Panola County

Panola County Offices

Panola County Town List

Louisiana borders Panola County to the East, south of Panola is Shelby County, west of Panola is Rusk County, and north of Panola is Harrison County.

The county seat is located at 32°10′ north longitude and 94°20′ west latitude. Twenty-six miles from Marshall, 65 miles from Tyler, and 50 miles from Nacogdoches, Carthage is the county seat.

The name Panola was coined from the Cherokee word ponolo (cotton).

Panola County Geography

Panola County has 842 square miles of gently sloping plains and modest hills. The county lies in the eastern portion of East Texas Timberlands and is drained by the Sabine River that runs diagonally from northwest to southeast.

It’s not uncommon to see short-leaf and loblolly pine trees in the County’s forests, oak, maple, hickory elm, hickory trees, wild plum and sloe trees, and floral trees like dogwoods, redbuds, and magnolias.

The International Paper Company’s 4,000-acre forests are home to several beautiful hiking routes. Deer, squirrels, and quail can be seen in the woods during the hunting season. As a result of the return of wild turkeys, hunting is prohibited in the area.

In addition to the freshwater lakes, there are also some ponds and reservoirs. These lakes comprise Murvaul Lake, Martin Lake, and Toledo Bend, all recently constructed.

The soil consists mainly of sandy loam with a clay subsoil. At an average of 43.9 inches, Panola County receives 43.9 inches of rain every year, with temperatures ranging from 34 to 94 degrees Fahrenheit in January through July.

There are 240 days in the growing season. In 1990, the County produced 1,356,000 barrels of crude oil; this accounts for a significant portion of the County’s earnings. Additionally, there are sawmills and the processing of chickens, and the manufacturing of plastic items in the area.

Panola County Communication And Facilities

The Panola Watchman and the Panola Post, two weekly newspapers, are widely distributed in Panola County and the surrounding area. At the same time, KGAS radio and Carthage Cable Vision were providing health care.

Both the M. P. Baker Library at Panola College and the Service League Library were available to the County’s people. The Santa Fe Railroad, renamed the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, ceased passenger service in the 1990s, but freight trains continued to run through the County into the twenty-first century.

County Economic Activities

There were a lot of gas and oil field operations, agribusiness, wood, and food manufacturing in the area in the early twenty-first century. In 2004, the County produced a large amount of oil and gas. Oil wells have been growing in the County since 1917, and they’ve produced 92,220,935 barrels so far this year.

Nine hundred forty-eight farms and ranches occupied 222,910 acres in the County in 2002. There was 38 percent of the land devoted to crops, 31 percent to woodlands, and 28 percent of the area to grazing. Animal sales accounted for $44,830,000 of the $46,221,000 earned by those who live near farmers and ranchers in 2013. Farming mainly produced broilers, beef cattle, and hay. The County removed about 19,409,000 cubic feet of pinewood and more than 5,324,000 cubic feet of hardwood.

Panola County places To Visit

Texas Country Music Hall Of Fame

Since its inception in 1998, the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame has honored Texans who have made significant contributions to the country music genre. As part of the effort, prominent figures from across the country are highlighted.

Exhibition space, a shop, and a significant function room are all included in this stunning building. As many as 300 persons in lecture-style seats or more than 200 in catered banquets can be accommodated in the venue.

A commercial kitchen, high ceilings, and cutting-edge lighting and sound equipment make the Hall of Fame an ideal venue for banquets and other events in the neighborhood.

Tex Ritter, the singing cowboy from Panola County, received the 1998 honor. Among the musicians accepted were the Gatlin Brothers, Ray Price, Roger Miller, Jimmy Dean, Ernest Tubb, Dale Evans, George Jones, Bob Wills, Mac Davis, Ray Price, Waylon Jennings.

Piney Woods Quilt Festival

The 15th Piney Woods Quilt Festival was held in April 2018 in Carthage, Panola Squares Quilt Club, and Busy Quilters Guild of Panola County. These groups arranged the event.

Local and regional quilting guilds can display their talents and products at this yearly exhibition.

Footprints In The Sand Monument

The sand footsteps are 80 feet long and near a monument showing Christ delivering an older man from the grave.

Bronze Jesus stands on a 14-foot-tall platform that is 5-feet-tall. A trail of footsteps leads from the statue’s five-foot pedestal to the ground. A work of art greets visitors to a park’s 50-foot-diameter solid sandstone seat.

In front of this structure is the world’s most giant bronze statue of Jesus Christ. Don Clinton, a Carthaginian who lived in the city, was posing as Jesus. George and Carson Joines acted as the other person in the scene.

The memorial can be found in Carthage, Mississippi, at 1320 Dixie Lake Road. Southwest Loop is only a couple of blocks away.

Panola County Offices

The County has several offices under its jurisdiction. Different departments hold different responsibilities for the smooth running of the County. Among them is the office of the County Judge. Currently, Judge David L. Anderson holds the office responsible for all judicial services within the county borders. You can contact him by phone at (903) 693-0391 or fax at (903) 693-2726.

The constable’s office holds positions for four members. Each member occupies a specific district for one term. For Precinct 1, Constable Bryan Murff is in charge, while Charles Blue is responsible for Precinct 2. Charles Blue and Bryan Murff head precincts 3 and 4.

Also in the membership of the County is the county assessor. Holly Gibbs holds the post at the moment. He is in charge of all matters concerning taxes and vehicle registration in the County. He gives annual reports and audits after every financial year. You can reach his office by phone at (903) 693-0340 or fax at (903) 693-2726.

The County Sheriff goes by Sheriff Sarah Fields. She is in charge of maintaining law and order within the County. The Panola County Detention Centre is also part of her responsibilities where offenders and felons are held. You can visit her office along Wellington Street in Carthage or contact her through phone on this line (903) 693-0333.