The History of Texarkana, Texas

Texarkana owes its existence to the railroads. The Texas and Pacific Railroad built across Texas toward the Arkansas line, and the first town lots on the Texas side were sold on December 8, 1873. Meanwhile, the Cairo and Fulton Railroad pushed in from the Arkansas side, crossing the Red River as the Red River Bridge opened on March 20, 1874. Where the two lines met, a town sprang up almost overnight on both sides of the state border.

The name came from a railroad surveyor. The most credited account holds that Col. Gus Knobel coined "Texarkana" by combining Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, painting it on a plank and nailing it to a tree. The Texas-side city was formally established in 1874, and from the start it functioned as a twin city with Texarkana, Arkansas — two municipalities, two states, one continuous community.

Being split between two states has shaped Texarkana's identity ever since. State Line Avenue runs right down the border, and for generations residents have navigated two sets of state laws, taxes, and institutions while living in a single shared town. The arrangement made Texarkana a natural crossroads for commerce and travel between the Southwest and the Deep South.

The most famous symbol of this dual identity is the United States Post Office and Federal Building, which sits directly on the state line — the only federal building in the country to straddle a state border. Its front lawn, with a granite marker on the boundary, has long been a spot where visitors stand with one foot in each state. Presidents have campaigned from its steps, including John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Texarkana's most important cultural figure grew up in the city in its early years. Scott Joplin, born around 1868, spent his childhood in Texarkana, where he received his early musical training before going on to become the King of Ragtime — the composer of "Maple Leaf Rag," "The Entertainer," and the works that defined an American musical era. Joplin's connection gives the city a genuine place in the history of American music, and his legacy is celebrated locally with murals and heritage efforts.

Texarkana produced other notable figures too: businessman and presidential candidate Ross Perot, Motown legend Otis Williams of The Temptations, Baseball Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews, and Tony and Pulitzer Prize–winning director Joshua Logan all came from the city, a striking roster for a community its size.

The 20th century brought industry and the military to Texarkana. The Red River Army Depot was established in 1941 west of the city and became one of the area's largest employers, a role it still plays today along with major manufacturers. The downtown cultural scene was anchored by the Saenger Theatre, which opened in 1924 and was later restored by the Perot family and renamed the Perot Theatre.

Today the Texarkana metropolitan area — counting both the Texas and Arkansas sides — is home to roughly 150,000 people, with the Texas city itself around 36,000. The economy runs on the Red River Army Depot, healthcare systems like Christus St. Michael and Wadley Regional, Cooper Tire manufacturing, and the region's continuing role as a transportation and distribution hub. Through all of it, the thing that still makes Texarkana Texarkana is the line running down its middle.