Lifestyle

History

Cass County is located in northeastern Texas on the state's eastern boundary. The culturally advanced, agricultural Caddo Indians had occupied the area for centuries before Europeans arrived, but they abandoned the region in the late eighteenth century because of disease and threats by other Indians.

In 1687, Henri Joutel, traveling north in search of Henri de Tonti, entered the future county site, probably one of the first Europeans to do so. Henri de Tonti came trough the area in 1690, searching for survivors from the LaSalle expedition. Prolonged European activity in the region begain in 1719, when Bernard de La Harpe founded Le Post des Cadodaquious. During the 1820's, bands of Shawnee, Delaware, and Kickapoo Indians lived in the area.

Anglos began settling the area in the 1830's. Reece Hughes, who built a cabin near three mineral springs which later became known as Hughes Springs, was among the earliest settlers. In 1846, Cass County was formed from Bowie County, and Jefferson was chosen as the county seat, although Linden won out in 1852, after several hotly contested elections. The county's boundaries were reduced in 1860 with Marion County's formation, but aside from small adjustments have remained the same since. Lewis Cass, the Michigan US Senator in favor of Texas Annexation for whom the county was named, did not favor secession. He resigned his post of secretary of state when President James Buchanan did not defend the forts in Charleson, South Carolina, and Cass County citizens responded by renaming the county Davis, in honor of Confederal President Jefferson Davis. The 1871 Republican-controlled legislature changed the county name back to Cass.

Atlanta's modest beginning came in 1872. A town-site was plotted on the new Texas and Pacific Railroad under construction. The original town-site property was owned by a Reverend Dodd, who named the town after Atlanta, Georgia, because many early area settlers were from Georgia. (Other nearby towns settled by Georgian immigrants include Smyrna, Marietta, and Douglassville.) A drug store, general mercantile, and several homes were built. However, ato avoid expensive grading, the Texas and Pacific Railroad re-aligned their route through the cornfields of Captain P.R. Scott. The new Atlanta was established in 1873 on 100 acres donated by Captain Scott. This new town-site was centrally located between Texarkana and the riverboat town of Jefferson. Major streets in Atlanta were named after Captain Scott's children, Louise, Hiram, Miller and William.

Cass County was settled by US southerners who carried on the same lifestyle in their new home in Texas, including an agricultural economy based on cotton, corn and hogs. Cass County supported secession and the Confederate war effort. Since the county was never invaded, it escaped physical devastation, but the citizens dealt with the loss of men to the army, economic instability, lack of a cotton market, and plummeting property values. During Reconstruction, military commanders removed county office holders as "impediments to reconstruction." Democrats regained the county in the election of 1869. Since Reconstruction, except in the short time the Populists controlled the county in the 1890's, Cass County has generally voted Democratic in local and state elections.

For more than 60 years after Reconstruction, agriculture remained the county's economic base. Cotton and corn continued as cash and food crops. Hogs remained the other principal food crop until changes in diet in the 1920's led to a decline in swine production. As late as 1940, 3/4 of the county cropland was devoted to cotton and corn. Though agriculture formed the economic base, manufacturing jobs have also been important to Cass County since 1850. As part of the largest shortleaf pine forest in the country, the timber industry has also played a vital role in the area's economy.

A new county industry began in 1930 when oil reserves were tapped, beginning with the exploration of the Rodessa oil field south of Atlanta. Over 100 wells had been drilled by 1936. In 1937, county well produced 11.5 million barrels of oil. Production of oil declined sharply over the next decade, and now plays a minor role in the county economy.

The trend to larger and fewer farms has continued since the 1930's. Farmers turned to livestock and timber production, rather than than the cultivated crops of cotton and corn. With the construction of the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1873, supply centers changed from the riverboat town of Jefferson, to new railroad towns of Atlanta and Hughes Springs. New highways, including the major U.S. 59 route between Houston and Canada, made commuting easier and safer.

As large regional military and private-sector manufacturing facilities developed, Cass County citizens began utilizing transportation corridors to commute from Cass County homes to jobs in surrounding counties. Since 1970, manufacturing, government, and service jobs have grown in the county, but Cass County has continued to be a favored residence for commuters.

Today, Cass County is a stable rural county with an ever-diversifying economy, and natural suburban characteristics. With an economy firmly associated with metro Texarkana, Cass County is also bounded by Shreveport MSA southeast and Longview MSA south.