Jefferson, Texas
Encyclopedia
Jefferson is an historic
city in Marion County
in northeastern Texas
, United States
. The population was 2,024 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Marion County, Texas, and is situated in East Texas
. The city is a tourism center, with popular attractions including: Jay Gould
's Railroad car, the Sterne Fountain, Jefferson Carnegie Library
, Excelsior House, the House of the Four Seasons, and the bayous formed by Big Cypress, Little Cypress, and Black Cypress
located in and around the city.
The Sterne Fountain was given to the city in 1913 to honor the contribution of Jacob and Ernestine Sterne, a Jewish couple who settled in Jefferson before the Civil War and became prominent citizens who managed the post office and were involved in numerous civic and cultural projects. The fountain includes a statue of Hebe
, the Greek goddess of Youth, by Guiseppe Moretti.
Early records indicate that Jefferson was founded around 1841 on land ceded from the Caddo
Indians. At that time, a log jam more than 100 miles long existed on the Red River north of present Natchitoches
, Louisiana
. The Indians said that this log jam, known as the Great Red River Raft, had always existed.
The Red River Raft (or Great Raft
) acted as a dam on the river and raised the level of Caddo Lake
and the Red River several feet. This rise of Caddo Lake and the corresponding rise in the Big Cypress Bayou at Jefferson permitted commercial riverboat travel to Jefferson from ports such as St. Louis and New Orleans via the Mississippi
and Red Rivers.
Jefferson was one of the most important ports in Texas between 1845 and 1872. The town reached its peak population just a few years after the Civil War and is reported to have exceeded 30,000. During this time, Jefferson was the sixth largest town in Texas.
There were attempts over the years to remove the raft and permit the normal flow of the Red River, but these attempts were unsuccessful until the discovery of nitroglycerin. In 1873, using nitroglycerin, the Army Corps of Engineers was finally able to clear the raft from the Red River. This lowered the level of Caddo Lake and Big Cypress to the extent that riverboat traffic to Jefferson was no longer commercially feasible. At the peak of river traffic Jefferson had a population of over 7,000. A few years later, it had dropped to a little over 3,000.
One of the legends surrounding Jefferson involved Jay Gould
, the railroad magnate. The legend goes that Gould wanted to bring his railroad through Jefferson but the town leaders refused because they had the river traffic. Gould responded by saying that grass would grow in the streets without the railroad. Gould is even given credit for supporting the removal of the Red River Raft and the subsequent decline of Jefferson as a river port. Much of this tale is fiction, but it makes a good tale. Townspeople even obtained Gould's railcar and it is presently displayed as a tourist attraction in downtown Jefferson.
Jefferson, since 2000, has been the location for the Pulpwood Queens
Book Club Girlfriend Weekend's annual conference, attracting authors from all around the country.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²), of which, 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.58%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,024 people, 871 households, and 544 families residing in the city. The population density
was 465.7 people per square mile (179.6/km²). There were 1,042 housing units at an average density of 239.7 per square mile (92.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.80% White, 34.68% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 871 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples
living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $17,034, and the median income for a family was $26,250. Males had a median income of $28,929 versus $14,583 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,558. About 29.4% of families and 32.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.1% of those under age 18 and 22.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
city in Marion County
Marion County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,941 people, 4,610 households, and 3,120 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 6,384 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
in northeastern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,024 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Marion County, Texas, and is situated in East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
. The city is a tourism center, with popular attractions including: Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
's Railroad car, the Sterne Fountain, Jefferson Carnegie Library
Jefferson Carnegie Library
The Jefferson Carnegie Library is a library in Jefferson, Texas, built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie...
, Excelsior House, the House of the Four Seasons, and the bayous formed by Big Cypress, Little Cypress, and Black Cypress
Cypress Bayou
Cypress Bayou is the name applied to a series of wetlands at the western edge of Caddo Lake, in and around Jefferson, Texas, making up part of the largest Cypress forest in the world. The bayou is divided into three areas—each part of the watershed of a small river or creek—Little...
located in and around the city.
Historical notes
Almost every commercial building and house on the main arterial road in Jefferson has a historic marker.The Sterne Fountain was given to the city in 1913 to honor the contribution of Jacob and Ernestine Sterne, a Jewish couple who settled in Jefferson before the Civil War and became prominent citizens who managed the post office and were involved in numerous civic and cultural projects. The fountain includes a statue of Hebe
Hebe (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Hēbē is the goddess of youth . She is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Hebe was the cupbearer for the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, serving their nectar and ambrosia, until she was married to Heracles ; her successor was the young Trojan prince Ganymede...
, the Greek goddess of Youth, by Guiseppe Moretti.
Early records indicate that Jefferson was founded around 1841 on land ceded from the Caddo
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
Indians. At that time, a log jam more than 100 miles long existed on the Red River north of present Natchitoches
Natchitoches
Natchitoches may refer to:*Natchitoches , an American Indian people*Natchitoches, Louisiana, a city*Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The Indians said that this log jam, known as the Great Red River Raft, had always existed.
