Field Guides
New Boston, Texas
(Bowie COUNTY)
Northeast Texas timber country with rich railroad history and Southern charm.
Highlights
Welcome to Texas! Bowie County and its largest city Texarkana welcome millions each year to the Lone Star state as they stream across I-30 from the east or, to a much lesser extent, across the Oklahoma border on SH 259. Bowie County holds the distinction of being one of three Texas counties to border two other states. Dallam and Cass are the others. Indeed, Texarkana is not many miles in redrawn borders from being a “four corners” point, as the Louisiana border is a mere 30 miles to the south.
Visitors from far away entering Texas expecting huge cattle ranches spotted with cacti are going to be confused. Boston County is more Old South than New West. The terrain is highly wooded and lush. The lifestyle is relaxed. The architecture is 19th-century inspired.
Texarkana is the only city of any size with approximately 37,000 citizens (we count the ones unlucky enough to live in Arkansas in that number), but it is not the county seat. While the only federal courthouse in the nation to serve two states is in downtown Texarkana, there is no actual center to the town. Thus, while Texarkana has an active commercial life, “visiting the square” is not a thing here. The actual county seat is in Boston, Texas, but the county courthouse is in New Boston, right off I-30. Sort of a confusing history.
This is all to say that if you want to spend some time in Texarkana, enjoying the great outdoors or staying at a rustic retreat cabin is the way to go. The best place to do that is Wright Patman Lake, the Corps of Engineers lake that ensures the area has water and that you have a fish on the line.
The Bowie County Courthouse
The present Bowie County Courthouse, built in 1985, is a modern structure on the I-30 eastbound frontage road in the small community of New Boston. The obviously modern structure stands where it does as a testament to convenience. The previous courthouse is off the highway in the actual county seat of Boston. (Both towns were named for a person, not the city in Massachusetts.) It is the more attractive and historical option.
Things To See And Do
Let’s nerd out a little in Texarkana. Texas Ten, of course, stopped at the Texas Visitor Information Center just off I-30. Take your picture in the Welcome to Texas area. But go inside also. There is a wealth of information about every part of Texas in the office. If you are a lawyer nerd (guilty), take a picture of the Stateline courthouse downtown. It is both one-of-a-kind in function and a beautiful building.
Visit the Museum of Regional History for a deeper dive into the area. On the way out, you will have the urge to set your Spotify to the soundtrack from the Sting to hear the ragtime tunes popularized by Texarkana native Scott Joplin. For more on Scott, you can take a self-guided driving tour.
For a more twentieth-century experience, you can see a collection of immaculate classic cars at the Four States Auto Museum. Seems fitting as one of the more infamous fictional driving feats of the 20th century was Burt Reynolds and his eagle Trans-Am getting from Atlanta to Texarkana and back in 28 hours. Smokey was a gambling man, and if had time in Texarkana, he surely would have ventured across the state line to visit the Ace of Clubs house, a structure built like the card symbol. It is currently closed for renovations, but you can see the outside. Also across the state line is Texarkana’s historic Municipal Auditorium, which is a time capsule of a place showcasing what a concert experience was like decades ago. Of note is who gave concerts there, the King himself, was almost a house act in the mid-1950s. So if you run into an elderly local who says she saw Elvis regularly, she might be telling the truth.
The point of Smokey’s drive was to deliver a six-pack of Coors beer, then “outlawed” east of Texas. People can enjoy Coors today anywhere, but you can recapture the spirit at the Railyard Entertainment District, a collection of clubs and restaurants. Party lifestyle approved as you can openly carry alcohol within the district. Finally, check out the art displayed at the Gallery located in the 1894 City Market.
From there, it is time to head outside. For thrills or a lazy river day there is the Big Dam Waterpark. For natural water and fewer crowds, you can go small scale or really big scale. In Texarkana, Bringle Lake Park is a seven-acre fishing hole with two piers and stocked bass. On the other end of the spectrum is Wright Patman Lake (named after the long-time congressman representing the district). Wright Patman is large enough for all types of water activities, but the number of keeper-size white bass and channel catfish make it a popular fishing tournament spot.
Food, Drinks, and Music (Eat Local!)
