Texarkana metropolitan area
The Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, is a two-county region anchored by the twin cities of Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Arkansas, and encompassing the surrounding communities in Bowie County, Texas and Miller County, Arkansas.
As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 129,749 (though a July 1, 2009 estimate placed the population at 137,486).[3]
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History
Map of the city in 1888Texarkana
Texarkana was founded in 1873 and it was founded by the junction of two railroads. While the meaning of the name is clear • a portmanteau of TEXas, ARKansas, and LouisiANA • it should be noted that when surveyors first surveyed the land, they thought that the city would be on the border of Louisiana as well as Arkansas and Texas. One tradition tells of a Red River steamboat named The Texarkana, circa 1860. Another story mentions a storekeeper named Swindle in Red Land, Louisiana who concocted a drink called "Texarkana Bitters". A third account states that Robert Debter coined the name[4]. Local lore suggests that, before Texas' annexation by the US, in the area north of the Sulphur River (and at times as far south as Cypress Creek or even the Sabine River) and on the south or west side of the Red River as far west as the current Arkansas-Oklahoma border there were territory disputes among Americans, Mexicans, or others (French, Spanish, even the English). Because of the disputes, lawlessness ruled in the area that at times was claimed by all three (TEX-ARK-ANA). Because of the area's name, the city on the border between Texas and Arkansas was given the label. "Texarkansas" is a frequent misspelling.
In 1876, Texarkana, Texas, was granted a charter under an act of the Texas legislature, and a Texarkana, Texas, post office operated from 1886 to 1892. At some point after that, Congressman John Morris Sheppard (D-TX) secured a postal order officially changing the name to "Texarkana, Arkansas-Texas"[4]. Some of Texarkana's school districts are TexarkanaISD, Red LickISD, Pleasent GroveISD, Liberty EyluISD, and ArkansasISD.
Texarkana metropolitan area
The Texarkana metropolitan area was first defined in 1960.[5] Then known as the Texarkana, TX•Texarkana, AR Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, it consisted of Bowie County, Texas and Miller County, Arkansas. In 1963, the area was renamed the Texarkana, TX•AR Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area[6], only to return to its original name in 1971.[7]
Little River County, Arkansas was added to the SMSA in 1973.[8] In 1983, the official name was shortened to the Texarkana, TX•Texarkana, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is still in use to date.[9] That same year, Little River County was removed from the MSA. The two-county MSA had a population of 129,749 in 2000. The Ace of Clubs House is one of the oldest buildings in Texarkana.
Some of our city’s most notable historical buildings are The Post Office, The Ace of Clubs House, The Perot, and Regional Museum. One of the most famous houses in Texarkana is The Aces of Clubs House: Three families have owned this house. It is shaped like a club on a playing card. It inspired the guy to build it because he won a poker game off ace of clubs. It is the oldest house in Texarkana.
MSA demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 129,749 people, 48,695 households, and 34,524 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 53.49% White, 43.28% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.57% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $31,976, and the median income for a family was $38,887. Males had a median income of $32,482 versus $21,408 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $16,901.
New development
In the last few years Texarkana has developed very quickly, and a vast array of new stores and services have been popping up.
Much land along I-30 has been cleared between the Richmond road exit and the Nash exit to allow new businesses to be built and other businesses to expand. A multitude of restaurants also have been added over the last few years, such as On the Border, Hooters, and Olive Garden.
As of October 2007 there are multiple projects in progress to expand Texarkana's capabilities to handle the ever growing amounts of traffic, and to relieve strain on the Richmond Rd. and Summerhill Rd. exits. Access roads, bridges, and viaducts are being built, all to further the growth of the Texarkana business region.
The Texarkana Symphony Orchestra was established in 2005, providing the community with several professional concerts of classical music every year. in 2007, the Texarkana Youth Symphony Orchrestra was established, they play twice a year, a spring concert and a winter concert.
Economy
According to Forbes, Texarkana is predicted to increase 28.57% in GMP by 2012 making Texarkana the second fastest growing small metro area in the country. Texarkana is a regional hub for cities in southwest Arkansas, northeast Texas, northwest Louisiana, and southeast Oklahoma.
