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Texarkana, Texas

Everything Texarkana is known for

45 songs mention this city 9 artists from here

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Texarkana, Texas, located in the Ark-La-Tex region where Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas converge, has a notable connection to music. While not always at the forefront of the music industry, this unique border city has inspired many artists and been home to several.

Our collection features 33 songs that mention Texarkana, including "Texarkana" by R.E.M. and "Texarkana Baby" by Bob Wills. Additionally, seven artists call Texarkana home, such as gospel artist David Crowder and country singer Lane Bricker.

Music in Texarkana

Songs About Texarkana

Texarkana Baby
Eddy Arnold
81%
"She's my Texarkana baby"
my texoma mona and my texarkana anna
jeremy castle
80%
"TITLE"
Texarkana
R.E.M.
79%
"TITLE"
Texarkana Bound
Jackson James
78%
"Texarkana Bound"
Texarkana Tonight
Zak Grandahl
77%
Texarkana Baby
Bob Wills
77%
"Texarkana Baby"
Forever
Billy Bob Thornton
55%
"I never stopped in Texarkana before."
24 Hours At A Time
The Marshall Tucker Band
55%
"But Texarkana's an hour ahead"
Goddamn Lonely Love
Drive-By Truckers
55%
"As that old motel room in Texarkana was"
Someone Lonely
Tessy Lou Williams
55%
"He called collect from Texarkana"
Beautiful Accidents
Kelley Mickwee
55%
"They moved to Texarkana when the baby came"
First To Hit The Road
Abby Anderson
55%
"Just rolled in to Texarkana"
woman to woman
Carly Pearce
53%
"From Texarkana to Tennessee"
West of Fort Worth
Grant Gilbert
53%
"If your headlights hit Texarkana"
All My Ex’s Live in Texas
George Strait
53%
"Rosanna's down in Texarkana"
Baton Rouge
Guy Clark
53%
"Well, I'm gonna leave Texarkana"
Cotton Fields
Creedence Clearwater Revival
51%
"Just about a mile from Texarkana"
Texas
Charlie Daniels
51%
"Runs from Texarkana to El Paso"
Merry Christmas from Texas, y’all
Tracy Byrd
51%
"El Paso to Texarkana"
Fingernails (Live in London)
Joe Ely
51%
"Till the swallows get back from Texarkana"

Showing top 20 of 45 songs · Hear more in the free iPhone app

Artists From Texarkana

D
David Crowder
gospel
S
Scott Joplin
classical
B
Blackstrap
americana
L
Lane Bricker
country
D
Dirty White
other
T
TSC Bigg Redd
hip-hop
A
Anthony Price
r-n-b
H
Heather Linn and the Deacons
country
B
Big Fat Giraffe
other

Rivers & Roads in Song near Texarkana

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Texarkana.

US Route 71 2 songs Interstate 49 4 songs U.S. Route 59 9 songs Red River 88 songs Sulphur River 2 songs

History of Texarkana

Texarkana, TX RoadyGoat

On May 22, 2008, Texarkana experienced a rare and powerful weather event when a microburst producing winds up to 100 mph occurred over Stateline Avenue and surrounding communities. This event was the result of two severe thunderstorms colliding just south of downtown Texarkana, causing significant damage. Another notable event was the 'animal rain' phenomenon on December 31, 2021, where fish fell from the sky, landing in yards, on sidewalks, and in business lots, a rare and extraordinary occurrence.

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Texarkana, TX RoadyGoat

Texarkana's history is deeply intertwined with the expansion of the railroads. In the late 1850s, the Cairo and Fulton Railroad extended its line south across Arkansas, reaching the Texas state line by 1874. This allowed for direct train travel from Texarkana to St. Louis, Missouri, marking a significant development in connecting regional markets. The Texas and Pacific Railroad also played a crucial role, reaching the Arkansas state line and selling the first town lots for Texarkana on December 8, 1873. J. W. Davis purchased the first lot, where Hotel McCartney now stands, highlighting the city's strategic location for railway connections.

Texarkana, TX RoadyGoat

The Federal Courthouse in Texarkana is a unique landmark as it is the only federal office building to straddle a state line, located directly on the Arkansas-Texas state line. This building also houses the downtown post office and has historical significance, with both John F. Kennedy and President Jimmy Carter delivering speeches on its steps during their respective presidential campaigns.

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The Phantom Killer of Texarkana

1946

Unsolved 1946 murder spree in Texarkana, Texas in which a hooded attacker killed five people and wounded three over ten weeks, terrorizing the town and inspiring the film The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

