Texas Cities

Region: Piney Woods

Settled 1839, became seat of Harrison County in 1842. When Texas seceded from Union in 1861, city was one of biggest and wealthiest in the state. It produced saddles, harnesses, clothing, powder and ammunition for Confederacy. When Vicksburg fell, Marshall became seat of civil authority west of the Mississippi River, wartime capital of Missouri and headquarters of Trans-Mississippi Postal Department. Confederate Monument on courthouse lawn. Several historic homes offer bed & breakfast. Home of East Texas Baptist Univ., Texas State Technical College and Wiley College.

Annual festivals include Stagecoach Days in May and Fireant Festival in October. Held Thanksgiving–New Year's Day, Wonderland of Lights is one of the largest concerted holiday shows in the nation. Hundreds of businesses outline buildings and adorn windows; entire neighborhoods decorate around central themes; more than 125,000 lights embellish festival's "Crown Jewel," the Harrison County Historical Courthouse. 903/935-7868.

The red and white clay in the area is perfect for stoneware. There are eight wholesale pottery manufacturers and two retail outlets in the city.