Major employers are: Albertsons, Alcoa, American Screen Graphics, Bolls Distributing Company, Burger King, BWI, Christus St.Michaels Health Systems, Collom & Carney Clinic, Cooper Tires & Rubber, Day & Zimmermann INC, Domtar, Inc, E-Z Mart Stores, Genoa Central School District, Hibernia Bank, Home Depot, Humco Holding Group INC, International Paper, JCM Industries, JC Penney Krause Service Company, Ledwell & Son Enterprises, Liberty Eylau ISD, Lowe's, APEC Texas, Mayo Manufacturing, McDonald's, Pleasant Grove ISD, Red River Army Depot & Tenets, Red River Employees Federal Credit Union Regions, Sears-Roebuck, Southern Refrigerated, Texarkana College, Texarkana Gazette, City of Texarkana, AR, City of Texarkana, TX, Texarkana, TX ISD, Texarkana, AR Public Schools, Truman Arnold Company, Valor Telecom, Wadley Regional Medical, Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, Applied Control Technology, American Dehydrated Foods, AmeriCold Logistics, Carpco, Inc., Caraustar Industrial Consumer Products Group, Caraustar Lonestar Paper Sales, Coleman Cable, Davis Roof Truss Manuf. Co., Detroit Forms, Inc., DOW Chemical, Fay-J Packaging, FCM Products, Inc., First Tape and Label, Commercial Manufacturing, Flowers Baking Co., GE Railcar Repair, International Paper Co., JCM Industries, Lear Siegler Service, Inc., M & M Milling, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., Martin Resources, N.L. Baroid Petroleum Services, Newcourt, Inc., Paper Chemicals, Inc., Parks Metal Fabricators, Precision Metal Industries, Precision Roll Grinders, Rimcor, River Valley Animal Foods, Smith-Blair, Inc., The Sterno Group, Texarkana Tank Car Manufacturer, Inc., Tri-State Iron & Metal Company, W. W. Metal Product, and Ward-Davis, Inc., according to the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce.
Texarkana is a major transportation hub being centrally located in between Dallas-Ft. Worth, Little Rock-North Little Rock, Shreveport-Bossier City, Northwest Arkansas, and Houston.
Coming to Texarkana will be the new four year campus of Texas A&M University-Texarkana and Southern Arkansas University Tech-Texarkana.
In the works now is future I-49 connecting from Shreveport, LA to Kansas City, MO, and a part of the Trans-Texas Corridor which will connect Texarkana to the future I-69 connecting Mexico to Canada.
Texarkana is the fastest growing city in Northeast Texas and in southern Arkansas. Texarkana, AR is one of 3 cities south of the Little Rock area growing in southern Arkansas, (the other two are Hot Springs and Magnolia).
Geography
Texarkana's Federal Building/Post Office is located in the median between northbound and southbound traffic on State Line Avenue[10]. For demographic information, see Texarkana, Arkansas and Texarkana, Texas.Texarkana consists of two separate municipal designations:
- Texarkana, Arkansas, the county seat of Miller County, Arkansas
- Texarkana, Texas, located in Bowie County, Texas
The boulevard State Line Avenue follows the Texas-Arkansas state line throughout much of Texarkana. The two "sides" of Texarkana are separate only from a political standpoint. Thousands of locals actually live in one state and work in the other.
Owing to its divided political nature, Texarkana has two mayors and two sets of city officials; however, the two sides share a federal building, courthouse, jail, post office, labor office, chamber of commerce, water utility, and several other offices[4].
Roads
Texarkana is on Interstate 30, located close to halfway between Dallas, Texas, and Little Rock, Arkansas. Other major routes in Texarkana include:
- U.S. Route 59
- U.S. Route 67
- U.S. Route 71
- U.S. Route 82
- The Loop (consisting of US 59, as well as Texas State Highway Loop 151 and Arkansas Highway 245)
Local lore
Owing perhaps to its nature as a divided city and its remoteness from large urban areas, Texarkana has long been known as a hotbed for ghost stories, mysteries, and other colorful local lore. However, most of them are untrue.
