In the mid to late 19th century, the county was the site of the trading post known as Red River Station, established near the river of the same name by Jesse Chisholm, a Cherokee merchant who also served as an important interpreter for the Republic of Texas and the United States. Together with Black Bear, a Lenape guide, he had scouted and developed what became known as the Chisholm Trail north through Indian Territory, where he had more trading posts, and into Kansas. In the post-Civil War period, ranchers suffered from low prices for their beef cattle, as there had been overproduction during the war when their regular markets were cut off. Learning about high prices and demand in the East, they began to have their cattle driven to railheads in Kansas for shipment to the East. Red River Station became the southern terminus for the Chisholm Trail, and the gathering place for thousands of Texas Longhorns during annual cattle drives to railheads in Kansas. Over the years, an estimated five million cattle were driven north to Kansas. The cattle were gathered by cowboys from ranches in east and west Texas; the cattle were then driven overland north to Kansas. They were shipped East, where they could command much higher prices. After railroads were constructed into Texas, the cattle drives to Kansas ended. On September 26, 2009, an historical marker on the Chisholm Trail was unveiled at the site of the former community of Red River Station in Montague County. The 5.5-foot concrete marker is the last of twelve erected in Montague County as part of a joint project of the Texas Lakes Trail and the Montague County Historical Commission to outline the Chisholm Trail.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,117 people, 7,770 households, and 5,485 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile. There were 9,862 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 95.95% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.64% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 5.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 7,770 households out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91. In the county, the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 19.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,048, and the median income for a family was $38,226. Males had a median income of $31,585 versus $19,589 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,115. About 10.00% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The following school districts serve Montague County:
Prior to 1996, Montague County was strongly Democratic in presidential elections. The only Republican Party candidates who managed to win the county from 1912 to 1992 were Herbert Hooverthanks to anti-Catholic sentiment towards Al Smith as well as Richard Nixon & Ronald Reagan in their 49-state landslides of 1972 & 1984, respectively. Since 1996, the county has swung hard to the supporting Republican Party similar to almost all white-majority rural counties in the Solid South, with its presidential candidates winning by increasing margins in each passing election. As a testament to how strongly Republican the county has swung, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by a margin of over 75 percent in 2016, compared to an only 4.7 percent margin Bob Dole won the county by 20 years prior at the start of its Republican trend.