Your dining options are best sought in Texarkana. And Texarkana is for carnivores. Namaan’s Barbecue and Steaks is a must for the meat and the atmosphere. Big Jake’s does straight barbecue and is well-regarded. There are a boatload of brewpubs/roadhouses/brasseries serving Texas comfort food. Pick from Ironwood Grill, Pecan Point Gastropub & Brewery, Off the Fire, Benchmark American Brasserie, Twisted Fork Grill and Lounge, Blue Ember Smokehouse, or Silver Star Smokehouse.
Cafe Lucille serves a delicious breakfast all day and just as delicious a lunch. Or try the nap-inducing specials at the Lunch Box. Although a budding franchise, Flying Burgers and Seafood has local roots, so we include it as a great casual option. The Dixie Diner has been doing Texas casual for almost 40 years, so they must know how. Wayne’s Family Restaurant is almost 60, so…
Local flavor comes through at the Cajun Blue Water Bayou Wing Masters and Bayou Ben’s Crawfish (Only open during crawfish season, so check their Facebook page).
Local Tex-Mex is best at Amigo Juan, Loca Luna, Colima’s, Tacos Mi Pueblo, Chilangos, or Taco Tico.
Ethnic styles shine through at Chappo’s for Italian and Ritz D’Bento for Japanese and sushi. Another great pizza option is Gusanos.
Where To Drop A Dime (Shop Local!)
Texas Ten adheres to the honesty-is-the-best-policy principle. Honestly, the vacation-style shopping in Bowie County is pretty limited. There are vintage and flea market stores spread around, including Treasure Trove Flea Market, The Lighthouse Flea Market, Red Door Chicken Coop, Caveman Consignment Company, Owl’s Nest Flea Market, and Sassy Seconds.
For boutiques, you are going to have to drive around a bit. In no particular order, you may like Luna Boutique, the Rancher’s Wife Boutique, Labels Boutique, Snazzy Chicks Boutique and Gifts, Twisted Spice and Everything Nice, and Knuckleheads and Prissy.
Joel Wright Art Studio and the 1894 Gallery are your go-to’s for fine art.
The Stained Page is a used bookstore/coffee shop.
A more substantial purchase might be made at Oak Creek Furniture, a high-quality Amish furniture store.
Special Places to Lay Your Head (Stay Local!)
The historic hotel in Texarkana is now loft living. Hotel Grim still cuts quite a figure across the skyline, but that has left quite a hole in the charming places to stay category. Texas Ten suggests VRBO for your answer.
For the Professional Traveller (Campgrounds and RV Parks)
Starting at the North shore of Wright Patman Lake and working towards the city of Texarkana:
Shady Pines RV Park
Lone Star RV Park
Special Events
This is one of Texas Ten favorites-The Bandit Run. Once a year, a group of classic car enthusiasts get together to take their pride and joy on the open roads. Every fifth year the destination is Atlanta to recreate Smokey and the Bandit.
October sees the Taste of Texarkana each year.
Texarkana puts on an impressive Christmas parade the first weekend of December each year.
By far, the biggest event each year is the Four States Rodeo and Fair, which takes place in late July and early August and draws talent and people from across the region.
Fore! (Golf Courses)
Bowie County was made for golf courses, a fact that has not escaped the attention of golf course developers. Two private country clubs, three excellent semi-private courses, and an accessible 9-hole executive course in a relatively sparsely populated area are almost more than one can ask for. If you are looking for a golf vacation, this is a great spot.
The one you really want to play will need an invitation- Texarkana Country Club. No less an emissary than Texas golf legend Byron Nelson called the place a “Little Agusuta.” Northridge Country Club is newer but will also provide a great experience.
For the mere mortals among us, the public or semi-private track at Texarkana Golf Ranch, New Haven Golf Club, and Oak Grove Golf Club (in New Boston) will do just fine.
The Links at Texarkana is an executive nine-hole course great for working on your game or getting a quick nine in.
Getting to Bowie County
From anywhere in Texas other than the panhandle, you drive north and east. Texarkana and New Boston are on I-30, running east out of Dallas. Downtown Dallas to downtown Texarkana takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes. SH 59 through Texas and the new I-49 through Louisiana and then Arkansas are the north/south routes that intersect with I-30 in Texarkana. More broadly, Texarkana is 6 and a half hours northeast of the geographic center of the state in Brady, Texas. Side note-it is only 812 miles to El Paso.