The Phantom Killer
Main article: The Phantom KillerIn 1946, Texarkana was the site of one of America's first widely-publicized serial murders, in which five people were killed and several others injured by an unknown assailant. Dubbed the "Texarkana Moonlight Murders" by news media, the violence focused on couples occupying popular "make-out" spots in and around the town, such as back roads and "lovers' lanes". The only description of the killer was that he carried a handgun and wore a mask. The case was never solved and the spree ended with no suspects arrested.
A man by the name of Yuell Lee Swinney, who was 29 at the time, was arrested but released. He was later released from prison in 1974 after serving 28 years for the theft of a car and other crimes, but he was never convicted of any murders. He had been implicated by his wife who claimed she was present when he had committed the murders, yet her accounts of the incidents varied over several tellings. Swinney himself denied having any involvement—a denial he maintained until his death in 1993 at age 76 in a prison hospital (where he had been held for counterfeiting and other crimes). Many believe nevertheless that he was the murderer, including several of his prison inmates who claimed Swinney had confessed to them[citation needed]. His sister, Mildred Swinney-Sones, also believed he had committed the murders.[citation needed].
These events inspired the film The Town That Dreaded Sundown, released in 1977, written and directed by Charles B. Pierce, and starring Ben Johnson, Dawn Wells, and Pierce himself. Some of the facts of the original case were fictionalized or altered for the film, including victims' names.
In recent years, most area police and sheriffs' records of the case were discovered by investigative journalists to be mysteriously missing. No active files of the cases are currently being maintained by area law-enforcement agencies. Some locals believe that the Phantom Killer died long ago; some claim that he was a member of the local upper class aristocracy, which collaborated to keep his identity quiet to avoid scandal. Local lore maintains that he was more a supernatural force than a human being, and that he will return one day to resume his bloody deeds[citation needed]. Technically the case is still open, though as of 2006[update] it is considered cold. If the killer is still alive, considering when the crimes took place, he would likely have been born circa 1928 at the latest, which means he could still be living today (2008).
Fouke Monster
The swampy terrain of Boggy Creek, near Fouke, Arkansas, a small Miller County town southeast of Texarkana, is the reputed home of an anthropoid monster similar in appearance and behavior to the Pacific Northwest's Bigfoot and Sasquatch, and to the Skunk Ape of Florida legend. A film dramatizing these stories, entitled The Legend of Boggy Creek, was released in 1972. Two sequels, Return to Boggy Creek (1977) and The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II (1985) (AKA Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues; the "official" sequel made by the original film's director, Charles B. Pierce) followed with very little commercial success (although The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II was featured in the tenth season of Mystery Science Theater 3000). Locals referred to it as the "Fouke Monster."
Texarkana in popular culture
Movies
- Walk the Line
- Papa's Delicate Condition
- 2 Fast 2 Furious
- Smokey and the Bandit
- The Town That Dreaded Sundown
- The Legend of Boggy Creek
- Return to Boggy Creek
- Norwood (film)
- The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II
- American Psycho
- One False Move by spencer andrew taylor
- A Perfect World starring Kevin Costner
- Friday After Next by Ice Cube
- Scream 2" by Neve Campbell
- Zombieland
- Episode of Andy Griffith Show-Singer in Town
Operas
Songs
- All My Ex's Live in Texas by George Strait
- Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' by Crazy Elephant
- Texarkana by R.E.M
- Texarkana by Beck
- Texarkana by Coby Carlucci
- Texarkana Moonlight by The Bad Detectives
- Texarkana To Panama City by Lee Rocker
- Texarkana State of Mind by Bob Delevante
- Texarkana Baby by Eddie Arnold
- Blue Tail Fly by Leadbelly
- Cotton Fields by Leadbelly; later covered by many other artists
- Call It What You Want by Tesla
- Ride My Llama by Neil Young
- Fingernails by Joe Ely
- I've Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash
- East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed and later covered by the Supersuckers
- Red Bull of Juarez by Frodus
- Lonely Love by Drive-By Truckers
- Immortal by Clutch (band)
- Sweet Home Texarkana, a parody of Sweet Home Alabama covered by many local artists
Books
- A Canticle for Leibowitz
- Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman (1997)
- Bridged by Love
- Cry for the Moon by William A. Woodall
Notable people from Texarkana