Joplin, Scott

1868

(November 24, 1868 - April 1, 1917) Black composer Scott Joplin, often called the "King of Ragtime Music", was born in Texarkana, Texas, five years before the townsite was platted in 1873. His family lived in this vicinity, and he attended nearby Orr School on Laurel Street. His early musical training came from his father, Giles Joplin, an ex-slave who played the fiddle, and mother, Florence Givens Joplin, who played the banjo. By tradition, a German music teacher realized Joplin's talent and gave him lessons. Joplin left home at age 14 and wandered through the midwest entertaining in saloons and honky-tonks. In the 1890s, he was one of the originators of ragtime, a rhythmic new musical form that combined black and white musical traditions. Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag", published in 1899, launched ragtime as a national fad. Joplin defended ragtime against those who called it frivolous and worked constantly to refine his music, which included over 30 piano rags. Demand for ragtime had declined by 1917, when Joplin died in New York City. Joplin's background is revealed in his most ambitious work, the black folk opera "Treemonisha", set on a plantation "northeast of the town of Texarkana". It was not produced until the 1970s, when a revival of Joplin's music inspired public recognition of his genius. (1976) Incise on back: Texarkana Joint Bicentennial Commission, Bowie County Historical Commission, Jerry L. Atkins, Nick Demopulos

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The Texarkana Phantom Killer, 1946

1946

In the spring of nineteen forty-six, Texarkana had a problem it couldn't name. Eight people were attacked over ten weeks — always on weekends, always at night, always in lovers' lanes or quiet roads on the dark edges of town. Five died. The attacker left no fingerprints, no usable witnesses, and no weapon. The Texas Rangers worked the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked the case. A su…

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Scott Joplin - King of Ragtime

1868

Texarkana, Texas was the birthplace of Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime, whose 'Maple Leaf Rag' became the first million-selling piece of sheet music in American history.

Historical Marker →

Perot, Henry Ross

1962

Henry Ross Perot, a groundbreaking information technology businessman, philanthropist, and two-time presidential candidate, was born on June 27, 1930, in Texarkana, Texas. His parents, Gabriel Ross Perot, Sr., and Lulu May (Ray) Perot, originally named him Henry Ray, but he changed his middle name to Ross in honor of his brother, Gabriel Ross, who died as a young child. Thereafter he went by Ross Perot, though journalists often included his first initial in media reports, much to his chagrin. Hard-working and ambitious, Perot caught the entrepreneurial bug from his father, a cotton broker and horse trader. During his adolescence, Perot hawked garden seeds and delivered daily newspapers to neighbors. He was active in the Boy Scouts and at age thirteen achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Throughout his life he credited the Boy Scouts for its influence on his values of hard work and leadership. He achieved good grades at Texarkana’s Texas High School, not through intellectual brilliance but rather diligence and elbow grease. Perot then spent two years at Texarkana Junior College before Senator W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel granted his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Perot’s leadership qualities blossomed at Annapolis. He held numerous elected positions, including serving as class president during his junior and senior years. He also chaired the Honor Committee, credited with developing an honor system, at the Naval Academy. Perot met Margot Birmingham during his final year in Annapolis, and the couple eventually married on September 15, 1956, and went on to have five children. After graduating from Annapolis in 1953, Perot matriculated into the U. S. Navy where he was first assigned to the destroyer USS Sigourney during the latter days of the Korean War. He later served as an assistant navigator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Leyte . A chance encounter aboard the Leyte with an International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) executive changed Perot’s life. The businessman encouraged Perot to apply for a job at IBM, further convincing Perot that his future lay in the private sector rather than the military ranks. Subsequently, Perot declined to re-enlist when his service ended in 1957. After mustering out of the U. S. Navy, Perot accepted a job offer from Dallas-based IBM—the first step of his business career. He quickly made a name for himself as a top-notch salesman and once completed his yearly sales quota within three weeks. Equipped with an energetic mind and thirst for innovation, Perot urged IBM to enter the nascent computer software industry to complement to the company’s robust hardware unit. The IBM leadership, content with their business model, rejected his advice. Perot grew frustrated with the company’s slow-moving bureaucracy and struck out on his own, founding Electronic Data Systems (EDS), with an initial investment of $1,000, in 1962. Perot built EDS to handle software and technical logistics for companies with large data needs, a strategy which seemed far ahead of the competition. EDS made millions processing data for major businesses such as insurance carrier Blue Cross and Blue Shield . When his company went public in 1968, shares skyrocketed from $16 a share to $162 and made him one of the wealthiest men in America overnight. In 1984 Perot sold EDS to General Motors for a staggering $2.5 billion and assumed a position on the company board. His cantankerous personality and criticism of General Motors management, however, irked board members, who bought out his shares in 1986. In 1988 Perot launched a new Plano-based corporation, Perot Systems, with his son Ross Perot, Jr., and brought over disgruntled EDS executives to compete with his former company. Perot Systems failed to reach the dizzying heights of EDS. Perot eventually stepped down as chairman in 2000, and the company was purchased by Dell Computer Corporation in 2009. Perot’s fabulous wealth and renowned business acumen opened doors to philanthropy as

