Waskom is a city in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 census-tabulated population of 1,910, down from 2,160 residents in 2010. It is located in Harrison County and lies approximately east of the county seat, Marshall, on U.S. 80 and Interstate 20. Waskom forms part of Greater Marshall, which is also included in the Longview–Marshall combined statistical area in the Ark-La-Tex region. To the east are the cities of Greenwood and Shreveport, Louisiana.
History
The city of Waskom was established in 1850 as Powell Town, presumably for Jonathan S. Powell, who owned a land grant in the area. It was founded as a midway point for an east-west (Dallas to Shreveport) cattle and cotton economic trail to the Red River in Louisiana.
From 1850 to 1872 it had a post office as Powellton. In 1872, it became a main railroad station between Dallas, Texarkana, and Shreveport. The city's named was changed to Waskom Station in 1872 and to Waskom in 1881 after J. M. Waskom, a director of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
In June 2019, the city council voted to outlaw abortion in the city, declaring Waskom a "sanctuary city for the unborn" (the first such city to designate itself as such), as state governments elsewhere in the United States also were drafting abortion bans. There is currently no abortion clinic in the city. The Waskom ordinance has led other small cities in Texas (and, as of April 2021, in Nebraska) to vote in favor of becoming "sanctuary cities for the unborn." In May 2021, Lubbock became the largest Texas city to ban abortion following Waskom.
Geography
Waskom is located in eastern Harrison County. The eastern border of the city is the Texas–Louisiana border. Interstate 20 provides access to the city from Exit 633 on the west side and Exit 635 to the south. Interstate 20 leads east to Shreveport and west to Dallas.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
|2020=1910
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,910 people, 589 households, and 436 families residing in the city.
In 2018 there was an estimated population of 1,887, a decrease of 273 inhabitants since the 2010 census. Per the American Community Survey's 2018 estimates, a total of 598 households and 468 families resided in Waskom. There were 833 housing units in 2018. At the census of 2010 and the American Community Survey's estimates, there were 2,160 people, 732 households, and 460 families residing in the city. The population density was in 2000. There were 868 housing units in 2010. The median income was $29,844. In 2020 the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $799 according to Sperling's BestPlaces, making it relatively cheaper than neighboring Shreveport, Louisiana.
Race and ethnicity
{| class="wikitable"
|+Waskom racial composition as of 2020<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|White (NH)
|1,089
|57.02%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|249
|13.04%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|12
|0.63%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|6
|0.31%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|2
|0.1%
|-
|Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)
|85
|4.45%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|467
|24.45%
|-
|Total
|1,910
|
|}
At the 2020 census, its racial composition was 57.02% non-Hispanic white, 13.04% Black or African American, 0.63% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.31% Asian, 0.1% some other race, 4.45% multiracial, and 24.25% Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 75.05% White, 15.76% Black or African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 7.16% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latin Americans of any race were 9.86% of the population.
Religion
Waskom and Harrison County are predominantly Christian areas, typical of the Bible Belt. The largest Christian tradition in the city of Waskom are the Baptists, followed by Methodists and Catholics. Of the Baptist population, the largest denomination is the Southern Baptist Convention. Predominantly African American-led Baptist churches are either independent Baptist, or part of the National Baptist Convention (USA or America). There is one United Methodist congregation in the city limits, and one Catholic church.
Education
The city is served by the Waskom Independent School District.
Media
Waskom is within the media market of the Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan statistical area.
The city's newspaper market is primarily served by The Marshall News Messenger and The Waskom Post. The Shreveport Times, owned by USA Today, also has circulation within Waskom.
Notable people
- Shelby Singleton, record producer
- Grady Gaines, blues saxophonist
- Junior Moore, baseball player
References
External links
- City of Waskom official website