Sabine

Formed December 14, 1836 (18^th county)

Sabine County (9,892), Hemphill (1,030)

The red brick Neo-Classical courthouse in Hemphill was built in 1906 on the square at North and Oak streets.  Texas State Highway 87 is one block east of the site.  The building’s designer was N. A. Dawson.  The building was restored in 1938.  There were supposedly four courthouses (two were 1858 and 1875) in the county since its December 14, 1836 founding but all records of their locations were destroyed in an 1875 fire.  Milam was the first county seat until 1858 when Hemphill assumed the role.  Sabine County is one of the original 23 in the state (18^th county.)  The county was named for the Sabine River.  Sabine is Spanish for “cypress or cedar tree,” which are predominant in the area.  Hemphill got its name from Texas Supreme Court justice John Hemphill.  He is also the namesake for Hemphill County. 

Sabine County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Sabine, Jasper, Newton, and San Augustine counties, One District Court Judge serves Sabine, San Augustine, and Shelby counties, and One County Court Judge serves Sabine County.  The county is in the far-eastern part of the state with Louisiana on its eastern border.  Houston, Texas is southwest and Beaumont, Texas is south of the county.  The Sabine River is the eastern border of the county.  The county center is in Hemphill 1 mile North of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Shelby County and Louisiana and Newton, Jasper, and San Augustine counties. 

The area of the county is 490 square miles.  It is 239 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 164 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 20.2 persons per square mile making it 131 out of 254 in the state.  Sabine County has 19.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 96 enters from San Augustine, on the west, and exits into Jasper County, on the south.  The county is relatively rectangular but it has many juts on its western and northern borders.  Hemphill is located in the southern third of the county.  Hemphill is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.4% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SA-BEEN.