Anderson County
County
The Anderson County Courthouse in Palestine
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°49′N 95°39′W / 31.81°N 95.65°W / 31.81; -95.65
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	March 24, 1846
Named for	Kenneth L. Anderson
Seat	Palestine
Largest city	Palestine
Area
• Total	1,078 sq mi (2,790 km2)
• Land	1,063 sq mi (2,750 km2)
• Water	15 sq mi (40 km2)  1.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	57,922
• Density	54/sq mi (21/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.co.anderson.tx.us

Anderson County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. Located within East Texas, its county seat is Palestine.^[1] As of the 2020 United States census, the population of Anderson County was 57,922.^[2] Anderson County comprises the Palestine micropolitan statistical area. Anderson County was organized in 1846, and was named after Kenneth Lewis Anderson (1805-1845), the last vice president of the Republic of Texas.

History

Native Americans

Native Americans friendly to the settlers resided in East Texas^[3] before the Kiowa, Kickapoo, Kichai, Apache, and Comanche relocated to the territory.^[4] These tribes hunted, farmed the land, and were adept traders. By 1772, they had settled on the Brazos at Waco and on the Trinity upstream from present Palestine. The Tawakoni branch of Wichita Indians originated north of Texas,^[5] but migrated south into East Texas. From 1843 onward, the Tawakoni were part of treaties made by both the Republic of Texas and the United States.

On May 19, 1836, an alliance of Comanche, Kiowa, Caddo, and Wichita attacked Fort Parker (Limestone County), killing and taking settlers captive. The survivors escaped to Fort Houston, which had been erected in Anderson County in 1835 as protection against Indians.^[6][7] Some early residents of Anderson County were related to Cynthia Ann Parker, who was among the captives.^[8]

In October 1838, Gen. Thomas Jefferson Rusk conducted a raid against hostile Indians at Kickapoo, near Frankston.^[9] This ended the engagements with the Indians in East Texas for that year.

Anglo settlement

In 1826, empresario David G. Burnet received a grant from the Coahuila y Tejas legislature to settle 300 families in what is now Anderson County.^[10] Most of the settlers came from the southern states and Missouri.

Baptist leader Daniel Parker^[11] and eight other men organized the Pilgrim Predestinarian Regular Baptist Church in Lamotte, Illinois in 1833. This entire group migrated to the Texas frontier, arriving in Austins Colony in November 1833,^[11] and establishing Fort Parker (Limestone County) in 1834. In October 1834, in consequence of "their members were becoming scattered in a wilderness," the Church agreed to adjourn until the majority of their members settled.^[12]

After the Texas Revolution and the attack on Fort Parker, Daniel Parker and some of the survivors moved to Fort Houston (Anderson County).^[13] They established a new community south of the fort.

Incorporation

The First Legislature of the State of Texas formed Anderson County from Houston County on March 24, 1846. The county was named for Kenneth Lewis Anderson. Palestine was named the county seat.^[14]

Anderson County voted for secession from the Union.^[15] When the American Civil War began, former Palestine district judge Judge John H. Reagan^[16] served in the cabinet of the Confederate government as postmaster general, being captured at the end of the war and spending 22 months in solitary confinement. During Reconstruction, District Nine Court Judge Reuben A. Reeves,^[17] a resident of Palestine, was removed from office as "an obstruction to Reconstruction" in part because of his refusal to allow blacks to participate as jurors in the judicial process.

In 1875, the International – Great Northern Railroad^[18] placed its machine and repair shops and general offices in Palestine, causing the community to double in size over the next 5 years. For a time, it was a rough railroad town, dominated by male workers.

