Cass County, Texas

Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 28,454.^[1] The county seat is Linden.^[2] The county was named for Lewis Cass, a United States Senator representing Michigan who favored the U.S. annexation of Texas in the mid-19th century.

Cass County
County
Cass County Courthouse in Linden
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°04′N 94°21′W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1846
Named after	Lewis Cass
Seat	Linden
Largest city	Atlanta
Area
• Total	960 sq mi (2,500 km2)
• Land	937 sq mi (2,430 km2)
• Water	23 sq mi (60 km2)  2.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,454
• Density	30/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.co.cass.tx.us

History

Cass County was formed in 1846 from sections of Bowie County and houses some outskirts of Texarkana.^[3] It was named for Lewis Cass,^[4] a U.S. Senator from Michigan who had favored the annexation of Texas to the United States and became the first presidential candidate to win the state.

The county was originally developed by planters for cotton plantations. By 1860, the majority of the population were enslaved African Americans. After the war, freedmen worked largely as tenant farmers and sharecroppers into the early 20th century. Black residents faced violence and discrimination in Cass County, which was the location of nine lynchings, the fifth-highest total among Texas' 254 counties.^[5][6]

From 1861 to 1871, this county was known as Davis County, after Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America, as opposed to Jeff Davis County in West Texas.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 960 square miles (2,500 km²), of which 937 square miles (2,430 km²) is land and 23 square miles (60 km²) (2.4%) is water.^[7]

Cass County, Texas is one of only three counties in Texas to border two other U.S. states (the others are Bowie and Dallam counties). Cass County forms part of the tripoint of Texas-Arkansas-Louisiana.

Adjacent counties and parish

• Bowie County (north)
• Miller County, Arkansas (northeast)
• Caddo Parish, Louisiana (southeast)
• Marion County (south)
• Morris County (west)

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 59
  • Interstate 369 is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places.
• State Highway 8
• State Highway 11
• State Highway 77
• State Highway 155
• Farm to Market Road 248
• Farm to Market Road 250

State protected area

• Atlanta State Park

Communities

Cities

• Atlanta
• Hughes Springs (small part in Morris County)
• Linden (county seat)
• Queen City

Towns

• Avinger
• Bloomburg
• Domino
• Douglassville
• Marietta

Census-designated places

• Bivins
• McLeod

Unincorporated communities

• Almira
• Antioch
• Bryans Mill
• Carterville
• Cass
• Cornett
• Cusseta
• Dalton
• Fairview
• Gum Springs
• Huffins
• Kildare
• Lanark
• Lanier
• New Colony
• Nickleberry
• O'Farrell
• Patman
• Pruitt
• Red Hill
• Roach
• Smyrna
• Springdale
• Three States (extends into Arkansas and Louisiana)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	4,991		—
1860	8,411		68.5%
1870	8,875		5.5%
1880	16,724		88.4%
1890	22,554		34.9%
1900	22,841		1.3%
1910	27,587		20.8%
1920	30,041		8.9%
1930	30,030		0.0%
1940	33,496		11.5%
1950	26,732		−20.2%
1960	23,496		−12.1%
1970	24,133		2.7%
1980	29,430		21.9%
1990	29,982		1.9%
2000	30,438		1.5%
2010	30,464		0.1%
2020	28,454		−6.6%
2024 (est.)	28,622	[8]	0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1850–2010[10] 2010–2020[11]

Cass County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
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 / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[12]	Pop 2010[13]	Pop 2020[11]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	23,542	23,522	21,028	77.34%	77.21%	73.90%
Black or African American alone (NH)	5,915	5,299	4,518	19.43%	17.39%	15.88%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	130	133	155	0.43%	0.44%	0.54%
Asian alone (NH)	44	89	119	0.14%	0.29%	0.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	4	4	10	0.01%	0.01%	0.04%
Other race (NH)	11	15	86	0.04%	0.05%	0.30%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	266	349	1,202	0.87%	1.15%	4.22%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	526	1,053	1,336	1.73%	3.46%	4.70%
Total	30,438	30,464	28,454	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

The 2020 U.S. census reported a population of 28,454 residents,^[1] down from 2010's 30,464.^[14] The racial makeup of the county in 2010 was 78.20% White, 19.47% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 1.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the population in 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 73.90% non-Hispanic white, 15.88% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.30% some other race, 4.22% multiracial, and 4.70% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.

In 2010, there were 12,190 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families; 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. The median income for a household in the county was $28,441, and the median income for a family was $35,623. Males had a median income of $30,906 versus $19,726 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,777. About 14.70% of families and 17.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.20% of those under age 18 and 17.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Cass County Club at East Texas State Normal College in 1921

The following school districts serve Cass County:^[15]

• Atlanta ISD
• Avinger ISD (small portion in Marion County)
• Bloomburg ISD
• Hughes Springs ISD (small portion in Morris County)
• Linden-Kildare CISD
• McLeod ISD
• Pewitt CISD (mostly in Morris County, small portion in Titus County)
• Queen City ISD

Marietta Independent School District was formerly in operation. It consolidated into Pewitt ISD in 2008.^[16]

The majority of Cass County is in the service area of Texarkana College. Areas in Avinger ISD, Hughes Springs ISD, and Pewitt CISD within Cass County are instead assigned to Northeast Texas Community College.^[17]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Cass County, Texas^[18]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	11,693	82.68%	2,406	17.01%	44	0.31%
2020	11,033	79.22%	2,795	20.07%	99	0.71%
2016	9,726	78.79%	2,391	19.37%	227	1.84%
2012	8,763	74.34%	2,924	24.80%	101	0.86%
2008	8,279	69.89%	3,490	29.46%	77	0.65%
2004	7,383	61.27%	4,630	38.43%	36	0.30%
2000	6,295	57.13%	4,618	41.91%	106	0.96%
1996	4,066	37.51%	5,691	52.50%	1,082	9.98%
1992	3,999	34.30%	5,476	46.96%	2,185	18.74%
1988	5,305	47.11%	5,941	52.75%	16	0.14%
1984	6,677	56.78%	5,053	42.97%	30	0.26%
1980	4,993	46.79%	5,578	52.27%	101	0.95%
1976	3,712	41.83%	5,134	57.85%	29	0.33%
1972	5,303	72.76%	1,981	27.18%	4	0.05%
1968	1,930	26.26%	2,536	34.50%	2,884	39.24%
1964	2,681	42.61%	3,603	57.26%	8	0.13%
1960	2,322	43.89%	2,934	55.46%	34	0.64%
1956	2,970	54.91%	2,395	44.28%	44	0.81%
1952	2,502	44.17%	3,160	55.78%	3	0.05%
1948	457	11.72%	2,540	65.14%	902	23.13%
1944	541	14.46%	2,866	76.59%	335	8.95%
1940	454	12.68%	3,126	87.32%	0	0.00%
1936	169	6.43%	2,461	93.57%	0	0.00%
1932	224	6.67%	3,135	93.33%	0	0.00%
1928	1,323	43.79%	1,698	56.21%	0	0.00%
1924	997	31.05%	2,125	66.18%	89	2.77%
1920	1,446	42.57%	1,563	46.01%	388	11.42%
1916	707	30.27%	1,505	64.43%	124	5.31%
1912	402	20.62%	1,284	65.85%	264	13.54%

United States Senate election results for Cass County, Texas1^[19]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	11,477	81.30%	2,457	17.40%	183	1.30%

In popular culture

Don Henley named his 2015 album Cass County, as he had grown up here.^[20]

See also

• Texas portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Cass County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Cass County