Arriving in Bowie County by air offers a variety of options. American Airlines serves Texarkana Regional Airport. In addition to American, Allegiant, Delta, and United serve the Shreveport Regional Airport, about an hour and 15 minutes away by car. Smaller craft can use either of those two airports as well.
History
Natives have inhabited the area along the Red River since as far back as 1500 BC. In 1542, the first European explorers, led by Luis de Moscoso Alvarado, encountered and documented information about the Caddos, who were advanced farmers. Osages also inhabited the area. Due to the arrival of other tribes in the area and epidemics introduced by Europeans, many Caddos eventually abandoned their villages. In the 1820s, bands of Shawnee, Delaware, and Kickapoo arrived. The interactions with white settlers, who began arriving in the 1830s, were peaceful.
The early settlers came to this area believing it was part of the United States because the settlements were within Arkansas’s boundaries. When the U.S. government refused to issue land grants, the settlers sought help from the Mexican Government. The Convention of 1836 in Washington on the Brazos established the area within the bounds of Texas when Texas declared its independence. However, the county’s boundaries changed several times between 1820 and 1846, when they were ultimately redrawn to their present position and size. In 1830, Bowie County was settled and named after the famous knife fighter, James Bowie, who fought in the Battle of the Alamo. The County Seat was initially named Boston after the first person, W. J. Boston, to establish a store in the county. During the Civil War, wealthy planters came and settled in the area. By the 1880s, the town of Boston became known as “Old Boston” when the Texas and Pacific railways cut through the county, and “New Boston” emerged as a town built around the railroad in the 1880s.
In 1861, when the vote came to Bowie County, secession was favored, and its residents resoundingly voted in favor of the Confederate cause. Slavery was an integral part of life in this region, and cotton was the major economic resource. Agriculture was central to Bowie County’s lives, and although cotton was the primary cash crop, this small county relied on subsistence farming, raising enough corn and hogs to survive the war. Bowie was never invaded during the war, and the residents escaped the devastation other Southern communities endured. The destruction of the planters in this county occurred at the end of the war when formerly enslaved people outnumbered white inhabitants, and cotton production came to a halt. In 1867, Republicans fanned the flames of resentment when they pushed to expand the legal and political rights of freed blacks. This political action, compounded by the encampment of Federal troops in the county for the first time, enraged its white citizens. Outlaw gangster Cullen Baker saw this and moved in from his farm in Arkansas for the sole purpose of terrorizing blacks, killing one federal officer and leaving others wounded. He managed to escape the county but went on to infamously organize a gang that came to use tactics resembling those of the Ku Klux Klan.
Agriculture continued to be a mainstay in this region, and with the new city of Texarkana becoming a manufacturing and railroad hub, production increased until the Great Depression. Economic productivity fell, farms failed, and residents abandoned the area.
It wasn’t until World War II that the area saw its biggest economic boom. Two large military installations, the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant and Red River Army Depot, were built, leading to a surge in population flooding the region and businesses flourishing. Further agricultural development occurred, leading to farming landlords from the time of the Depression to chase off their tenants. Horses and mules had been these farmers’ chief power sources, but by 1950, farms had become more mechanized. The demand for cotton had fallen, and the livestock industry had grown. Oil was discovered in 1941 and quickly became a major economic industry in the county, generating demographic changes. The development of major highways running through Texarkana into Bowie led to an influx of new residents and a broader population.
Politics in this region followed a predictable path, as most small Texas towns do. In the 1869 election, Bowie County was staunchly Democratic and continued to vote in this manner for another 100 years. It wasn’t until the 1968 election that citizens voted for George Wallace. Bowie County remains predominantly Republican in state, local, and federal elections.
According to the 2020 census, Bowie’s population reached nearly 93,000. Of that number, 61% are white, 25% are Black,7% are Hispanic, 6% are mixed race, and 1% are Asian. 23% of the population has a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the median income (lower than the average in Texas) is $49771.
Notable Bowie County natives include actors like the famed Bonanza character Dan Blocker and professional athletes Frank Williams, LeMichael James, and Jerimiah Trotter.
Primary Sources:
Texas State Historical Society
OTHER: TEXARKANA