CARTHAGE, TEXAS

Panola County Seat, East Texas

32° 9' 23" N, 94° 20' 32" W (32.156389, -94.342222)
Hwys 59 and 79
26 miles N of Center
27 miles E of Henderson
40 miles SW of Shreveport
Population: 6,756 Est. (2016)
6,779 (2010) 6,664 (2000) 6,496 (1990)

Book Hotel Here › Carthage Hotels

Drawing of the 1885 Panola County courthouse.
Photo by Terry Jeanson

The Panola County Courthouse ›
One of the worst architectural errors in judgement occurred in Panola County in 1956. The 1885 courthouse was replaced with the 1953 structure in use today.

History in a Pecan Shell

(A timeline of significant events)
1846: Panola County is organized – the town of Pulaski was made temporary county seat.
1848: Carthage is named seat for its central location. Named for Carthage, Mississippi.
1849: Post office was established and a log courthouse was built
1853: Brick courthouse was completed
1874: Carthage is incorporated – although it needed to be reincorporated in 1902 and again after that
1885: Third courthouse is built
1888: Texas, Sabine Valley and Northwestern Railroad arrives

Sunday Drive :

Carthage: Music from two country masters ›

(Excerpted from "THE EAST TEXAS SUNDAY DRIVE BOOK" by Bob Bowman)

Concentrated largely in Panola County, this Sunday Drive will provide you with some of the flavor of East Texas' country and western music, a look at a ghost town, a stop at an old railroad depot, and a drive through the beautiful pine and hardwood forests along the Sabine River.

Start your Sunday Drive at Carthage, the county seat of Panola County (Panola means cotton in Indian), where Potlatch, a festival of arts, crafts and country foods is held every October.

Carthage... became the county seat in l884 when Jonathan Anderson donated 100 acres for the townsite.

[A] block off the town square... you'll find a good collection of quaint shops as well as the Heritage Museum, located in a restored bank building, and the Panola County Historical Museum, located in the old county jail... more

Carthage Landmarks/Attractions:

Former Panola County Jail, Panola County Historical Museum, Carthage Texas

Jail Museum, former Panola County Jail
213 N. Shelby, Carthage
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2006
More Texas Jails

Historical Marker:

Old Panola County Jail

Designed by J. N. Carnes and completed in 1891, this structure served as the Panola County Jail for sixty-two years. The two-story brick building exhibits Italianate and Romanesque style influences and features a symmetrical facade with projecting tower, arched openings, and corbelled detailing. It was used as a city jail from 1953 to 1965. A restoration project begun in 1988 converted it to a community museum and historical center.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967

Present Panola County Courthouse, Carthage Texas

Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, December 2007

The Panola County Courthouse

Jim Reeves Memorial: On Hwy 79, 3 miles east of town

Tex Ritter Museum: 300 W. Panola

Panola County Heritage Museum: 100 East Sabine Street

Lake Murvaul - 15 miles west of Carthage on Murvaul Bayou.
www.tpwd.state.tx.us.htm

Carthage Hotels

Esquire Theatre in Carthage
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2006

Esquire Theatre old neon sign
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2006
More Texas Old Neon

Carthage TX - Esquire Theatre ticket booth

Esquire Theatre ticket booth
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2006
More Texas Theatres

Woods Methodist Church SE of Carthage
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, May 2004
More Texas Churches

Only US International Boundary Republic of Texas Granite Block

Photo courtesy Gerald Massey 2009

Last Remaining International Boundary for The Republic of Texas ›

Carthage Chronicles

Margie Neal by Archie P. McDonald
Margie Elizabeth Neal of Carthage, Texas, really was the first woman to do lots of things and do them well, besides.

Another College Among the Pines by Archie P. McDonald
We who give "All Hail to SFA" think of our University by one of its earlier nicknames, "The College Among The Pines." That also described another excellent institution headquartered in Carthage, Texas, named Panola College after its host county... more

Carthage, Texas Nearby Towns:
Center | Henderson
See Panola County | East Texas

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