East Texas Timber and Sandy Soil Shape Cherokee County

Cherokee County covers about 1,049 square miles in central East Texas. Much of the ground is sandy or clay loam. Shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, and hardwoods cover a large share of the land.

The county also has hilly terrain, the Neches River on the west, the Angelina River on the southeast, and reservoirs such as Lake Palestine, Striker Creek Reservoir, and Lake Jacksonville. That gives the place a wooded, watery feel rather than a wide-open plains feel.

Timber, oil, gas, clay, and iron ore have all shaped the local economy. On rural acreage here, expect woods, possible timber use, and the usual East Texas questions about minerals, water, and ag valuation.