County Origins

Marion County was carved from Cass County in 1860 and named for a Revolutionary War hero

Marion County was created on February 8, 1860, from the southern part of Cass County, and named for Francis Marion — the 'Swamp Fox' of the American Revolution.

Marion County History & Culture

Marion County was created on February 8, 1860. The Texas legislature split it off from the southern part of Cass County. The county is named for Francis Marion, a general from South Carolina who fought in the Revolutionary War. He was widely known by the nickname the 'Swamp Fox.' Jefferson, founded in the early 1840s, became the county seat.

During the Civil War, local industry shifted to support the Confederate army. The Kelly Iron Works in Jefferson made Confederate military supplies. After the war, steamboat traffic fell and major railroads skipped Jefferson. The town shrank from its 1872 peak. Oil was discovered in the county in 1910, adding new industry. Today the economy runs on timber, tourism around Jefferson's historic district, and outdoor recreation at Caddo Lake.

Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Marion County

More Marion County notes

Property Tax

Two offices handle your property tax bill in Marion County

The Marion Central Appraisal District sets your property value, while a separate Tax Office collects what you owe — two different offices with two different jobs.

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State Park

Caddo Lake State Park sits on a vast cypress swamp near Karnack

Caddo Lake State Park gives you access to a 26,810-acre lake full of cypress trees, more than 70 fish species, and CCC-built cabins from the 1930s.

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Public Hunting

Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area allows public hunting with a permit

The Caddo Lake WMA covers about 8,124 acres in Marion and Harrison counties and is open to hunters who obtain the required permit from TPWD.

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Septic / OSSF

Most rural land in Marion County relies on a septic system

Outside city limits, most homes use an on-site sewage facility — a septic system — and Texas law requires a permit and a licensed site evaluation before you build or change one.

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