Harrison County

Harrison County is located in northeastern Texas along the Louisiana border. Marshall, the county seat and largest town, is 152 miles east of Dallas and thirty-nine miles west of Shreveport. The county's center lies at 32°30' north latitude and 94°30' west longitude. Harrison County comprises 894 square miles of the East Texas timberlands, an area that is heavily forested with a great variety of softwoods and hardwoods, especially pine, cypress, and oak. The terrain is gently rolling, with an elevation ranging from 200 to 400 feet above sea level. Northern and eastern Harrison County, about two-thirds of the total area, is drained to the Red River in Louisiana by Little Cypress Creek, Cypress Bayou, and Caddo Lake. The other third of the county is drained by the Sabine River, which forms a part of its southern boundary. Two soil types, upland sedimentary and lowland alluvial, are found in the county. The former, although not so rich as the alluvial, is primarily a sandy loam noted for being loose and easily cultivated. Mineral resources include oil, gas, and clays that have proved valuable for making bricks and pottery. Temperatures range from an average high of 95° F in July to an average low of 37° in January, rainfall averages slightly more than forty-six inches a year, and the growing season extends 245 days.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.