Hunt County Heritage Garden
Hunt County, located in northeastern Texas, is 841 square miles of land and 41 square miles of water. The county was created by the first legislature of the new state of Texas in 1846. It is named for Memucan Hunt, a Texas freedom fighter and Minister to the United States for the republic. Hunt County is best known for its rich blackland soils and a community that blends heritage and contemporary lifestyle for the best of both worlds: the city and the country.
Hunt County is bordered by 8 other counties, the most of any county in the state. Greenville, the largest city, is the county seat. Other cities include Caddo Mills, Campbell, Celeste, Commerce, Hawk Cove, Lone Oak, Merit, Neylandville, Quinlan, Union Valley, West Tawakoni, and Wolfe City.
In early times, Hunt County was known as the cotton capitol of the world. Greenville boasted the world’s largest inland cotton compress, a population of several thousand, and six railway lines. Agriculture is still important today, with the county having an annual agricultural income of over 55 million dollars. This is primarily served by the enterprises of beef cattle, hay and forages, nursery and horticulture, cotton, and wheat and grain sorghum.
In the 1950’s, the area began to shift from agricultural to an industrial economy. Today the county is home to a diverse array of industries, including several Fortune 500 companies, from defense contractors to fiberglass manufacturing and light industry. The county is also home to Texas A&M University-Commerce and Paris Junior College.
Recreation in Hunt County includes numerous shopping attractions, restaurants, special events, golf courses, parks, area lakes, and museums, including the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum and the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum. The county is also home to many civic organizations and churches, which strive to meet the needs of residents.