White violence against blacks occurred in the county, most frequently by lynchings of black men. But in July 1910, at least 22 blacks were killed in white rioting near Slocum, a majority-black community, in what is called the Slocum Massacre. Racial and economic tensions had been high in the post-Reconstruction era and southern states had disenfranchised blacks and imposed Jim Crow in furtherance of white supremacy.^[19] Anderson County tied for 13th place in a list of the 25 American counties with the highest number of lynchings between 1877 and 1950 (all were located in the South).^[20]

Oral tradition in the African-American community holds that as many as 200 blacks may have been killed in the massacre. An estimated 200 whites rioted and attacked blacks on the roads, in the fields, and in Slocum on July 29–30, 1910. Many black homes were burned, and black families fled for their lives, having to abandon their property and assets. This town is about 20 miles east of the county seat at Palestine.^[21]

At the time, as was usual, white newspapers described such events as a "race riot" by blacks. Texas newspapers had contributed to problems by reporting false rumors that 200 blacks were arming. Afterward, 11 men were arrested and seven were indicted, including James Spurger, said by many to be the instigator, but no prosecution resulted. The massacre had been preceded by racial tensions, rumors, and, for 6 months, at least one lynching per month of Blacks in East Texas.^[21]

In January 2016, the state installed a highway historical marker in Slocum to recognize this unprovoked white attack on the black community.^[22] It was part of a history of white violence against blacks.

In 1926, the Humble Oil and Refining Company, in partnership with the Rio Bravo Company, started an exploration drilling program along Boggy Creek, in what turned our to be the Boggy Creek salt dome. On March 19, 1927, the Elliott and Clark No. 1 encountered the Woodbine Formation at a depth of 3,838 feet (1,170 m) and produced 62 barrels of oil per hour, but showed salt water after producing only 15,000 barrels. On November 10, 1927, the Elliott and Clark No. 2, 150 feet to the west, was completed as a gas well. On February 4, 1928, the first oil-producing well in Anderson County, the Humble-Lizzie Smith No. 1, was completed, producing 80 BOPD. By May 1931, 80 wells had been drilled in the Boggy Creek Oil Field, 6 of which produced gas, 33 oil, and 41 were dry holes.^[23][24][25]

The Fairway Oil Field was discovered in 1960, and straddles the border of Anderson and Henderson Counties. Oil is produced from the Lower Cretaceous James Limestone member of the Pearsall formation.^[26]

The Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area was purchased by the state between 1950 and 1960,^[27] much of it formerly owned by Milze L. Derden. The area was renamed in 1952 for Gus A. Engeling, the first state biologist assigned to the area who was killed by a poacher on December 13, 1951.

Geography

Anderson County is situated at the threshold of two ecoregions, the piney woods to the east, and the East Central Texas forests, also referred to as post oak savanna to the west. The terrain of Anderson County consists of hills carved by drainages and gullies, with numerous lakes and ponds. The Trinity River flows southward along the west boundary line of the county; the Neches River flows southward along its east boundary line, and Brushy Creek flows southeastward through the central portion of the county.^[28] The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest points along the midpoint of its northern boundary line at 551 ft (168 m) ASL.^[29] The county has a total area of 1,078 square miles (2,790 km²), of which 1,063 square miles (2,750 km²) are land and 15 square miles (39 km²) (1.4%) are covered by water.^[30]

The county is wholly located within area codes 430 and 903.^[31][32]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Lakes

^[28]

Communities

City

• Palestine (county seat)

Towns

• Elkhart
• Frankston

Unincorporated areas

Ghost towns

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Anderson County.^[33]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)	1	† Palestine	City	57,496	2	'Elkhart	Town	1,299	3	Frankston	1,170

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	2,684		—
1860	10,398		287.4%
1870	9,229		−11.2%
1880	17,395		88.5%
1890	20,923		20.3%
1900	28,015		33.9%
1910	29,650		5.8%
1920	34,318		15.7%
1930	34,643		0.9%
1940	37,092		7.1%
1950	31,875		−14.1%
1960	28,162		−11.6%
1970	27,789		−1.3%
1980	38,381		38.1%
1990	48,024		25.1%
2000	55,109		14.8%
2010	58,458		6.1%
2020	57,922		−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[34] 1850–2010[35] 2010-2020[36]

