Panola

Formed March 1, 1846 (52^nd county)

Panola County (22,492), Carthage (6,562)

The white brick and concrete Modern courthouse, located at Sabine and Sycamore streets, was built in 1953.  United States Highway 59 passes east of the location about 10 blocks.  Preston M. Geren designed this building.  The county was organized on March 1, 1846 with Pulaski as the county seat.  A Judicial Center was added in 2003.  Carthage assumed the county seat in 1848 and has been the home for five courthouses, the last built in 1885.  The county was cut from parts of Shelby and Harrison counties and the 52^nd county.  Panola County got its name from the Native American word for “cotton,” an early agricultural staple.  Early settlers named Carthage for Carthage, Mississippi. 

Panola County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Panola and Shelby counties and Two County Court Judges serve Panola County.  The county is far-eastern Texas next to the Louisiana border.  Shreveport, Louisiana is just northeast across the border and Tyler, Texas is to the west.  The Sabine River crosses through the county from northwest to southeast.  The county center is in Carthage 1 mile East of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Harrison County and Louisiana and Shelby and Rusk counties. 

The area of the county is 801 square miles.  It is 196 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 105 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 28.1 persons per square mile making it 109 out of 254 in the state.  Panola County has 34.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 59 crosses north to south from Harrison County to Shelby County.  United States Highway 79 enters from the northeast, Louisiana, and exits to the west, Rusk County.  The county is a rectangle with a V shaped northern border.  Carthage is slightly south the county center.  Carthage is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 29.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced PAN-O-LA.  The county seat is pronounced CAR-THEG.

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