Red River County, Texas

"Red River County" redirects here. For the administrative area in Louisiana, see Red River Parish, Louisiana.

Red River County, Texas
Location in the state of Texas
Texas's location in the U.S.
Founded	1837
Seat	Clarksville
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	1,058 sq mi (2,740 km²) 1,050 sq mi (2,719 km²) 7 sq mi (18 km²), 0.70%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	12,860 12.34/sq mi (4.78/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.co.red-river.tx.us

Red River County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is named for the Red River, which forms its northern boundary. As of the 2010 census, its population was 12,860. Its seat is Clarksville. As of 2000, it had the lowest population density for all counties in East Texas.

Red River County is the birthplace of John Nance Garner, 32nd Vice President of the United States. B.P. Newman (1927–2008), a Texas business entrepreneur, developer, and philanthropist based in Laredo, was also born in Red River County.

Red River County is represented in the Texas House of Representatives by the Republican Erwin Cain of Sulphur Springs, Texas.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,058 square miles (2,739 km²), of which 1,050 square miles (2,720 km²) is land and 7 square miles (19 km²) (0.70%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 82
• U.S. Highway 271
• State Highway 37

Adjacent counties

• McCurtain County, Oklahoma (north)
• Bowie County (east)
• Morris County (southeast)
• Titus County (south)
• Franklin County (southwest)
• Delta County (southwest, a very short border)
• Lamar County (west)
• Choctaw County, Oklahoma (northwest)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	3,906		—
1860	8,535		118.5%
1870	10,653		24.8%
1880	17,194		61.4%
1890	21,452		24.8%
1900	29,893		39.3%
1910	28,564		−4.4%
1920	35,829		25.4%
1930	30,923		−13.7%
1940	29,769		−3.7%
1950	21,851		−26.6%
1960	15,682		−28.2%
1970	14,298		−8.8%
1980	16,101		12.6%
1990	14,317		−11.1%
2000	14,314		0%
2010	12,860		−10.2%
U.S. Decennial Census Texas Almanac: 1850-2010

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,314 people, 5,827 households, and 4,067 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (5/km²). There were 6,916 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 78.04% White, 17.80% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.29% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 4.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,827 households out of which 28.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.50% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.90% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,558, and the median income for a family was $33,436. Males had a median income of $24,609 versus $17,566 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,058, making it one of the economically poorest counties in the state of Texas. About 13.10% of families and 17.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.20% of those under age 18 and 17.70% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Annona
• Avery
• Bagwell (unincorporated)
• Bogata
• Clarksville
• Detroit
• Deport (mostly in Lamar County)
• English (unincorporated)
• Maple (unincorporated)

Education

The following school districts serve Red River County:

• Avery ISD
• Clarksville ISD
• Detroit ISD
• Prairiland ISD (mostly in Lamar County)
• Rivercrest ISD (partly in Titus County, small portion in Franklin County)

Controversy

Bill Hankins of The Paris Daily News was first to write an article about the arrest of Clarksville High School basketball coach, Vergil Richardson, in December 2007 and continued to follow the story closely for years.

In November 2010 NPR aired a story about racism in Claksville that discussed the controversial arrest of the high school basketball coach and other family members during Thanksgiving dinner in 2007. In 2007 former Clarksville High School basketball star and coach of the team at the time, Vergil Richardson, was at Thanksgiving dinner with five other family members when police stormed the family home arresting Vergil and five of his family members. Vergil's 25-year-old half brother, Kevin Calloway, was the target as he admittedly had been selling drugs. The controversy began when police decided to charge all six family members arrested with manufacturing, distributing, and possessing narcotics despite Kevin's insistence that he had acted alone, stashing the drugs in the shed in the yard locked with a key only he possessed. The Richardsons hired the high-profile trial attorney Mark Lesher who immediately discovered that the D.A. had participated in the raid and that the warrant for the raid was issued after the raid was conducted. State prosecutors moved to dismiss the charges on all the Richardsons except for Kevin Calloway but judge John Miller refused to do so. Lesher then filed a motion to dismiss judge John Miller, arguing the judge was biased; in a rare moment of cooperation, prosecutors supported the motion. Once a new judge was appointed the judge immediately dismissed the charges.

The Richardsons are pursuing a lawsuit filed suit against the Red River County Sheriff, District Attorney, and Chief of Police in November 2009 and are set to begin proceedings in 2011.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Red River County, Texas

External links

• Red River County government's website
• Red River County from the Handbook of Texas Online