $30,146 versus $21,027 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 city was $15,491. About 17.8% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.5% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Marshall's economy is diversified and includes services such as Insurance claims processing at Health Care Service CorporationHealth Care Service Corporation
Health Care Service Corporation , with 13 million members in its Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, is the nation’s largest non-investor-owned health insurer and fourth largest overall....
, also known as BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
at several institutes of higher learning, manufacturing such as wood kitchen cabinets at Republic Industries, military parts at Woodlawn Manufacturing
Woodlawn Manufacturing
Woodlawn Manufacturing is a precision manufacturer of metal parts and assemblies for the defense, oil and gas, aerospace, automotive, HVAC and other industries...
and pottery at several manufacturers. Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is also an important industry with about one million tourists visiting the city each year.
Marshall has a local sales tax of 2.0%. The Marshall Economic Development Corporation or MEDCO lobbies companies to locate in Marshall and offers incentives to businesses that do. The Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of local businesses to local, state, and national leaders. And it has Marshall Mall.
Education
Education in the city in secondary and primary education is almost entirely conducted by the Marshall Independent School District, with more than six thousand students at twelve campuses. A private institution, Trinity Episcopal School, also exists, and some parents choose to home school.There are nearly two thousand college students in Marshall at East Texas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University is a private, coeducational Christian university in Marshall, Texas, United States associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.- History :...
and the historically black Wiley College
Wiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
, Texas State Technical College-Marshall and Panola College
Panola College
Panola College is a community college located in Carthage, Texas. The name derives from Panola County, Texas, of which Carthage is the county seat.As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Panola College is the following:...
-Marshall. ETBU is the largest of the four institutions.
Media
The city has one newspaper, The Marshall News MessengerThe Marshall News Messenger
There have been three newspapers based in Marshall, Texas: the Texas Republican , the Tri-Weekly Herald , and the current Marshall News Messenger ....
, a subsidiary of Longview's newspaper, as well as an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
news office. Three radio stations, KMHT, KMHT-FM, and KBWC, are based in the city. There are no television stations in the city, but the city is within the reception area of stations based in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
: KTBS (ABC), KSLA (CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
), KMSS
KMSS-TV
KMSS-TV is the Fox affiliate in Shreveport, Louisiana. The station is seen via satellite through Dish Network and DirecTV...
(FOX), KTAL
KTAL-TV
KTAL-TV, virtual channel 6, is the NBC television affiliate serving the Shreveport, Louisiana/Texarkana, Arkansas-Texas market. It is licensed to the Texas side of Texarkana and is the only station in its market licensed outside of Louisiana. Its main studio is located in Shreveport with a...
(NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
), KPXJ
KPXJ
KPXJ is the CW-affiliated television station for Shreveport, Louisiana. Licensed to Minden, the station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 21. KPXJ's transmitter is located in Mooringsport. The station is owned by The Wray Family as part of a duopoly with the area's ABC affiliate KTBS-TV...
(The CW), KSHV
KSHV (TV)
KSHV-TV, channel 45, is the My Network TV affiliate in Shreveport, Louisiana. The station is seen via satellite through Dish Network and DirecTV. The station is co-managed in a duopoly with Fox affiliate KMSS-TV, which is owned by Communications Corporation of America...
(My Network TV), and KLTS (Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Louisiana Public Broadcasting is a state-run, viewer-supported state network of Public Broadcasting Service non-commercial educational Public television member stations serving the state of Louisiana outside Greater New Orleans. The stations are operated by the Louisiana Educational Television...
). The local cable company
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, Cobridge Communications provides Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
channels that show local football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games produced by KMHT radio, live and replays of meeting of the City and County commissions, and streams audio from KMHT.
Sites of interest
- First United Methodist Church, 300 E. Houston St.
- The GinocchioThe GinocchioThe Ginocchio or Ginocchio Hotel was originally constructed in 1896 next to the Texas and Pacific Railway station in Marshall, Texas, to provide disembarking passengers with ready access to a hotel and restaurant facility. During its height the building housed several U.S. Presidents and actor John...
