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Harrison County
The Harrison County Courthouse
The first telegraph line, department store, and flash of electric light in Texas arrived not in Houston or San Antonio but in Marshall, located 20 miles from the Louisiana border.
Established in 1841, Marshall soon became the seat of Harrison County and grew into a wealthy hub for the cotton industry. By 1850, it was the fourth-largest city in Texas. It also welcomed one of the first railroads in the state and was a stop on several major stagecoach lines. You can still follow the narrow dirt roads where the stagecoaches traveled, which are cut deep down into the earth — up to 12 feet below the base of trees at some points.
Unfortunately, with cotton plantations came slavery. Harrison County was home to the highest number of enslaved people in any county in Texas, almost 9,000 people or 60% of residents. It’s a troubling statistic and a difficult legacy for Marshall to deal with — but this substantial Black population also led to the town’s outsized significance in African American history.
Many freedmen came to Marshall after the Civil War to settle, attracted by the number of formerly enslaved people already living there. Even more arrived to seek education and enlightenment after the 1873 founding of Wiley College, the first accredited Black college west of the Mississippi River. Bishop College followed in 1881. Marshall’s New Town Neighborhood grew up around the schools, and a burgeoning Black community birthed businesses, churches, and boogie-woogie music — all despite decades of Jim Crow indignities and vigilante violence. In the 1960s, Marshall’s Black students were a guiding light of the civil rights movement and organized the first sit-in in Texas at the Harrison County Courthouse.
Today, the courthouse square is a stop on the Buard History Trail, which traces the profound evolution of Marshall’s Black community on a self-guided, 90-minute driving tour. You can pick up a trail map inside the courthouse, an elaborate Renaissance Revival masterpiece that’s one of the most impressive — and unique — courthouses in Texas. Its Greek-style pediment, dramatic arches, and distinctive dome are adorned with almost five million lights during the holidays for Marshall’s signature event: Wonderland of Lights.
One of the largest light festivals in the country (and probably the planet), Wonderland of Lights launches in late November and runs through New Year’s Day. Marshall’s historic downtown and beautiful Victorian mansions are aglow with Hallmark-style magic and copious décor — perfect for gift shopping at boutiques, riding in a horse-drawn carriage, or ice skating under the stars. There’s a vintage carousel for the kids and Santa’s Village with cookie decorating and workshop tours. You’ll find ongoing activities every weekend and most weekday evenings, with special events on Saturdays — like a sip ‘n shop Wassail Walk and an open-air Christmas market.
From the first spark of electricity in the state to the finest holiday lights around, Marshall’s oversized stature in Texas history makes it an intriguing destination to explore.
Explore Marshall

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Harrison County
The old business district on Houston Street
Savor: Family-friendly Rueggenbach Brewing Co. recently opened on the courthouse square with an inviting rooftop patio and 14 beers brewed on-site. Nosh on a Bavarian pretzel or German-inspired charcuterie board with smoked sausages and brats. Twisted Pines Winery, south of town, is another newcomer with live weekend music and sparkling wines in a peaceful countryside setting. For oenophiles, dinner at Pazzeria by Pietro’s is a must — the casual Italian restaurant boasts a $250,000 wine cellar. Choose from hundreds of hard-to-find wines as well as classic gems to pair with your rigatoni alla vodka or thick Sicilian pizza. And no trip to Marshall is complete without dinner at The Ginocchio, an elegant dinner restaurant with a one-of-a-kind setting in an 1896 railroad hotel.

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Harrison County
The Harrison County Courthouse
Shop: For 120 years, Marshall Pottery turned out glazed stoneware pots, crocks, jugs, bowls, and butter churns with a creamy tan color and signature double blue stripes. Practical and eminently usable, the pottery was found in homes all over Texas. The company closed in 2015, but you can still find the pottery at antique stores like Sisters Art & Vintage and the Weisman Center. Martinez Pottery keeps the local tradition alive with hand-turned pottery in similar styles and the same color scheme. For something to fill your new dishware, drop by Bear Creek Smokehouse to stock up on summer sausage, peppered bacon, and habanero ham. The restaurant slings a mean brisket sandwich, and you can browse Texas-inspired gewgaws and dingle-dangles in the general store. Don’t forget to pet the miniature donkey.

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Plaques and sculpture conmemorating Telegraph Park and Mildred Cornelius Carlile
Enjoy: Marshall’s restored Texas & Pacific Railroad depot is an ornate red-brick ode to the golden age of train travel — and it’s where you can still catch the Amtrak north to Chicago (18 hours) or west to Fort Worth (5 hours) and Los Angeles (47 hours). It’s a 10-minute walk from the station to the Michelson Museum of Art, an outstanding body of work by the American impressionist painter Leo Michelson. The fantastic small museum is well worth a stop for art lovers; it also has a robust collection of African masks and antique Chinese opera puppets. There’s even a Matisse!

Kyle Thompson
Snooze: Experience peak B&B amidst the ruffles and floral wallpaper at Wisteria Garden, an 1884 Queen Anne two blocks from the courthouse square. Roseville Bed & Breakfast is 10 miles west of town and features an extended front porch and noteworthy morning meals with cherry cobbler, fresh tomato pie, and biscuits with hot fig preserves. The most updated accommodations are short-term rentals on Airbnb and Vrbo, including apartments and entire homes in town. Marshall also has several funky log cabins for rent and a smattering of three-star chain hotels along Interstate 20.

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Marshall, Texas, Church
Marshall, Texas, Church
How to Get There: Do something wild and take Amtrak’s Texas Eagle train, which departs daily from Fort Worth Central Station at 2:18 p.m. and arrives in Marshall at 6:59 p.m. To drive, head east from Fort Worth on Interstate 20 for about 180 miles. Take Exit 614 onto TX-43 heading north and continue for 4 miles, and then turn left onto S. Washington Avenue. The courthouse square is straight ahead in 1 mile. The trip takes a little over 3 hours with no stops.