Demographic profile of Anderson County, Texas
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race and ethnicity	Pop 2010[37]	Pop 2020[36]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	35,792	33,098	61.23%	57.14%
Black or African American alone (NH)	12,222	11,430	20.91%	19.73%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	192	193	0.33%	0.33%
Asian alone (NH)	283	381	0.48%	0.66%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	16	13	0.03%	0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	37	113	0.06%	0.20%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	629	1,583	1.08%	2.73%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	9,287	11,111	15.89%	19.18%
Total	58,458	57,922	100.00%	100.00%

From its initial population of 2,684 in 1850, Anderson County's population increased to 55,109 people at the 2000 U.S. census.^[38] By the publication of the 2020 United States census, its population further grew to 57,922,^[36] though the 2020 tabulation is a decline of negative 0.9% from 2010's 58,458 residents at the 2010 U.S. census.

Among the growing population of Anderson county, its racial and ethnic makeup has remained predominantly non-Hispanic or non-Latino white, although its Hispanic and Latino American population of any race increased to consist of more than 11,000 residents as of 2020; the increase in Hispanic and Latino American residency reflected nationwide trends of diversification since the 2020 census.^[39][40] Of note, its African American communities have remained relatively the same, though experiencing a slight decline; multiracial Americans have increased to 2.73% of the population.

Consisting of 16,555 households according to the 2020 American Community Survey's 5-year estimates,^[41] there was a homeownership rate of 71.5%. Among the population, the median gross rent was $829 against the statewide median of $1,082.^[42] The median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $110,000, and the median mortgage was $1,102; housing units without a mortgage had a median monthly cost of $441.^[when?] In 2000, there were 15,678 households, 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were married couples living together, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were not families. About 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[when?]

In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $31,957, and for a family was $37,513. Males had a median income of $27,070 versus $21,577 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,838. About 12.70% of families and 16.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 16.60% of those age 65 or over. In 2020, its median household income grew to $45,847 and 14.1% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.^[41] The impoverished communities in Anderson County consisted of 21.5% of residents under the age of 18, and 9.9% were aged 65 and older.

Government and politics

Government

Anderson County is governed by a commissioners' court. It consists of the county judge, who is elected at-large and presides over the full court, and four commissioners, who are elected from the county's four single-member precincts.^[43][44]

County commissioners

Office		Name	Party
	County judge	Robert D. Johnston	Republican
	Precinct 1	Greg Chapin	Republican
	Precinct 2	Rashad Mims	Democratic
	Precinct 3	Kenneth Dickson	Republican
	Precinct 4	Joey Hill	Republican

^[43][44]

County officials

Office		Name	Party
	County clerk	Mark Staples	Republican
	Criminal district attorney	Allyson Mitchell	Republican
	District clerk	Teresa Coker	Republican
	Sheriff	W. R. (Rudy) Flores	Republican
	Tax assessor-collector	Teri Garvey Hanks	Republican
	Treasurer	Tara Holliday	Republican

^[43][44]

Constables

Office		Name	Party
	Precinct 1	David Franklin
	Precinct 2	Doug Lightfoot	Republican
	Precinct 3	Kim Dickson	Republican
	Precinct 4	James Muniz	Republican

^[43][44]

State prisons

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates state prisons for men in the county. The prisons Beto, Coffield, Michael, and Powledge units and the Gurney Unit transfer facility are located in an unincorporated area 7 miles (11 km) west of Palestine.^[45] The Beto Unit has the Correctional Institutions Division Region II maintenance headquarters.^[46]

Courts

Justices of the peace

Office		Name	Party
	Precinct 1 DeMarcus Cousins to 3rd	school
	Precinct 2	Carl Davis	Democratic
	Precinct 3	James Todd	Republican
	Precinct 4	James Westley	Republican