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Church, Dorothea Towles

1949

Dorothea Towles Church, pioneering Black model, was born on July 26, 1922, in Texarkana, Texas. She was the seventh of eight children born to Thomas Elsworth Towles of Alabama and Anabella Clark of Arkansas. Her father worked as a farmer and self-employed carpenter, and her mother was a school teacher. Dorothea Towles studied biology at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and graduated in 1945 with the intent of practicing medicine. However, when her mother died, she moved to Los Angeles to live with a wealthy uncle, Dr. H. H. Towles, and attend the University of Southern California, where she earned a master's degree in education. Captivated by the glamour and glitz of Los Angeles, she changed course again and enrolled in the Dorothy Farrier Charm and Modeling School as the institution's first Black student. She worked in California and modeled for African-American fashion shows and magazines before marrying a dentist that she said was "old enough to be my father." In 1949 her husband took her on a two-month vacation to Paris where Lois Towles , her famous concert pianist sister, was on tour with the Fisk University Choir. While there, Dorothea looked for modeling work and was hired on the spot by famous fashion designer Christian Dior to replace a model who was on vacation. She enjoyed modeling in Paris so much she decided not to return to the United States. After trying and failing to change her mind, her husband filed for divorce. Dorothea Towles modeled in Paris for five years during the 1950s and worked with other famous designers besides Dior, such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Robert Piguet, Jacques Fath, and Pierre Balmain. She said of the French, "If you're beautiful, they don't care what color you are....For once I was not considered Black, African American, or Negro," she said in an interview, "I was just an American." Her success and acceptance there were widely publicized in Black magazines and periodicals in the U.S., including earning her a place on the cover of the African-American weekly Jet in April 1953. Her modeling successes were historic not only because she was the first Black woman accepted into the world's top fashion houses in Paris, but before her, the industry was largely closed to accepting beauty as being represented by anyone except Whites, both in Europe and the U.S. Thus, she was responsible for breaking down some of those barriers. Still, Towles experienced some racial prejudice from designers. For example, Pierre Balmain's staff refused her request to borrow dresses for a photo shoot with Ebony magazine because they were concerned White clients would be displeased. Furthermore, they said African-American women would not be interested in, nor could they afford to buy, Balmain's clothes. During her five years in Paris, Dorothea Towles accumulated an enormous collection of designer couture gowns-with distinctive styles, unknown to Americans-using her model's discount, estimated to be valued at $50,000. When she returned to the United States in 1954, she had to travel by ship due to her excess of baggage. She settled in New York City and hoped to find work with the top American designers. However, she found that few would hire a Black model at first. Consequently, after her return, Dorothea organized a fashion show throughout the United States and exhibited her own couture wardrobe in conjunction with Alpha Kappa Alpha, a sorority for Black women that she was a member of in college. She hired local models and college students from the more than 100 high schools and colleges she traveled to and donated the proceeds to local sororitys' scholarship funds. Dorothea Towles eventually signed with the New York modeling agency Grace del Marco and was thought to be the only Black model that made her entire income in the profession at that time. During the 1960s and 1970s, while opportunities continuously opened up in the U.S., she regularly returned to Europe to model across the continent. She also opened a charm

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Sports in Texarkana

🥈 STATE FINALIST Class 4A Division I · Baseball · 2026

Pleasant Grove Hawks — 2026 UIL Class 4A Division I State Finalist

fell to Calallen 5–3 · Dell Diamond, Round Rock · June 5, 2026

On the south edge of Texarkana, the Pleasant Grove Hawks reached the 4A Division I state championship game for the second year in a row — and for the second year in a row ran into Calallen, falling 5–3 at Dell Diamond. It's a runner-up finish that still marks one of the best stretches in program history: back-to-back trips to the final.

The Hawks rode one of the best arms in the state to get there. Ace Hunter Rose allowed fewer hits per inning than any pitcher in Texas during the playoffs — and chipped in 17 hits and 13 RBI at the plate — while Buck Anderson drove in 17 runs with a pair of postseason home runs. Pleasant Grove punched its ticket to Round Rock with a semifinal win over West Plains before Calallen's title-tested lineup proved one bat too deep.

Final
Calallen 5, Pleasant Grove 3
Finish
State runner-up (2nd straight year)
Ace
Hunter Rose
Key Players
  • Hunter Rose — Lowest hits-per-inning of any pitcher in Texas in the playoffs; 17 H, 13 RBI
  • Buck Anderson — 17 RBI and 2 HR in the postseason run
The moment

Pleasant Grove beat West Plains in the state semifinal to reach a second straight 4A D-I title game — a rare back-to-back finals run for the Hawks.

Sources: KTAL News · KRIS-TV
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 4A · Football · 2017–2019

Pleasant Grove — UIL 4A Football State Champions — 2 titles

Most recent: 35-21 over Wimberley · 2019 4A Division 2 final

Texarkana, Texas, is a community where high school football shines brightly, particularly for the Pleasant Grove Hawks. Competing in Class 4A, the Hawks have established a remarkable record with two UIL State Championships. Their consistent performance on the field has brought significant recognition to the school and its dedicated athletes.

The tradition of excellence at Pleasant Grove extends beyond state titles, with notable alumni making their mark in major college and professional sports. Lance Jackson and Nick Martin are among those who have carried the spirit of the Hawks to higher levels, reflecting the strong foundation built within the program.