/Harrison County Historical MuseumHarrison County Historical MuseumHarrison County Historical Museum is a historical museum in Marshall, Texas, dedicated to the history of Harrison County, Texas. The museum houses twenty-two rooms of exhibits ranging in topic from the Native American Caddo culture to the history of the HBCU Wiley College.The museum has...
, N. Washington St at Ginocchio St - T&P DepotT&P DepotThe Texas and Pacific Railroad Depot in Marshall, Texas houses the Marshall Amtrak Station. Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system, operates the Texas Eagle through Marshall each day, with service north to Chicago and west-southwest to Dallas, San Antonio and Los Angeles.The ticket office...
, N. Washington St at Ginocchio St - Hotel MarshallHotel MarshallThe Hotel Marshall is the tallest building though not the tallest structure in Marshall, the seat of Harrison County, Texas. The building was constructed about 1929 and is noted for its art-deco elements. In actuality it draws from several styles that were popular at the time...
, 210 W. Houston - Starr Family Home State Historic SiteStarr Family Home State Historic SiteStarr Family Home State Historic Site is a historical site operated by the Texas Historical Commission in downtown Marshall, Texas. The site encompasses several structures used by the Starr Family; most notably the main house or Starr Home, Maplecroft, and the Rosemont Cottage.The site portrays...
, 407 W. Travis St. - Michelson Museum of ArtMichelson Museum of ArtThe Michelson Museum of Art is a museum in Marshall, Texas originally founded to permanently house the works of the Russian-American artist Leo Michelson....
, 216 N. Bolivar Street - Old Harrison County CourthouseOld Harrison County Courthouse (Texas)The Old Harrison County Courthouse is located in the center of Whetstone Square in Marshall, Texas and is one of the most famous and admired buildings in Texas. It is the signature landmark of Marshall and is frequently used to represent East Texas in travel literature.The Old Courthouse is listed...
, Whetstone Square - Weisman Center, 211 N. Washington St.
Notable people
- Martha JoseyMartha JoseyMartha Josey is a profesional barrel racer who has been in active rodeo competition since 1964. She has earned numerous titles at competitions such as the National Finals Rodeo and events sanctioned by the National Barrel Horse Association , and Women's Professional Rodeo Association...
- Rodeo champion - Brea GrantBrea GrantBrea Colleen Grant is an American actress and writer who is best known for playing Daphne Millbrook in the NBC television series Heroes...
- Actress, best known for her acting on the TV show, HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
. - George ForemanGeorge ForemanGeorge Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
—former Boxing Heavyweight Champion and entrepreneur (George Foreman Grill) - Edward ClarkEdward Clark (governor)Edward Clark was the eighth Governor of Texas. His term coincided with the beginning of the American Civil War.-Biography:...
—Texas Governor
- Mike CapelMike CapelMichael Lee Capel , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs , Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros ....
—MLB player for the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, and the Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field... - Floyd DixonFloyd DixonFor the American football player see Floyd Dixon Floyd Dixon was an American rhythm and blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
—Rhythm and blues pianist - James L. Farmer, Jr.James L. Farmer, Jr.James Leonard Farmer, Jr. was a civil rights activist and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was the initiator and organizer of the 1961 Freedom Ride, which eventually led to the desegregation of inter-state transportation in the United States.In 1942, Farmer co-founded the Committee...
—CORECongress of Racial EqualityThe Congress of Racial Equality or CORE was a U.S. civil rights organization that originally played a pivotal role for African-Americans in the Civil Rights Movement...
founder, organized freedom rides - James L. Farmer, Sr.James L. Farmer, Sr.James Leonard Farmer, Sr. was an American author, theologian, educator, and the first African-American Texan to earn a doctorate. Farmer served as a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church and as a professor at several historically black colleges and universities in the U.S...