^[43][44]

County court at law

Jeff Doran, a Republican, is the judge of the county court at law. ^[43][44]

District courts

Office		Name	Party
	3rd district court	Mark Calhoon	Republican
	87th district court	Deborah Oakes Evans	Republican
	349th district court	Pam Foster Fletcher	Republican
	369th district court	Michael Davis	Republican

^[43][44]

Politics

Anderson is a strongly Republican county, voting Republican in every election since 1980 (as of 2020). The county last voted Democratic in 1976, when Jimmy Carter won 57% of the county's votes. Hillary Clinton managed to win just 19.8% of the vote in the county, the least of any presidential candidate since 1944.

United States presidential election results for Anderson County, Texas^[47]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	15,110	78.59%	3,955	20.57%	162	0.84%
2016	13,201	77.76%	3,369	19.84%	407	2.40%
2012	12,262	75.64%	3,813	23.52%	137	0.85%
2008	11,884	71.35%	4,630	27.80%	141	0.85%
2004	11,525	70.70%	4,678	28.70%	98	0.60%
2000	9,835	65.22%	5,041	33.43%	204	1.35%
1996	6,458	48.19%	5,693	42.49%	1,249	9.32%
1992	5,598	38.70%	5,322	36.79%	3,546	24.51%
1988	7,858	55.95%	6,128	43.63%	59	0.42%
1984	8,634	64.32%	4,747	35.36%	42	0.31%
1980	5,970	52.69%	5,163	45.57%	197	1.74%
1976	4,172	42.94%	5,499	56.60%	44	0.45%
1972	5,826	72.24%	2,233	27.69%	6	0.07%
1968	2,828	29.86%	3,447	36.40%	3,196	33.75%
1964	3,362	41.10%	4,809	58.78%	10	0.12%
1960	3,642	52.16%	3,296	47.21%	44	0.63%
1956	4,181	60.47%	2,710	39.20%	23	0.33%
1952	4,637	57.18%	3,462	42.69%	10	0.12%
1948	1,199	23.07%	3,242	62.37%	757	14.56%
1944	467	8.53%	4,342	79.32%	665	12.15%
1940	688	11.51%	5,281	88.37%	7	0.12%
1936	289	7.15%	3,749	92.80%	2	0.05%
1932	259	5.60%	4,354	94.10%	14	0.30%
1928	1,814	50.94%	1,747	49.06%	0	0.00%
1924	562	47.19%	374	31.40%	255	21.41%
1920	323	8.23%	2,355	59.98%	1,248	31.79%
1916	501	18.71%	1,984	74.11%	192	7.17%
1912	444	19.38%	1,737	75.82%	110	4.80%

Education

These school districts serve areas in Anderson County:

Media

Anderson County is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth DMA. Local TV media outlets include: KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, WFAA-TV, KTVT-TV, KERA-TV, KTXA-TV, KDFI-TV, and KDAF-TV. Other nearby TV stations that provide coverage for Anderson County come from the Tyler/Longview/Jacksonville market and they include: KLTV, KTRE-TV, KYTX-TV, KFXK-TV, and KETK-TV.

Newspapers serving Anderson County include the Palestine Herald-Press in Palestine and the weekly online Frankston Citizen in Frankston.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Anderson County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Anderson County
• East Texas Oil Field
• Category:People from Anderson County, Texas
• List of counties in Texas

Further reading

• E.R. Bills wrote The 1910 Slocum Massacre: An Act of Genocide in East Texas (2014) about white mobs rioting and killing at least 22 blacks in Anderson County in July 1910, and driving off hundreds more.^[21]

References

External links

• Anderson County government
• Anderson County, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Anderson County from the Texas Almanac
• Anderson County from the TXGenWeb Project
• Anderson County Agrilife extension profile at Texas A&M University
• View historic Anderson County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History

31°49′N 95°39′W / 31.81°N 95.65°W / 31.81; -95.65