State titles
2 (2017–2019)
Most recent
2019, 35-21
Class
4A
Key Players
  • Lance Jackson — , college football defensive end for the Texas Longhorns
  • Nick Martin — , professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers
The moment

One such memorable moment arrived in 2019, when Pleasant Grove secured the 4A Division 2 State Championship by defeating Wimberley 35-21.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Texarkana

114 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • Texarkana, TX

    On May 22, 2008, Texarkana experienced a rare and powerful weather event when a microburst producing winds up to 100 mph occurred over Stateline Avenue and surrounding communities. This event was the result of two…

  • The Phantom Killer of Texarkana · Historical Marker

    Unsolved 1946 murder spree in Texarkana, Texas in which a hooded attacker killed five people and wounded three over ten weeks, terrorizing the town and inspiring the film The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

  • Scott Joplin Mural - Texarkana · Historical Marker

    Scott Joplin grew up in Texarkana, a city split down the middle by the Arkansas-Texas state line. His father played violin, his mother sang and played banjo, and by his early teens, Joplin was playing piano in churches,…

  • Cervini House · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Cervini House in Texarkana, a beautiful home built in 1914. Joseph Cervini, an Italian immigrant who arrived in 1884, built this house with profits from his restaurant and investments. Notice the…

  • Moores - Burke - Ragland Home · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Moores-Burke-Ragland Home, built in 1895 for Rachel Perry Godbold Moores. Her husband, David, was part of the pioneer Moores family. This Neo-Classical house features decorative fish scale…

  • Ace of Clubs House · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Ace of Clubs House in Texarkana, a home unlike any other you'll see on the road. Built in 1884 by J. H. Draughan, its design is inspired by a deck of cards. Three octagonal rooms, like the leaves…

  • World War I Memorial · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the World War I Memorial in Texarkana. This monument honors the men from both Bowie County, Texas, and Miller County, Arkansas, who gave their lives in the Great War between 1917 and 1918. It was…

  • Ellis House · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Ellis House in Texarkana, built in 1893 for local realtor Gaither Booker Ellis and his wife Mary. Local builder Charles R. Korn designed and constructed this two-story Victorian home. Notice the…

  • St. James Episcopal Church · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Texarkana, and right here is the site of St. James Episcopal Church. Local Episcopalians gathered in a hotel back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1876</say-as> to get this congregation…

  • Jamison Building · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Jamison Building in Texarkana, a landmark that opened its doors in 1930. This wasn't just any building; it was the first black business and professional office building in the city. Designed by…

  • United States Post Office and Courthouse · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past a building that's literally split down the middle, and not just by design. This United States Post Office and Courthouse straddles the state line between Texas and Arkansas. Imagine the paperwork!…

  • Offenhauser Building · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Offenhauser Building in Texarkana, a true pioneer of commerce. Built around 1879, it was the very first brick structure in town, housing the First National Bank. Upstairs, the Kelsey &…

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  • Old Rialto Building · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Texarkana, and just ahead, you'll see a building that's a real architectural echo of New York City. It's the Old Rialto Building, erected in 1902 by George Fouke, a true pioneer businessman who…

  • Saenger Theatre · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Saenger Theatre in Texarkana! Opened on November 18, 1924, this grand building was designed by Emil Weil as a regional hub for culture and entertainment. It hosted everything from live…

  • Joplin, Scott · 0.4 mi

    You're driving through Texarkana, the birthplace of a true American music legend: Scott Joplin. Born right here in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1868</say-as>, Joplin would become known as the "King of Ragtime…

  • Texarkana · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Texarkana, a city born from a railroad and a crossroads. Back in December <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1873</say-as>, the Texas & Pacific railroad platted this townsite, holding a big…

  • Central Christian Church · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Central Christian Church in Texarkana. Founded in 1883, this congregation built this specific structure in 1932, designed by church member E.C. Seibert. It's noted for its Tudor Gothic Revival…

  • Texarkana Union Station · 0.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Stand on the state line as you admire this historic train station, a testament to the golden age of rail travel in America. Texarkana Union Station was built in 1928, right at the Arkansas-Texas border. The state line…

  • Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Texarkana, a city born from the railroad back in 1873. Just two years later, this Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery was established when Colonel R.W. Rodgers donated land. His own daughter, Agnes,…

  • John F. Floyd House · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the John F. Floyd House in Texarkana. Built in 1903 by a successful lumberman and Confederate veteran, this home shows a shift in architectural style. Notice the Classical Revival details like…

  • Runnels, Howell W. · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the home of Howell W. Runnels, built around 1874. Runnels himself arrived in Texas way back in 1842 and served in the Legislature in the late 1850s. But the real story here is his wife, Martha. She…

  • Whitaker House · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Whitaker House, built before 1891 by Benjamin F. Whitaker. He wasn't just a homeowner; Whitaker was a Texas State Senator and a key player in the lumber and railroad industries, even helping…

  • The Texarkana Phantom Killer, 1946 · 0.7 mi

    In the spring of nineteen forty-six, Texarkana had a problem it couldn't name. Eight people were attacked over ten weeks — always on weekends, always at night, always in lovers' lanes or quiet roads on the dark edges of…

  • Earl-Rochelle House · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Earl-Rochelle House, built in 1899 for a local realtor and merchant. It's a fantastic example of Queen Anne architecture, with a complex roof and decorative detailing. The Rochelle family owned…

  • Francis Marion Henry · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Texarkana, passing the site of a man who shaped this city: Francis Marion Henry. A descendant of Patrick Henry, he fought for the Confederacy before settling here around 1873. Henry served in the…

  • Rose Hill Cemetery · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Rose Hill Cemetery, one of Texarkana's oldest burial grounds. It started as City Cemetery in 1874, just after the town itself was founded. Among the early citizens and Confederate soldiers, you'll…

  • Martha Adams Runnels · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Martha Adams Runnels. (March 26, 1836 - July 19, 1907) A first lady of Texas. Wife of H. W. Runnels, member of legislature 1857-59.