—Wiley CollegeWiley CollegeWiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
professor - Ben Z. GrantBen Z. GrantBenjamin Z. Grant is a former Texas legislator, state judge, and current author and playwright.Member, Texas House of Representatives - 1971 to 1981;Judge, 71st Judicial District of Texas - 1981 to 1985;...
—playwright, Texas legislator, state judge - Sam B. Hall, Jr. — former congressman and federal jurist
- Bryan HughesBryan Hughes (Texas politician)Douglas Bryan Hughes, known as Bryan Hughes , is an attorney in Mineola, Texas, who has been since 2003 a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 5, which includes Camp, Harrison, Upshur, and Wood counties in the northeastern section of his state.-Background:Hughes...
- former attorney in Marshall; member of the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of RepresentativesThe Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from District 5, which includes Harrison County - James Pinckney HendersonJames Pinckney HendersonJames Pinckney Henderson was a United States and Republic of Texas lawyer, politician, soldier, and the first Governor of the State of Texas....
—first governor of Texas - Susan HowardSusan HowardJeri Lynn Mooney , better known as Susan Howard, is an American actress, writer, and political activist; best known for portraying the character Donna Culver Krebbs on the soap opera Dallas, Maggie Petrocelli on the television show Petrocelli, and to Star Trek fans for portraying Mara, the first...
—actress, writer, activist - Alphonso JacksonAlphonso JacksonAlphonso Jackson served as the 13th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development . He was nominated by President George W. Bush on January 28, 2004 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate on March 31, 2004. On March 31, 2008, Jackson announced his resignation, effective April 18,...
—George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
cabinet member - Lady Bird JohnsonLady Bird JohnsonClaudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 during the presidency of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources and made that...
—First Lady and environmental activist actually lived in nearby Karnack, TX but attended Marshall public schools - Lisa Lee Harp Waugh (born 1958), American Necromancer
- Bill MoyersBill MoyersBill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
—journalist and government official - Pendleton MurrahPendleton MurrahPendleton Murrah was the tenth Governor of Texas. His term in office coincided with the American Civil War.A native of South Carolina, Murrah graduated from Brown University in 1848. He moved to Texas and opened a law practice in Marshall. He ran and was defeated for the U.S...
—Texas governor - Lucy Holcombe Pickens—19th century Southern socialite
- Max SandlinMax SandlinMax Sandlin , is a lawyer, lobbyist, American politician, and former Democratic Congressman who served eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Texas District 1....
—former congressman and House Minority Whip - Wesley M. Skelton—longtime commissioner of Dixie League Baseball
- Omar Sharriff (AKA Dave Alexander)Dave Alexander (blues musician)Dave Alexander aka Omar Sharriff, Omar Hakim Khayam is an American Texas blues singer, and pianist.-Biography:...
—Boogie Woogie, Blues, and Jazz Pianist, Vocalist, and Songwriter - Terrance ShawTerrance ShawTerrance Shaw is an American football cornerback. He was born in Marshall, Texas. Terrance was selected in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers...
—NFL Defensive Back and Super Bowl Champion - James Harper StarrJames Harper StarrJames Harper Starr served as a commissioner of the Texas General Land Office and later Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas and also as director of the postal service of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War as well as the...
—politician - Y.A. Tittle—American Football Hall of Famer
- Melvin B. TolsonMelvin B. TolsonMelvin Beaunorus Tolson was an American Modernist poet, educator, columnist, and politician. His work concentrated on the experience of African Americans and includes several long historical poems. His work was influenced by his study of the Harlem Renaissance, although he spent nearly all of...
—author, poet, and politician - Louis T. Wigfall—U.S., and later Confederate, Senator
- Myron G. Blalock—former Texas state representative, Texas state judge, and Texas democratic state chairman.
External links
- Official City Government Site
- KMHT, the Heartbeat of East Texas, 103.9FM, 1450AM
- Chamber of Commerce - marshalltexas.com
- Marshall News Messenger
- School District
- Texas H.R. No. 528 declaring Marshall Day at the State Capitol
- Historic photos of Marshall, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- So Small a Town, So Many Patent Suits (The New York Times)