Red River County, Texas
Red River County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,587. Its county seat is Clarksville. The county was created in 1835 and organized in 1837. It is named for the Red River, which forms its northern boundary. Red River County was the birthplace of John Nance Garner, 32nd Vice President of the United States.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which are covered by water.Rivers and lakes
- Sulphur River
- Red River
- Shawnee Creek
- Brevelle Lake
Major highways
- 20px U.S. Highway 82
- 25px U.S. Highway 271
- 20px State Highway 37
Adjacent counties
- McCurtain County, Oklahoma
- Bowie County
- Morris County
- Titus County
- Franklin County
- Delta County
- Lamar County
- Choctaw County, Oklahoma
Communities
Cities
- Bogata
- Clarksville
- Deport
- Detroit
Towns
- Annona
- Avery
Unincorporated communities
- Aikin Grove
- Albion
- Bagwell
- Boxelder
- Cuthand
- English
- Maple
- Negley
- Peters Prairie
- McCoinville
Ghost town
- Opah
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,587. The median age was 48.0 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.8 males age 18 and over.<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,085 households in the county, of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.0% were married-couple households, 21.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 6,134 housing units, of which 17.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.0% were owner-occupied and 27.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, 14,314 people, 5,827 households, and 4,067 families resided in the county. From the 2000 census, the population density was. The 6,916 housing units had an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 78.04% White, 17.80% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 2.30% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. About 4.67% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.Of the 5,827 households, 28.0% had children under 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were not families. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the age distribution was 23.9% under 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,558 and for a family was $33,436. Males had a median income of $24,609 versus $17,566 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,058, making it one of the economically poorest counties in the state of Texas. About 13.1% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under 18 and 17.7% of those 65 or over.
Education
Thesse school districts serve Red River County:Areas in Clarksville ISD, Detroit ISD, Prairiland ISD, and Rivercrest ISD within this county are assigned to Paris Junior College. Areas in Avery ISD are assigned to Texarkana College.
Notable people
- Jean Baptiste Brevelle, early 18th century explorer, trader and soldier of Fort Saint Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches and Le Poste des Cadodaquious, the first European settlement in the area. Namesake of Brevelle Lake.
- Edward H. Tarrant, for whom Tarrant County was named, lived in Red River County when he first moved to Texas in the 1830s.
- John "Cactus Jack" Garner, Vice President of the U.S. who served for eight years under President F. D. Roosevelt, was born in Red River County, in 1868.
- Jim Leavelle, Dallas homicide detective, who became renowned for escorting Lee Harvey Oswald when Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby, was born here in 1920.
- John Edward Williams author, editor and professor known for his novels Butcher's Crossing, Stoner, and Augustus, which won a U.S. National Book Award.
- William Humphrey, author of Home from the Hill and The Ordways and other works was born and raised in Red River County. Home from the Hill was made into a movie starring George Hamilton among other great stars.
- J. D. Tippit, Dallas policeman, who was shot to death a short time after the John F. Kennedy assassination. A monument to J.D. Tippit is located on Highway 37 South. He was born and raised in Red River County.
- Tommie Smith, set the world and Olympic records with a time of 19.83 seconds and became the 200-meter Olympic champion at the 1968 Summer Olympics, which were held in Mexico
Politics