The Red River Raft (or Great Raft
Great Raft
The Great Raft was a gigantic logjam or series of "rafts" that clogged the Red and Atchafalaya Rivers and was unique in North America.-Origin:It has been speculated that the trees in the jams were knocked down by an impact event...
) acted as a dam on the river and raised the level of Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake is a lake and wetland located on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Southeastern culture of Native Americans called Caddoans or Caddo, who lived in...
and the Red River several feet. This rise of Caddo Lake and the corresponding rise in the Big Cypress Bayou at Jefferson permitted commercial riverboat travel to Jefferson from ports such as St. Louis and New Orleans via the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and Red Rivers.
Jefferson was one of the most important ports in Texas between 1845 and 1872. The town reached its peak population just a few years after the Civil War and is reported to have exceeded 30,000. During this time, Jefferson was the sixth largest town in Texas.
There were attempts over the years to remove the raft and permit the normal flow of the Red River, but these attempts were unsuccessful until the discovery of nitroglycerin. In 1873, using nitroglycerin, the Army Corps of Engineers was finally able to clear the raft from the Red River. This lowered the level of Caddo Lake and Big Cypress to the extent that riverboat traffic to Jefferson was no longer commercially feasible. At the peak of river traffic Jefferson had a population of over 7,000. A few years later, it had dropped to a little over 3,000.
One of the legends surrounding Jefferson involved Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
, the railroad magnate. The legend goes that Gould wanted to bring his railroad through Jefferson but the town leaders refused because they had the river traffic. Gould responded by saying that grass would grow in the streets without the railroad. Gould is even given credit for supporting the removal of the Red River Raft and the subsequent decline of Jefferson as a river port. Much of this tale is fiction, but it makes a good tale. Townspeople even obtained Gould's railcar and it is presently displayed as a tourist attraction in downtown Jefferson.
Jefferson, since 2000, has been the location for the Pulpwood Queens
Pulpwood Queens
The Pulpwood Queens is a meet-and-greet book club with a large following. It was founded in early 2000 in Jefferson, Texas, by Kathy L. Patrick in her combined beauty salon and book store, Beauty and the Book...
Book Club Girlfriend Weekend's annual conference, attracting authors from all around the country.
Geography
Jefferson is located at 32°45′40"N 94°20′58"W (32.761013, -94.349331).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²), of which, 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.58%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,024 people, 871 households, and 544 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 465.7 people per square mile (179.6/km²). There were 1,042 housing units at an average density of 239.7 per square mile (92.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.80% White, 34.68% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 871 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $17,034, and the median income for a family was $26,250. Males had a median income of $28,929 versus $14,583 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,558. About 29.4% of families and 32.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.1% of those under age 18 and 22.7% of those age 65 or over.
School sports records
- 1986: Jefferson High School - AAA Football State Championship with 16-0 record.
See also
- Cannon, BarneyBarney CannonFloyd Keith Cannon, known as Barney Cannon , was an American radio personality. He was a DJ on radio station KWKH-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana, who was considered an authority on country music. When asked to name his favorite country singer, Cannon told his listeners that he liked all of the...
(1955–2009), country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
deejayDeejayA deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
for radioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station KWKHKWKHKWKH is a classic country music radio station serving Shreveport, Louisiana. The 50-kilowatt station broadcasts at 1130 kHz. Formerly owned by Clear Channel Communications and Gap Central Broadcasting, it is now owned by Townsquare Media....
in ShreveportShreveport, LouisianaShreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Cannon resided with his family in Jefferson until his death at the age of fifty-three. - Dalhart, VernonVernon DalhartVernon Dalhart , born Marion Try Slaughter, was a popular American singer and songwriter of the early decades of the 20th century. He is a major influence in the field of country music.-Early life:...
, popular singer and songwriter of the first half of the 1900s - The Grove
- Henderson, Jr., William KennonW. K. HendersonWilliam Kennon Henderson, Jr., usually known as W.K. Henderson , was a pioneer in the radio industry who in 1922 acquired WGAQ in Shreveport, Louisiana, expanded it, and renamed the call letters after himself as KWKH....
(1880-1945), founder of KWKH in Shreveport, was reared and educated in Jefferson, Texas. - Moore, "Diamond Bessie"Diamond BessieDiamond Bessie was the popular name given to Bessie Moore, née Annie Stone, a prostitute whose murder in the woods outside of Jefferson, Texas propelled her to the level of local legend. She was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head in the early afternoon of Sunday, January 21, 1877...
- Potter, Robert, Secretary of the NavyTexas Secretary of the NavyThe Secretary of the Navy of the Republic of Texas was a member of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Texas responsible for naval affairs and management of the Texas Navy. The office lasted from 1836 until 1841, when it was merged with Secretary of War under the title Secretary of War...
during the Texas RevolutionTexas RevolutionThe Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836... - Texas and Pacific RailwayTexas and Pacific RailwayThe Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....