Nash

Nash is on U.S. Highway 82 and the Missouri Pacific line, five miles from Texarkana in eastern Bowie County. It emerged in the 1870s around the junction of a branch line of the Texas and Pacific that ran from Marshall, Texas, and the main line, which crossed the county from east to west. Originally the area was referred to as Transcontinental Junction or sometimes as Texarkana Junction. A post office was established in 1884 and named Park for John N. Parker, the first postmaster, but the settlement was still referred to at times by its earlier names. In 1906 the name was changed to Nash, in honor of Manny Nash, the railroad division superintendent. In 1890 the town had a store, a pharmacy, two mills, a cotton gin, and 100 inhabitants. By 1900 its population had reached 487, and for the next fifty years the population level remained fairly stable. In 1914 the population of Nash was 400, and from 1925 through 1950 it was 484. During the 1950s the town was incorporated and began to grow again. It reported a population of 1,124 in the 1960 census. In 1980 Nash had 2,022 residents, many employed either in Texarkana or at one of the two military installations, Red River Army Depot and Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant, located a few miles west of the town. In 1990 the population was 2,162. The population was 2,169 in 2000.