  • Scott Joplin - King of Ragtime · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker

    Texarkana, Texas was the birthplace of Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime, whose 'Maple Leaf Rag' became the first million-selling piece of sheet music in American history.

  • Texarkana, AR · 1.3 mi · Local history

    Texarkana's story is etched into its very name, a confluence of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Founded in the 1870s, its location near the Red River, though slightly elevated at 390 feet, made it a natural crossroads.…

  • Dr. A. H. A. and Ruby Jones House · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Texarkana, passing the former home of Dr. A. H. A. Jones and his wife, Ruby. Ruby, a Texarkana native, designed this unique bungalow in 1938, using African American craftsmen to build it. Notice…

  • The Weight Trooper Texarkana Remembered Forty Years Later · 1.9 mi

    In Texarkana, U.S. Highway Sixty Seven inside the city limits carries a second name: the Trooper Howard Jordan Memorial Highway. Howard Wayne Jordan was a License and Weight trooper with the Texas Department of Public…

  • Perot, Henry Ross · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Henry Ross Perot, a groundbreaking information technology businessman, philanthropist, and two-time presidential candidate, was born on June 27, 1930, in Texarkana, Texas. His parents, Gabriel Ross Perot, Sr., and Lulu…

  • Church, Dorothea Towles · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Dorothea Towles Church, pioneering Black model, was born on July 26, 1922, in Texarkana, Texas. She was the seventh of eight children born to Thomas Elsworth Towles of Alabama and Anabella Clark of Arkansas. Her father…

  • Grigson, James Paul, Jr. · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, Texas, the birthplace of James Paul Grigson, Jr., a man controversially known as 'Dr. Death.' Grigson was a forensic psychiatrist who testified in over 150 capital murder cases, often…

  • Johnson, Eliza Eubanks Peterson · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Right here in Texarkana, you're driving past the former stomping grounds of Eliza E. Peterson. Born in 1874, she became a national leader in the temperance movement and a suffragist. As president of the Texas Woman's…

  • Mathews, Edwin Lee [Eddie] · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, a town that gave baseball fans one of the game's all-time sluggers: Eddie Mathews. Born right here in nineteen thirty-one, Mathews grew up to be a star for the Milwaukee Braves. In…

  • Weiss, Julius · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, and right here is where a German immigrant named Julius Weiss gave the King of Ragtime, Scott Joplin, his very first formal music lessons. Born in Saxony around 1840, Weiss arrived in…

  • Buchanan, William · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, a city that owes much of its early growth to the towering pine trees that once stood here. In 1873, William Buchanan arrived and saw opportunity. He started with a small sawmill,…

  • Jamison, Garling Uriah, Sr. · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, and right here is a place with a story. In 1930, Dr. Garling Uriah Jamison, a prominent African-American physician, opened the Jamison Building. It was the first building in the region…

  • King, John Jefferson · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, and right here on Broad and State Streets, a deadly confrontation unfolded back in 1893. John Jefferson King, the county judge, had a public feud with William Allen, the editor of the…

  • Nelson, Harrison D., Jr. [Peppermint Harris] · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Right here in Texarkana, Texas, you're passing through the birthplace of a blues legend known as "Peppermint Harris." Born Harrison D. Nelson, Jr. in 1925, he moved to Houston and started playing the blues…

  • Vaughan, Horace Worth · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what was once Marion County, where Horace Worth Vaughan was born back in 1867. Vaughan became a lawyer and a politician, rising through the ranks in Texarkana. He was a fierce advocate for…

  • Munz, TX · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Cass County, and right here is where Munz City used to be. It was founded in the early 1900s by the Munzheimer brothers, who envisioned a bustling railroad hub. They built the Northeast Texas…

  • Texarkana, TX · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, a city literally split down the middle! Right here, on the Texas-Arkansas border, this town was born from a railroad handshake. In 1873, the Texas and Pacific Railroad met the Cairo and…

  • Baxter, Jesse Randall [J.R.] · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Jesse Randall (J.R.) Baxter Jr., gospel music composer and publisher, was born on December 8, 1887, in Lebanon, Alabama. The "Sand Mountain native" was a prolific song composer and co-founder of the Stamps-Baxter Music…

  • Connally, Lucile Ferguson Sanderson Sheppard · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, a town that sits right on the Texas-Arkansas border. This is where Lucile Sanderson was born in 1890. She grew up here, studied music in Virginia and D.C., and eventually married Morris…

  • Taylor, Jasper · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, a town that claims to be the birthplace of Jasper Taylor, a pioneering jazz percussionist born in 1894. Taylor left Texas in 1912 to join a Wild West Show, and by 1913, he was playing…