See also: Category:People from Texarkana- Scott Joplin (childhood home)
- Joshua Logan, Broadway & Film director, writer, & lyricist. Co-wrote "South Pacific"
- Conlon Nancarrow, composer
- Ross Perot, Politician and Entrepreneur
- Truman Arnold, Entrepreneur
- Corinne Griffith, Silent-Film Star
- Pocket Full of Rocks, Christian Rock band and Dove Award Nominee
- Prudence Mackintosh, writer
- Cedar's Return, Christian Rock band
- David Crowder, Christian Contemporary musician
- Chad Matthews, Author and Filmmaker, Founder of I Love Evleyn
- Daniel Carson, Guitarist for Chris Tomlin
- Eddie Matthews, Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player
- Parnelli Jones, race car driver
- John Keener Wadley, oil executive, philanthropist
- Rod Smith, Denver Broncos-wide receiver
- Nathan Vasher, Chicago Bears-defensive back
- Steve Ledwell, Founder and Owner of Ledwell and Son Enterprises, Modern Philanthropist
- Craig Monroe, Minnesota Twins-outfielder
- Eric Warfield, Kansas City Chiefs
- Mike Huckabee (Spent approx. 10 years in Texarkana as a pastor)
- Bill Rogers, Golfer, winner of 1981 British Open
- Bob Moose, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher
- Pilotdrift, Indie band
- Goesl's Parade, Christian Band
- Katrina Rabozzi, Physicist
- Miller Barber, professional golfer
- Ike Forte, former University of Arkansas Running Back
- Jeff Keith, born in Texarkana, Lead Vocals for the rock band Tesla
- Will Middlebrooks, A member of the Boston Red Sox organization
- Dan Blocker, Television/Movie Star - most notable on Bonanza, born near Texarkana
- Jeremiah Trotter, from Hooks, TX (near Texarkana, TX)
- Run Away, Penguin!, Comedy Troupe
- Brandon Jones, San Francisco 49ers-wide receiver
- Charles B Pierce -Movie Director and Producer
- Pop Band The Eagles Singer Don Henly from nearby Linden, TX a short distance south of Texarkana
- Drew Stubbs, Cincinnati Reds center fielder
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (CBSA-EST2009-01)" (CSV). 2009 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2010-03-23. http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2009/CBSA-EST2009-01.csv. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
- ^ a b c The Handbook of Texas Online, Texarkana, TX. Texas State Historical Association, University of North Texas.
- ^ "Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) and Components" (TXT). Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by Office of Management and Budget, November 1960. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2000-10-25. http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/lists/historical/60mfips.txt. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ^ "Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) and Components, 1963" (TXT). Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by Office of Management and Budget, October 18, 1963. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2000-10-25. http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/lists/historical/63mfips.txt. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ^ "Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) and Components, 1971" (TXT). Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by Office of Management and Budget, February 23, 1971. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2000-10-16. http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/lists/historical/73mfips.txt. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ^ "Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) and Components, 1973" (TXT). Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by Office of Management and Budget, April 27, 1973. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2000-05-01. http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/lists/historical/73mfips.txt. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ^ "About Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/aboutmetro.html. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ Google Maps, Texarkana.
- Metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan divisions defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, December 2003 [1]
- Texarkana, Texas fact sheet from the U.S. Census Bureau
- Texarkana, Arkansas fact sheet from the U.S. Census Bureau
- Texarkana Chamber of Commerce 2006-2007 Community Profile (in PDF format)
John Goforth. Record Producer, Guitarist, Composer, Owner of Covered Bridge Records, Third Millennium Artists. Producer of the Stateline Music Fetival.
External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Texarkana |
- TxkUSA.org, official web site for Texarkana, USA
- Texarkana Chamber of Commerce
- RateTexarkana.com
- Texarkana Symphony Orchestra
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Categories: Texarkana metropolitan area | Divided cities | Twin cities | Bowie County, Texas | Miller County, Arkansas
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