Cherokee County, Texas

Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It 2000, its population was 46,659. It is named for the Cherokee Native American tribe. The seat of the county is Rusk^[1].

Cherokee County is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Tyler•Jacksonville Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,062 square miles (2,750 km²), of which, 1,052 square miles (2,725 km²) of it is land and 10 square miles (25 km²) of it (0.92%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 69
• U.S. Highway 79
• U.S. Highway 84
• U.S. Highway 175
• State Highway 21
• State Highway 110
• State Highway 135
• State Highway 204
• State Highway 294

Adjacent counties

• Smith County (north)
• Rusk County (northeast)
• Nacogdoches County (east)
• Angelina County (southeast)
• Houston County (southwest)
• Anderson County (west)
• Henderson County (northwest)

National protected area

• Neches River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 46,659 people, 16,651 households, and 12,105 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile (17/km²). There were 19,173 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.34% White, 15.96% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 7.43% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 13.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,651 households out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 12.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county, the population was spread out with 26.30% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,313, and the median income for a family was $34,750. Males had a median income of $26,410 versus $19,788 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,980. About 13.70% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over.

History

Native Americans

The Hasinai group of the Caddo tribe built a village in the area about 800 A.D.^{[3] [4]} and continued to live in the area until the 1830's, when they migrated to the Brazos River. The Federal Government moved them to the Brazos Indian Reservation in 1855 and later to Oklahoma.

The Cherokees Delaware, Shawnee, and Kickapoo, began settling in the area circa 1820. The Cherokee tried unsuccessfully to gain a grant to their own land from the Mexican government. Sam Houston, adopted son of Chief Oolooteka (John Jolly) of the Cherokee, negotiated the January 14, 1836 treaty between Chief Bowl^[5] of the Cherokees and the Republic of Texas.^{[6] [7]} On December 16, 1837, the Texas Senate declared the treaty null and void,^[8] and continued further encroachment of Cherokee lands. On October 5, 1838, Indians massacred members of the Isaac Killough family^{[9] [10]} at their farm northwest of the site of present Jacksonville, leading to the Cherokee War of 1839 and the expulsion of all Indians from the county.

Early exploration and settlers

Domingo Terán de los Ríos^[11] and Father Damián Massanet^[12] explored the area on behalf of Spain in 1691. Louis Juchereau de St. Denis^[13] began trading with the Hasinais in 1705. Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas Mission^[14] was originally established in 1690 but was re-established in 1716 by Captain Domingo Ramon. It was abandoned again because of French incursions and re-established in 1721 by the Marques de San Miguel de Aguyao.

In 1826, empresario David G. Burnet received a grant from the Coahuila y Tejas legislature to settle 300 families.^[15] then. The settlers were mostly from the southern states and brought with that lifestyle with them. By contracting how many families each grantee could settle, the government sought to have some control over colonization.

County established and growth

Cherokee County was formed from Nacogdoches County in 1846. It was organized the same year. Rusk became the county seat.

Cherokee County voted in favor of secession from the Union.

In 1872, the International • Great Northern Railroad^[16] caused Jacksonville^[17] to relocate two miles east to be near the tracks. The Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railway^[18] built north-to-south through the county between 1882-1885. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad^[19] in 1905, and the Texas State Railroad^[20] in 1910 both gave rise to new county towns along their tracks.

Cities and towns

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. ^ Long, Christopher and Standifer, Mary M: Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
4. ^ "Caddo Mounds". Texas State Historical Association. http://www.visitcaddomounds.com/index.aspx?page=389. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
5. ^ "Houston, Sam". The Sam Houston Memorial Museum. http://www.shsu.edu/~smm_www/History/. Retrieved 04 May 2010. T he Sam Houston Memorial Museum
6. ^ "The Texas Cherokee". R. Edward Moore and Texarch Associates. http://www.texasindians.com/cherokee.htm. Retrieved 04 May 2010. R. Edward Moore and Texarch Associates
7. ^ "Houston, Sam". PBS. http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/d_h/houston.htm. Retrieved 04 May 2010.
8. ^ Cherokee War from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
9. ^ Long, Christopher: Killough Massacre from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
10. ^ Whitington, Mitchell. "A Monument to the Killough Massacre". Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC.. http://www.texasescapes.com/Ghosts/Killough-Massacre.htm. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC.
11. ^ Blake, Robert Bruce: Terán de los Ríos, Domingo from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
12. ^ Chipman, Donald E: Massanet, Father Damian from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
13. ^ Chipman, Donald E and Lemee, Patricia R: St. Denis, Louis Juchereau de from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
14. ^ Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas Mission from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
15. ^ "Empresario Contracts in the Colonization of Texas 1825-1834". Texas A & M University. http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/empresarios.htm. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Wallace L. McKeehan,
16. ^ Werner, George C: International-Great Northern Railroad from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
17. ^ "Jacksonville, Texas". Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC.. http://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/Jacksonville-Texas.htm. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC.
18. ^ "Kansas and Gulf Short Railway". History Map.com. http://www.history-map.com/picture/004/Kansas-Short-Gulf-Line.htm. Retrieved 04 May 2010.
19. ^ Williams, Howard C: Texas and New Orleans Railroad from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
20. ^ Richards, Amy: Texas State Railroad from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 04 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association

External links

• Cherokee County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas
• Historic Cherokee County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
• Cherokee County Sons of Confederate Veterans

Coordinates: 31°50′N 95°10′W / 31.84°N 95.17°W

Categories: Texas counties | Cherokee County, Texas a>