Marshall and the Texas Pacific Railway

Marshall (named after Chief Justice John Marshall) began on January 30, 1841, when the Congress of the Republic of Texas authorized its creation as the seat of Harrison county. By virtue of its location on the eastern edge of the state, Marshall benefited from the influx of settlers from the east seeking access to the vast regions of Texas. The area surrounding Marshall was also fertile and ripe for development, so that by 1850 Marshall was the 6th largest city in the state. The fact that in 1850 Marshall had 1,189 residents, versus 11,822 residents total in Harrison county (the most populous in Texas), illustrates the agrarian nature of the area. For a number of years Marshall was the wealthiest, most advanced and civilized place in Texas, boasting among other things, the first telegraph office in Texas. But Marshall's greatest growth and prosperity were still in the future, and would be linked directly to the railroads and their fortunes.