Sabine County is situated in the Piney Woods region of East Texas. Named for the river that borders its eastern side, the Sabine River, the county is located at the Texas and Louisiana border. Sabine County encompasses 577 square miles, with 491 square miles of land and 85 square miles of water. The county’s center is north latitude 31°20′ and 93°50′ west longitude.
The landscape of Sabine County is covered with forests of long leaf pine, oak, and hickory, and the terrain is moderately hilly with sandy to deep reddish clay subsoil. Natural resources include timber, clay, sand, oil and gas, and gluconate. Natural elevations range from 150 to 350 feet.
There are six natural water channels that flow through Sabine County: Housen Bayou, Palo Gauche, Patroon, Sandy Creek, and Six Mile Creek flow east into the Sabine River; and Bear Creek that flows on the southwestern edge of the county. Sabine County sources the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer for its principal freshwater. Weather averages in Sabine County range from a high temperature of 65 degrees to a low of 36 degrees, and annual precipitation is about 54.68 inches. The county’s growing season is about 236 days.
Sabine County was established in 1836, and is one of the “original 23 counties” in Texas, and of these original 23, Sabine County is the only county that has never altered its county-line boundaries. Additionally, Sabine County and Sabine Parish in Louisiana, are only two of the 22 counties or parishes in the United States that share the same name and border each other at their state lines.
Historical accounts name the Ais tribe of the Caddo Indians as the original inhabitants of the area and the first Europeans in the area were likely of the Moscoso expedition from the early 1540s. Historians also cite that Louis Juchereau de St. Dennis led three expeditions into Texas during the early 1700s, one of these journeys led the group though what is currently northern Sabine County and the historic El Camino Real, which then became a main route of travel to Texas.
The population of Sabine County from the 2010 census data is 10,834 and population density for the county is 21 people per square mile. Approximate populations in the county from the 2010 data cite 87.5 percent Anglo, 7.5 African American, and 2.8 Hispanic. Of residents age 25 and older, 71 percent had four years of high school, and approximately 10 percent had college degrees.
The city of Hemphill is the county seat, and the next largest city in the county is the city of Pineland. Other towns and communities in Sabine County are Bayou, Bronson, Brookeland, East Mayfield, Fairdale, Fairmount, Geneva, Gravelhill, Isla, Milam, Pendleton, Pendleton Harbor, Plainview, Rosevine, Sabinetown, Sexton, Tebo, Time, Vesta, and Yellowpine.
Timber is a vital industry in Sabine County. Flanked by two national forests, the Sabine National Forest, and the Angelina National Forest, there is roughly 95,410 acres of timberland in Sabine County. The timer industry is the largest employer in the county and there are several timber companies and private tree farmers in Sabine County. Timber sales provide revenue for the county’s school districts. Another key industry in Sabine County is tourism. Sabine County’s proximity to two major water reservoirs, Toledo Bend Reservoir and Sam Rayburn Reservoir, offers numerous outdoor activities and adventures to the public.
The county has one airport, the Pineland Municipal Airport in Pineland, and it is owned by the City of Pineland.
A hospital district in Sabine County was established in 1980 to furnish a hospital and medical care to residents of the district. The hospital is located in Hemphill in the Grover C. Winslow, M.D. Medical Facility.
There are three independent school districts in Sabine County: Brookeland ISD, Hemphill ISD, and West Sabine ISD.