Grand Saline, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Grand Saline Salt Palace | |
 Location of Grand Saline, Texas | |
| Coordinates:32°40′39″N95°42′41″W / 32.67750°N 95.71139°W /32.67750; -95.71139 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Van Zandt |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.12 sq mi (5.48 km2) |
| • Land | 2.10 sq mi (5.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 417 ft (127 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,107 |
| • Density | 1,500/sq mi (570/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 75140 |
| Area code(s) | 903, 430 Phone prefix: 962|913 |
| FIPS code | 48-30476[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410633[2] |
| Website | grandsalinetx |
Grand Saline is a city inVan Zandt County,Texas, United States, located inEast Texas. The population was 3,107 as of 2020, making Grand Saline the third-largest city in Van Zandt County. The city is located roughly 75 miles (120 km) east ofDallas and 35 miles (56 km) northwest ofTyler, the two nearest metropolitan areas, and is part of the greater Tyler/Longview area.
The town derives its name from the largesalt deposits located southeast of the city, the majority of which are owned byMorton Salt.
Grand Saline's first settlers were the ancientCaddo andCherokee Indian tribes, who discovered and made use of a large salt prairie south of the town. The Native Americans used evaporated salt, from thebrine stream that flows over the flats, as a commodity they traded for other needed goods. In the mid-nineteenth century, the tribes moved southeast, having been forced out of the area byMirabeau B. Lamar, second president of theRepublic of Texas, and by general anti-Indian sentiment. Only a few years after the Indians left the salt prairie behind, a new group of settlers arrived. A settler named John Jordan and other newcomers brought their families and set up a primitive salt works. The community named Jordan's Saline quickly became the center of Van Zandt County and was, for a while, the county seat.
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The salt produced here was used in the process of tanning leather and preserving food stuffs. Following theAmerican Civil War theTexas and Pacific Railroad was extended fromMarshall to Dallas. A parcel of land was donated to the railroad; a depot was built and the stop was named Grand Saline. The City of Grand Saline was incorporated in 1895 and the community of Jordan's Saline faded into history as its residents moved north to the bustling new city.
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There were formerly numerous salt companies in Grand Saline, including the Richardson Salt works, which had drilled the first salt well; the Lone Star Salt Company; Kleer Salt Works, the first steam-powered salt plant; and the Grand Saline Salt Company, which later became part of theMorton Salt Company. During the late 1920s, the discovery of the nearbyVan oil field brought companies that provided needed supplies. In the 1930s Grand Saline had twelve petroleum supply companies and five lumber companies. In the Depression years, local sewing rooms made garments for the poor. DuringWorld War II, a workers' strike at Morton Salt led the town to form the Grand Saline Industrial Foundation to attract new business to town. Their efforts produced clothing manufacturers, sulfur processing and meat packing companies. Grand Saline was also known for its Lone Star Hotel, which was, for a brief time, the home of Hollywood starletLouise Fazenda, the wife of Warner Brothers executiveHal Wallis. Agriculture, farming and ranching have long been a major part of the economic life in Grand Saline. Crops have included sweet potatoes and other truck crops. A cotton gin built south of town in 1890 marked the beginning of many years of cotton production. Poultry, livestock, dairy products, lumber and anice house all played a role in the formation and history of the town.
Grand Saline is located in the northeastern area of Van Zandt County, at the intersection ofTexas State Highway 110 andU.S. Route 80 in westernEast Texas. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), of which 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) is land and 0.50% is water.
Grand Saline is located in theEast Central Texas forests ecoregion. Grand Saline's rural scenery is a mix of rolling hills and open pastures. The area around it is home to numerous creeks, streams and areas of hardwood timber. The town is located in theSabine River valley as the river flows just north of the city and then bends south to flow underU.S. Route 80, east of Grand Saline.
Grand Saline is served by the following roadways:
Grand Saline is also roughly 15 minutes north ofInterstate 20.
Grand Saline is served by theGrand Saline Independent School District. College students who reside in the Grand Saline ISD are served byTyler Junior College, as Grand Saline ISD is in the TJC taxing and service district.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1,065 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,528 | 43.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,799 | 17.7% | |
| 1940 | 1,641 | −8.8% | |
| 1950 | 1,810 | 10.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,006 | 10.8% | |
| 1970 | 2,257 | 12.5% | |
| 1980 | 2,709 | 20.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,630 | −2.9% | |
| 2000 | 3,028 | 15.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,136 | 3.6% | |
| 2020 | 3,107 | −0.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[4] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 2,222 | 71.52% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 16 | 0.51% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 10 | 0.32% |
| Asian (NH) | 6 | 0.19% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 1 | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 5 | 0.16% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 110 | 3.54% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 737 | 23.72% |
| Total | 3,107 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 3,107 people, 1,069 households, and 727 families residing in the city.
Grand Saline has two local newspapers, theGrand Saline Sun and theVan Zandt News, which are published weekly and cover local news, and also has daily newspapers delivered to residents such asThe Dallas Morning News and theTyler Morning Telegraph. Grand Saline residents can receive television channels and radio stations from the Dallas/Ft. Worth media market and the Tyler/Longview market.
Until 2019 Grand Saline operated Texas General Hospital-Van Zandt, a level 4 trauma emergency room hospital with 52 beds that opened in April 2015 in the same building as the former Cozby-Germany Hospital. The city also is home to three assisted-living centers, and provides EMS services and an ambulance station. The hospital has been permanently closed since August 2019.[8]
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Municipalities and communities ofVan Zandt County, Texas,United States | ||
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