Cherokee County, Texas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cherokee County
U.S. county
The Cherokee County Courthouse in Rusk
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	July 13, 1846
Named for	Cherokee people
Seat	Rusk
Largest city	Jacksonville
Area
• Total	1,062 sq mi (2,750 km²)
• Land	1,053 sq mi (2,730 km²)
• Water	9.3 sq mi (24 km²) 0.9%
Population (2020)
• Total	50,412
• Density	47.469/sq mi (18.328/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	5th

Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 50,412. The county seat is Rusk, which lies 130 miles southeast of Dallas and 160 miles north of Houston. The county was named for the Cherokee, who lived in the area before being expelled in 1839.

Cherokee County comprises the Jacksonville, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Tyler-Jacksonville, TX Combined Statistical Area.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2020 census
Communities
Education
See also

History

Native Americans

Caddo Mounds at the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Cherokee County

The Hasinai group of the Caddo tribe built a village in the area about AD 800. and continued to live in the area until the 1830s, when they migrated to the Brazos River. The Federal government moved them to the Brazos Indian Reservation in 1855 and later to Oklahoma.

The Cherokee, Delaware, Shawnee, and Kickapoo Native American people began settling in the area circa 1820. The Texas 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 of the Cherokee and the Republic of Texas. On December 16, 1837, the Texas Senate declared the treaty null and void, and encroachment of Cherokee lands continued. On October 5, 1838, Indians massacred members of the Isaac Killough family 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 land which was to become the county of Cherokee.

Early exploration and settlers

Domingo Terán de los Ríos and Father Damián Massanet explored the area on behalf of Spain in 1691. Louis Juchereau de St. Denis began trading with the Hasinais in 1705. Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas Mission 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. 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 Veterans Monument in Jacksonville, Texas

Cherokee County was formed from land given by Nacogdoches County in 1846. It was organized the same year. The town of Rusk became the county seat.

Cherokee County voted in favor of secession from the Union, during the build-up to the Civil War.

In 1872, the International – Great Northern Railroad caused Jacksonville to relocate two miles east, to be near the tracks. The Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railway was built north-to-south through the county between 1882 and 1885. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad in 1905, and the Texas State Railroad in 1910, each gave rise to new county towns along their tracks.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,062 square miles (2,750 km²), of which 1,053 square miles (2,730 km²) is land and 9.3 square miles (24 km²) (0.9%) 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, east)
Nacogdoches County (east, southeast)
Angelina County (southeast)
Houston County (southwest)
Anderson County (west)
Henderson County (northwest)

National protected area

Neches River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	6,673	—
1860	12,098	81.3%
1870	11,079	−8.4%
1880	16,723	50.9%
1890	22,975	37.4%
1900	25,154	9.5%
1910	29,038	15.4%
1920	37,633	29.6%
1930	43,180	14.7%
1940	43,970	1.8%
1950	38,694	−12.0%
1960	33,120	−14.4%
1970	32,008	−3.4%
1980	38,127	19.1%
1990	41,049	7.7%
2000	46,659	13.7%
2010	50,845	9.0%
2020	50,412	−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020

2020 census

**Cherokee County, Texas - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	31,892	30,095	62.72%	59.70%
Black or African American alone (NH)	7,401	6,359	14.56%	12.61%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	125	128	0.25%	0.25%
Asian alone (NH)	221	263	0.43%	0.52%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	6	18	0.01%	0.04%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	36	123	0.07%	0.24%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	665	1,629	1.31%	3.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	10,499	11,797	20.65%	23.40%
Total	50,845	50,412	100.00%	100.00%

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 can be of any race.

Communities

Cities

Gallatin
Jacksonville
New Summerfield
Reklaw (partly in Rusk County)
Rusk (county seat)
Troup (mostly in Smith County)

Towns

Census-designated place

Shadybrook

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Education

School districts:

Alto Independent School District
Bullard Independent School District
Carlisle Independent School District
Jacksonville Independent School District
New Summerfield Independent School District
Rusk Independent School District
Troup Independent School District
Wells Independent School District

Areas in Bullard, Jacksonville, New Summerfield, Rusk, and Troup are assigned to Tyler Junior College. Areas of Cherokee County in Alto ISD and Wells ISD are assigned to Angelina College. Areas in Carlisle ISD are assigned to Kilgore Junior College. Legislation does not specify a community college for the remainder of the county.

Cherokee County, Texas facts for kids

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