  • Texarkana and Fort Smith Railway · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, a city that owes its existence to ambitious railroad dreams. The Texarkana and Fort Smith Railway, originally chartered in 1885, was meant to connect this city to the Red River, and…

  • Allen, Augustus Calhoun · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Bowie County, Texas, perhaps near Texarkana, where Augustus Calhoun Allen made his home after the Civil War. But before that, Allen was a Confederate officer, a captain in the Nineteenth Texas…

  • Estes, William Lee · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Bowie County, possibly near Texarkana, where William Lee Estes built a remarkable career. After earning his law degree from the University of Texas in 1894, Estes returned to Texarkana and quickly…

  • Stilwell, Henry Wesley · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, a city that owes much of its modern educational landscape to Henry W. Stilwell. Born near Lone Oak in 1886, Stilwell dedicated his life to shaping Texas schools. After years teaching…

  • Tilson, William Harrison · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Bowie County, heading towards Texarkana, and right here is a place that saw a lot of political action. William Harrison Tilson was a lawyer, a Confederate soldier, and a key figure in state…

  • Wright Patman Lake · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Texarkana, heading toward Wright Patman Lake. This massive body of water, originally called the Texarkana Reservoir, was born from a massive engineering effort. Construction on the dam began way back…

  • Wright, Lammar · 2.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texarkana, Texas, the birthplace of Lammar Wright, a jazz trumpeter whose searing solos helped define the sound of early jazz. Born in 1905 or 1907, Wright joined Bennie Moten's band in Kansas…

  • The Village Built by War · 3.4 mi

    Imagine this area in 1941: quiet woods and farmland. Then the United States goes to war. Right here, the government decided to build two enormous munitions installations - the Red River Ordnance Depot and the Lone Star…

  • Blueprint for an Arsenal · 3.4 mi

    The existence of Wake Village is a testament to an incredible feat of engineering and logistics. In 1941, the Army Corps of Engineers was given a monumental task: transform over 50,000 acres of East Texas woods and…

  • Wake Village, TX · 3.4 mi

    Wake Village is a place where the ordinary can quickly become extraordinary. Drive around, and you might think it’s just another quiet Texas town. But those of us who live here know there's more to the story.

  • The Engine Next Door: Red River Army Depot · 3.4 mi

    Just west of Wake Village is the economic engine that has powered this region for eight decades: the Red River Army Depot. Established in 1941, this sprawling facility has been vital to nearly every major U.S. military…

  • The Texarkana Boy Who Took His Brother's Name · 4.0 mi

    On Interstate Thirty in Texarkana, one bridge is named the H Ross Perot Bridge, for a man born in this city on June twenty seventh, nineteen thirty. His parents named him Henry Ray. He changed his middle name to Ross,…

  • The Town That Dreaded Sundown · 4.2 mi

    In the spring of 1946, a wave of terror swept over Texarkana. A hooded attacker, dubbed the 'Phantom Killer' by the press, began attacking couples on remote lovers' lanes around the city. The attacks escalated from…

  • One Foot in Texas, One in Arkansas · 4.2 mi

    If you head downtown to State Line Avenue, you'll find one of the most unusual buildings in the country: the Texarkana Post Office and Federal Courthouse. What makes it special? It sits directly on the state line—the…

  • The King of Ragtime's First Steps · 4.2 mi

    The syncopated, joyful sound of Ragtime music has its roots right here in Texarkana. Scott Joplin, the undisputed king of the genre, spent his childhood here in the 1870s and '80s. His father, a former slave, worked for…

  • The Legend of Boggy Creek · 4.2 mi

    Just south of Texarkana, in the swampy Sulphur River bottoms around Fouke, Arkansas, something is supposed to live. They call it the Fouke Monster - seven feet tall, covered in brown hair, eyes like coals of fire,…

  • Engineering a City at the Crossroads · 4.2 mi

    Texarkana exists at a line somebody drew. Two railroads were converging on this stretch of pine and swamp in the early 1870s - the Texas and Pacific working toward the border from the Texas side, the Cairo and Fulton…

  • The Arsenal in the Pines · 4.2 mi

    Just west of the city lies a massive piece of American military history: the Red River Army Depot. Established in August 1941 as the nation prepared for World War Two, it was carved out of a hundred and sixteen farms…

  • UIL 4A Football State Champions — 2 titles · 4.4 mi

    Pleasant Grove High School (Texarkana, TX): Most recent: 35-21 over Wimberley · 2019 4A Division 2 final.

  • Texas HS Baseball Playoff Leaders 2026: Pleasant Grove (Texarkana) · 4.4 mi

    Pleasant Grove (Texarkana) put 4 players on the statewide leaderboards of the 2026 Texas high school baseball playoffs. Hunter Rose had the fewest hits allowed per inning in the state, 17 hits (8th in the state), 13 RBI…

  • Texas HS Baseball Playoff Hits 2026: Pleasant Grove (Texarkana) · 4.4 mi

    Pleasant Grove (Texarkana), TX placed on the Texas high school baseball PLAYOFF HITS leaderboard for the 2026 postseason: Hunter Rose (17 hits, #8 in TX).

