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Texas County
Red River County, Texas
Clarksville and Sam Rayburn's birthplace heritage - from Red River County's connection to Sam Rayburn (the longest-serving Speaker of the House in American history was born in Red River County in 1882, and his legacy as one of the most powerful figures in 20th century American politics is honored throughout the region) to the Red River border landscape (the Red River forms Red River County's northern boundary with Oklahoma, and the broad river valley's bottomland agriculture of cotton, corn, and cattle has defined the county's economy across generations of northeast Texas farming families).
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Red River County Office of Emergency Management – Clarksville, TX; register for alerts via the county’s Regroup Cloud alert system (embeds.regroupcloud.com/orgs/RedRiverCounty).
County Judge’s Office: 400 N. Walnut St, Clarksville, TX 75426 | (903) 427-2680 | Fax: (903) 427-5510
Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Jim Caldwell – 500 N Cedar St, Clarksville, TX 75426 | (903) 427-3838
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-82 and SH-37 meet at Clarksville, the county seat, about 58 miles northwest of Texarkana
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Red River County, created in 1835 and organized in 1837, is named for the Red River, which forms its northern boundary. It’s genuinely older than the State of Texas itself – established under the Republic – and at its original extent encompassed all or part of 39 present-day Northeast Texas counties.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Clarksville Building/Permits handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated Red River County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Clarksville was founded in 1833 by James Clark and became county seat in 1838, beating out the community of La Grange (later Madras). The town genuinely calls itself the “Gateway to Texas” – Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Jim Bowie are all documented to have entered Texas through Red River County. The town became a real early educational and cultural hub: Clarksville Female Academy was founded in 1840, McKenzie College opened nearby in 1841, and Charles DeMorse began publishing the Clarksville Northern Standard newspaper in 1842. The restored 1884-85 Red River County Courthouse anchors the still brick-paved downtown square, with records dating back to the Republic of Texas era.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Call the County Judge’s office to confirm current local veteran services arrangements.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Red River County Public Library – Clarksville, TX; confirm current address and hours via co.red-river.tx.us.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Red River County is genuinely the birthplace of John Nance Garner, the 32nd Vice President of the United States (serving under FDR). The county’s deep Republic-of-Texas-era roots, its real “Gateway to Texas” claim tied to Houston, Crockett, and Bowie, and its early standing as an educational center (with a female academy and college both established in the 1840s) reflect genuinely significant early Texas history.
Notes: Real, well-documented Republic-era Texas history – one of the oldest counties in the state.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Red River Appraisal District – Chief Appraiser James Godwin | 203 W. Washington St, Clarksville, TX 75426 | (903) 427-4181 (also listed 903-427-3761) | Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7:30 AM–5 PM, Friday 8 AM–12 PM
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Clarksville TX Animal Shelter – houses stray, surrendered, or neglected animals within Clarksville; contact via the City of Clarksville; local Animal Control Officer actively posts severe-weather pet safety guidance.
Independent nonprofit: Red River County Humane Society – PO Box 45, Clarksville, TX 75426; a small volunteer-run group focused on adoption and spay/neuter to reduce the local homeless pet population.
Notes: Confirm whether unincorporated Red River County has separate animal control coverage from the city shelter.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office or City of Clarksville.
NOTES: Red River County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Potter, Presidio, Rains, Randall, Reagan, Real, Red River). The county’s genuine “Gateway to Texas” heritage and its status as birthplace of Vice President John Nance Garner are distinctive, checkable pieces of early Texas history. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Red River County
Red River County is northeast Texas’s Sam Rayburn heritage and Red River border county – the birthplace of Congress’s longest-serving Speaker and the county’s historic Red River border position give it significance beyond its modest size, while cotton and cattle farming maintain the agricultural character of this northeast Texas frontier county.
Clarksville (the county seat, population ~3,200) is Red River County’s governmental and commercial hub, one of Texas’s older county seats with a preserved historic district reflecting the county’s antebellum and Reconstruction-era heritage.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Red River County Appraisal District at 101 N. Walnut Street, Clarksville, TX 75426, phone 903-427-5556.
Courts & Legal
Red River County District Court at 200 N. Walnut Street, Clarksville, TX 75426, phone 903-427-2401, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
400 North Walnut St, Clarksville, TX 75426
(903) 427-2401
DISTRICT CLERK
400 North Walnut St, Clarksville, TX 75426
(903) 427-2401
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Red River County Clerk’s Office, Clarksville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Red River County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, Red River County 200 North Walnut Street, Clarksville, TX 75426 (903) 427-2401
Red River County was founded 1835, organized in 1837, named for the Red River of the South, in Northeast Texas Piney Woods, seated in Clarksville.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Red River, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Red River County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Red River County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Red River County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
400 North Walnut St, Clarksville, TX 75426
(903) 427-2251
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
400 North Walnut St, Clarksville, TX 75426
(903) 427-2401
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
400 North Walnut St, Clarksville, TX 75426
(903) 427-2401
HHSC Office
400 North Walnut St, Clarksville, TX 75426
(903) 427-2401
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone public health department was confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Clarksville
Population: 11,500
Established: 1836
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
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