Texarkana-Boom Town

[mcheiss]

^Nice Pics.

Do you have any of the downtown area? I've heard some nice things about that area.

[Mith242]

^Nice Pics.

Do you have any of the downtown area? I've heard some nice things about that area.

Yeah that would be pretty interesting.

[bigboyz05]

Hey guys! I have this one small pic. Go to http://www.txkre.com/connect/objects/dwntn.jpg

I'll try to find more later.

[mcheiss]

Hey guys! I have this one small pic. Go to http://www.txkre.com/connect/objects/dwntn.jpg

I'll try to find more later.

Wow, I didn't know Texarkana has such an urban feel.

Is that ont the Texas side or Arkansas side?

[Aporkalypse]

Wow, I didn't know Texarkana has such an urban feel.

Is that ont the Texas side or Arkansas side?

The downtown is straddled on both.

[mcheiss]

The downtown is straddled on both.

Right, It is an interesting city.

I just wonder which side has more development in the downtown portion.

[bigboyz05]

Both sides of downtown have an equal amount of development. Although the Arkansas side will be even more noticeable with the auditorium and loft construction. it would be nice if the city built a new tallest downtown but most of the bigger buildings, such as hotels and banks, are building out by the I-30 freeway and with that part of town continuing to densify it's been said that a small uptown like community is beginning to evolve.

[Mith242]

I'm glad to hear that stuff is happening on the Arkansas side, although for many people down there it probably doesn't matter which side it happens on. I'd also like to see more population on the Arkansas side so it would be a more balanced city on both sides of the border.

[tim2462]

I'm glad to hear that stuff is happening on the Arkansas side, although for many people down there it probably doesn't matter which side it happens on. I'd also like to see more population on the Arkansas side so it would be a more balanced city on both sides of the border.

The Arkansas side is gaining the most population. The Texas side is only growing at 2%, while the

Arkansas side is growing at 11.5%. As of the 2004 estimate, the TX side has 35,492...and the AR

side has 29,494. The gap is closing. Also, the AR side is growing in land size. The AR side now has 38

sq. miles, while the TX side only has 26. A lot of the retail development is happening on the TX side, but

most of the residential is happening on the AR side. As this trend continues, the AR side will get its share

of the pie. We just have to be thankful that Wal*Mart changed their mind and converted that store on the

AR side to a supercenter instead of closing it...that would've been death to the AR side. Just know that the

AR side is holding its on down there...the TX side is not dwarfing us.

[Mith242]

The Arkansas side is gaining the most population. The Texas side is only growing at 2%, while the

Arkansas side is growing at 11.5%. As of the 2004 estimate, the TX side has 35,492...and the AR

side has 29,494. The gap is closing. Also, the AR side is growing in land size. The AR side now has 38

sq. miles, while the TX side only has 26. A lot of the retail development is happening on the TX side, but

most of the residential is happening on the AR side. As this trend continues, the AR side will get its share

of the pie. We just have to be thankful that Wal*Mart changed their mind and converted that store on the

AR side to a supercenter instead of closing it...that would've been death to the AR side. Just know that the

AR side is holding its on down there...the TX side is not dwarfing us.

Thanks for the info. For some reason I really though the Texas side was much bigger than the Arkansas side. Could it be in terms of metro? But either way it's good to hear. It would be great if the Arkansas side ends up bigger than the Texas side.

[tim2462]

Thanks for the info. For some reason I really though the Texas side was much bigger than the Arkansas side. Could it be in terms of metro? But either way it's good to hear. It would be great if the Arkansas side ends up bigger than the Texas side.

Metro-wise, it's made up of only 2 counties. Bowie Co, TX has 89,000 and Miller Co, AR has 45,000.

Bowie county has more land area and more incorporated towns with some decent population. Miller

county pretty much just has Texarkana. This is slowly changing. A lot of the people that move to that

area move to parts of Miller county or to Texarkana, AR...because of the huge housing boom there.

Towns with decent population on the AR side are in Little River Co and Hempstead Co. I'd be willing to

bet that since Texarkana is growing at a good pace tha more and more people will commute to work

from those two counties in AR and they will be added to the Texarkana metro area in the near future.

This would even it out a bit. Bowie county was once a part of Arkansas...Texas should just give it back...

they don't need it, we do! Hmph!

[Mith242]

Metro-wise, it's made up of only 2 counties. Bowie Co, TX has 89,000 and Miller Co, AR has 45,000.

Bowie county has more land area and more incorporated towns with some decent population. Miller

county pretty much just has Texarkana. This is slowly changing. A lot of the people that move to that

area move to parts of Miller county or to Texarkana, AR...because of the huge housing boom there.

Towns with decent population on the AR side are in Little River Co and Hempstead Co. I'd be willing to

bet that since Texarkana is growing at a good pace tha more and more people will commute to work

from those two counties in AR and they will be added to the Texarkana metro area in the near future.

This would even it out a bit. Bowie county was once a part of Arkansas...Texas should just give it back...

they don't need it, we do! Hmph!

Thanks for the info. I do know that much of Oklahoma used to be part of the Arkansas Territory. I don't think I've heard anything about ant part of Texas being a part of Arkansas at one time.

[tim2462]

Thanks for the info. I do know that much of Oklahoma used to be part of the Arkansas Territory. I don't think I've heard anything about ant part of Texas being a part of Arkansas at one time.