  • Town of Nash · 4.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Nash, a town with a name that changed as much as its population. It started around 1873 as 'T. C. Junction,' right where the Texas & Pacific Railroad cut across the landscape. By 1884, the post…

  • Caddo Indian Village · 4.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Bowie County, not far from Texarkana, where for a thousand years, a sophisticated civilization thrived. From around 800 to 1800 AD, the Caddo people lived here, believing they were the only…

  • Trammels Trace · 4.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving near Texarkana, and right here, you're crossing into Texas via Trammels Trace. This wasn't just any road; it was the 1813 entry point for countless pioneers, including Stephen F. Austin himself, Sam…

  • French in Texas · 4.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through the heart of French activity in Texas, long before it was Texas! Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1685</say-as>, La Salle planted a colony on the coast. But right near here, in…

  • First Disciples of Christ in Texas · 4.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Texarkana, and we're heading back to 1831. Collin McKinney and his family were holding informal worship services at McKinney's Landing, defying Mexican law that demanded allegiance to the Catholic…

  • Old Rondo Cemetery · 4.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Pause for a moment and imagine this quiet cemetery filled with the somber sounds of a nation at war. In 1862, Confederate troops stationed here in Rondo were struck by a devastating measles epidemic as the Union Army…

  • DeGolyer, Everette Lee · 5.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through East Texas, not far from Nash, where Everette Lee DeGolyer made history in the oil fields. In 1922, he instigated the very first geophysical survey of an oilfield in the United States, right here…

  • Nash, TX (Bowie County) · 5.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Nash, Texas, a town born from the railroads. Back in the 1870s, this spot was just a junction where a branch line from Marshall met the main Texas and Pacific line. Folks called it…

  • The Arsenal's Backyard · 5.5 mi

    The biggest turning point in Nash's history happened just west of town, and it was monumental. In 1941, as the world plunged into war, the U.S. government built two colossal military industrial sites on Bowie County…

  • Engines of War and Peace · 5.5 mi

    Just west of Nash lies one of the largest and most complex industrial and engineering sites in Texas: the Red River Army Depot. Established in 1941, this isn't just a warehouse; it's a city-sized hub of advanced…

  • The Junction City · 5.5 mi

    Look around Nash, and you might not immediately see it, but you're in a town built by a crossroads. In the 1870s this exact spot was a game-changer for transportation in the region. The Texas and Pacific Railway was…

  • Nash, TX · 5.5 mi

    Nash, Texas, has a rich history that began with the land being patented to William Crutcher in 1849 and Josiah W. Fort in 1951. Originally called 'T.C. Junction' due to its location on the Texas and Pacific Railway, the…

  • The Little School District That Could · 7.6 mi

    In Texas, small rural schools often face pressure to consolidate with larger, neighboring districts. But not in Red Lick. The heart and soul of this community is the Red Lick Independent School District, a small but…

  • The Arsenal Next Door · 7.6 mi

    As you drive west from Red Lick, you are heading toward the single biggest influence on this area's modern history: the Red River Army Depot and its former companion, the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant. Red River was…

  • Engineering an Arsenal from Scratch · 7.6 mi

    The creation of the Red River and Lone Star installations nearby in 1941 was a monumental feat of engineering and logistics, executed at wartime speed. Imagine the task: taking close to forty thousand acres of Bowie…

  • Red Lick, TX · 7.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Red Lick, a town that got its name from a simple, natural phenomenon. Back in the 1860s, folks noticed that a nearby hill, made of red clay, was a popular spot for deer to get their salt. They…

  • Red Lick Methodist Church · 8.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Red Lick Methodist Church. Founded around 1885, services have been held here since the 1890s on land donated by the Bob Bonner family. Early services were held in a shared building,…

  • Cemetery for Old Harrison Chapel · 8.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Old Harrison Chapel Cemetery, a resting place founded way back in 1840 by Texas pioneers Charles Moores and his wife, Mary Harrison. Their chapel, named for her parents, was an all-faiths spot where…

  • Black Cherry Tree · 11.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Hooks, and you might have just passed the site of what was once the largest black cherry tree in Texas. Judged so in 1965, this tree was more than just big; its bark was used for medicine, and its…

  • Redwater · 12.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Redwater, a town with a name that tells a story. It started as Mooresville in 1840, but then a sawmill popped up in 1875, attracting workers who, well, let's just say they weren't too keen on…

  • The Town the Train Built · 12.8 mi

    Before there was a Redwater, there was Ingersoll. A sawmill went up here in the middle 1870s, run by two men named Daniels and Spence, and they named their camp for Robert Ingersoll — the most famous agnostic orator in…

  • Redwater, TX · 12.8 mi

    Redwater, Texas, was founded in the mid-1870s around a sawmill operated by two men named Daniels and Spence. They named the community Ingersoll, in honor of the agnostic Robert Ingersoll. A post office was established…

  • Redwater, TX · 12.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Redwater, Texas, a town with a name that tells a story. It started out in the 1870s as Ingersoll, named for a famous agnostic. But the folks here had a change of heart. In 1886, a massive revival…

