Tenaha, Texas
| Tenaha, Texas | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 |
|
 Location within Shelby County (left) and Texas |
|
| Coordinates: 31°56′39″N 94°14′47″W / 31.94417°N 94.24639°WCoordinates: 31°56′39″N 94°14′47″W / 31.94417°N 94.24639°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Shelby |
| Established | 1886 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | George N. Bowers |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.0 sq mi (10.3 km2) |
| • Land | 3.9 sq mi (10.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 348 ft (106 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,160 |
| • Density | 290/sq mi (110/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 75974 |
| Area code | 936 |
| FIPS code | 48-72188 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1369702 |
Tenaha is a town in Shelby County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2010 census.
Tenaha was established in February 2, 1886. The community was named by members of the Hicks family (Cherokee) for Tenehaw Municipality, from the Spanish, the original name of Shelby County.
In 2009, Tenaha became a defendant in a class action lawsuit over allegations that local police regularly made improper seizures of cash, jewelry, and property from African-American and Latino motorists passing through the town. Arrested drivers were given a choice of either going to jail on money-laundering felony charges or handing over all their valuables in order to be allowed to walk free. In one case a couple surrendered $6,000 to keep their children out of child protection services. In addition to taking of valuables from motorists who were not criminally charged, Tenaha officials allegedly agreed to lenient sentences for known drug traffickers in exchange for cash forfeitures. See Asset forfeiture controversy section below for more details.
Tenaha is located at 31°56′39″N 94°14′47″W / 31.94417°N 94.24639°W (31.944062, -94.246274).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km²), of which 4.0 square miles (10.2 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) (0.50%) is water.
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,160 people, 422 households, and 287 families residing in the town. The population density was 268.4 people per square mile (103.6/km²). There were 475 housing units at an average density of 122.3 per square mile (47.2/km²). The racial and ethnic makeup of the town was 37.6% non-Hispanic African American, 36.6% non-Hispanic White, 24.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 1.9% other.
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