The following is an excerpt of an article at http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online...s/BB/hcb11.html

Because the area of Northeast Texas encompassing present Bowie County was considered by many to be part of Arkansas, it was the site of some of the earliest white settlement in Texas. Hunters and traders were active in the area by 1815, and in contiguous Red River County permanent settlement was underway by 1818. Although the details of earliest settlement in Bowie County are not clear, the area was probably settled around 1820, when Miller County, Arkansas,qv was organized. This county encompassed not only what is now Bowie County, but all of the Red River settlements.

[Mith242]

The following is an excerpt of an article at http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online...s/BB/hcb11.html

Because the area of Northeast Texas encompassing present Bowie County was considered by many to be part of Arkansas, it was the site of some of the earliest white settlement in Texas. Hunters and traders were active in the area by 1815, and in contiguous Red River County permanent settlement was underway by 1818. Although the details of earliest settlement in Bowie County are not clear, the area was probably settled around 1820, when Miller County, Arkansas,qv was organized. This county encompassed not only what is now Bowie County, but all of the Red River settlements.

Thanks for the info. I'm wondering if it's more of a mistake by the early settlers not quite sure where Arkansas ended. At one point was the Arkansas Territory set at the Red River then later Miller County was added before we became a state? Just seems like I remember hearing something about this a long time ago.

[tim2462]

Thanks for the info. I'm wondering if it's more of a mistake by the early settlers not quite sure where Arkansas ended. At one point was the Arkansas Territory set at the Red River then later Miller County was added before we became a state? Just seems like I remember hearing something about this a long time ago.

The following site has maps...just click on the year to see the county formation in that year.

Miller County was over into Texas. These are census maps.

http://www.myarkansasgenealogy.com/ar_maps/ar_cm.htm

[Mith242]

The following site has maps...just click on the year to see the county formation in that year.

Miller County was over into Texas. These are census maps.

http://www.myarkansasgenealogy.com/ar_maps/ar_cm.htm

Nice site, thanks for posting it. I had been looking into some of this info for my History of Northwest Arkansas Topic I recently started. That's weird about the change, it's not anything I've ever hard anything about. I wonder why the line was moved back.

[tim2462]

Nice site, thanks for posting it. I had been looking into some of this info for my History of Northwest Arkansas Topic I recently started. That's weird about the change, it's not anything I've ever hard anything about. I wonder why the line was moved back.

I'm not sure why it changed...but you probably noticed that it was moved back between 1830 & 1840.

We became a state in 1836. Not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. I'll have to look into that.

I'm not sure why it changed...but you probably noticed that it was moved back between 1830 & 1840.

We became a state in 1836. Not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. I'll have to look into that.

Here we go...I didn't know Miller county had so many counties in Texas.

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online...s/MM/hcm91.html

[Mith242]

I'm not sure why it changed...but you probably noticed that it was moved back between 1830 & 1840.

We became a state in 1836. Not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. I'll have to look into that.

Here we go...I didn't know Miller county had so many counties in Texas.

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online...s/MM/hcm91.html

I wonder why I've never heard anything about this before. Thanks for posting the info Tim, very interesting.

[NCB]

Great info on all of this guys.

I enjoy reading all of this because I'm ver familiar with the area.

I was glad to see the growth rate for the Arkansas side of Texarkana. I'll be interested in looking at the 2006 estimate for the city.

[tim2462]

Great info on all of this guys.

I enjoy reading all of this because I'm ver familiar with the area.

I was glad to see the growth rate for the Arkansas side of Texarkana. I'll be interested in looking at the 2006 estimate for the city.

NCB...the funny thing is, this all started from a silly comment I made about bowie county should be

given back to AR...I had no idea 11 counties in NETEX was once all miller county, AR...It's amazing

how much we learned from that silly comment lol.

[Mith242]

NCB...the funny thing is, this all started from a silly comment I made about bowie county should be

given back to AR...I had no idea 11 counties in NETEX was once all miller county, AR...It's amazing

how much we learned from that silly comment lol.

It happens. Someone started a topic about Afro-Americans in northwest Arkansas and it ended up being a big topic discussing Judaism and Islam of all things because someone just happened to make a comment.

Edited December 11, 2005 by Mith242

[mcheiss]

It happens. Someone started a topic about Afro-Americans in northwest Arkansas and it ended up being a big topic discussing Jadaism and Islam of all things because someone just happened to make a comment.

You Mean Judaism.

[Mith242]

You Mean Judaism.

Whoops, wasn't paying attention. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

[mcheiss]

Whoops, wasn't paying attention. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

No problem.

[bigboyz05]

The Arkansas side is gaining the most population. The Texas side is only growing at 2%, while the

Arkansas side is growing at 11.5%. As of the 2004 estimate, the TX side has 35,492...and the AR

side has 29,494. The gap is closing. Also, the AR side is growing in land size. The AR side now has 38

sq. miles, while the TX side only has 26. A lot of the retail development is happening on the TX side, but

most of the residential is happening on the AR side. As this trend continues, the AR side will get its share

of the pie. We just have to be thankful that Wal*Mart changed their mind and converted that store on the

AR side to a supercenter instead of closing it...that would've been death to the AR side. Just know that the

AR side is holding its on down there...the TX side is not dwarfing us.

Tim2462 you're right! The northern part of the city is growing like gangbusters as it continually spreads to the north. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that soon Texarkana will spread all the way to the Little River County line. Growth in this area will be further fueled by the construction of the new arena and the retail and hotels surrounding it. Hey Mith242! I was the one who started that thread. I certainly wasn't expecting that many posts. I just thought someone would answer and that would be that.