  • The Arsenal of East Texas · 13.3 mi

    Just south of Hooks lies an area that changed everything for this town. In 1941, with the world on the brink of war, the U.S. government acquired tens of thousands of acres of farmland to build two colossal military…

  • The Engineering of a Second Life · 13.3 mi

    Just south of Hooks is a massive engineering project that’s been running for decades: the Red River Army Depot. It’s not a typical factory that builds things from scratch. Instead, it’s a world-class center for…

  • Friday Night Hornets · 13.3 mi

    In Texas, small-town identity gets forged on the high school football field, and Hooks is no exception. This is Hornets country. The town has had its economic ups and downs, but the constant has been the green and…

  • Hooks, TX · 13.3 mi

    Hooks, Texas, sits nestled in the northeastern corner of the state, a place where the land rolls gently underfoot. At just over 300 feet above sea level, it's not mountainous, but neither is it flat prairie. This subtle…

  • Hooks, Robert Warren · 14.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Bowie County, near the town of Hooks, which owes its name to a prominent planter family. Robert Warren Hooks, born in Alabama in 1836, moved with his family to this area around 1848. His father…

  • Hooks, TX · 14.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving west of Texarkana, and right here is Hooks, Texas. This community started way back in the late 1830s, growing up around the plantation of Warren Hooks. For decades, it was a quiet spot, gaining a post…

  • Hooks, Warren H. · 14.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Hooks, Texas, a town named after a man who became one of Northeast Texas's largest landowners. Warren Hooks arrived from Alabama in the late 1840s, eventually owning over 13,000 acres and a…

  • Pecan Point Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Bowie County, near Hooks, where a place called Pecan Point was once a hub for Texas independence. In March of 1836, five prominent delegates to the Constitutional Convention hailed from this very…

  • Hooks · 14.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Hooks, Texas, a town that owes its name to Warren Hooks, who established a supply center here on his plantation way back in 1848. For decades, farming was the name of the game, with cotton and…

  • Epperson's Ferry · 17.2 mi

    You're driving past the site of Epperson's Ferry, a crossing that's seen a lot of Texas history. Here's why one spot drew people for centuries: a river only offers a safe crossing in a few places, a firm bottom, a…

  • Richmond, AR · 17.3 mi

    Richmond, Arkansas, took root in the late 19th century, riding the rails to a modest prosperity. Established around 1880, likely named for a leading local family, the town's fate was quickly tied to King Cotton. The…

  • The Concrete Corridor: Building Interstate 369 · 17.6 mi

    The construction you see along U.S. Highway 59 here isn't just a road widening; it's part of a corridor meant to become Interstate 369, carrying U.S. 59 from Texarkana south toward the Gulf. Think about the engineering…

  • The Old City Calaboose · 17.6 mi

    Queen City had a jail of its own once, and if you go looking for it now you will not find it. The fire-insurance surveyors from the Sanborn company mapped this town in 1890, again in 1896, and again in 1901, and every…

  • Crenshaw Site · 18.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Imagine a place where ancient rituals unfolded centuries before European contact. That's the Crenshaw Site, a significant Caddo ceremonial center right here in Miller County. Beginning perhaps as early as 900 AD, and…

  • Maud, TX · 18.2 mi

    The founding of Maud, Texas, is closely tied to the arrival of the railroad in 1870. This event marked the beginning of a community that gradually emerged around this vital transportation link. The town was named for…

  • Ashdown, AR · 18.2 mi · Local history

    Ashdown, Arkansas, owes its existence to the iron horse. Carved from the Red River plains in the late 19th century, its establishment as a town directly correlates with the expansion of the railroad. Named for a…

  • Maud United Methodist Church · 18.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Maud United Methodist Church, which began as a mission in 1874. The town's founder, Samuel Knapp, donated the land for the church, and the original building was moved here in 1880.…

  • Maud, TX · 18.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Maud, a community in Bowie County that owes its existence to the railroad. Before the St. Louis Southwestern Railway arrived in 1870, this area, known as the Red River Country, saw little…

  • Liberty Cemetery, Old, and Site of Enon Primitive Baptist Church · 19.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Old Liberty Cemetery, a resting place for folks dating back to 1850. It's also the site of the original Enon Primitive Baptist Church, organized way back in 1845. In 1861, church trustees got four…

  • Dooley's Ferry Fortifications Historic District · 19.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Imagine the Red River churning, the air thick with tension – this unassuming spot was once a crucial defense against a Union invasion. In late 1864, Confederate troops, under the command of Major-General John B.…

  • Mathews - Powell House · 19.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past a grand Victorian home, built in 1878 by William Franklin Mathews. Mathews was a Confederate veteran who came to Queen City right when it was founded, becoming a successful merchant. The house saw…

  • Bloomburg, TX · 19.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through northeastern Cass County, not far from the Arkansas border. Right here is Bloomburg, a town that owes its existence to the railroad. Before 1895, this was just an area with scattered settlement.…

  • Queen City, TX · 19.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Queen City, Texas, a town born from the railroad in 1877. It quickly became a hub, boasting sawmills, a gristmill, and even an iron foundry hoping to tap into local ore. That foundry didn't last,…

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