Tenaha, Texas
Tenaha is a town in Shelby County, deep in the East Texas Piney Woods about 48 miles southeast of Longview. It grew up as a railroad town in the late nineteenth century, and its name lives on in the old marching and dice-game chant 'Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair,' a string of Shelby County rail stops later made popular in a Tex Ritter song. Dense pine and hardwood forest surrounds the town on the rolling hills near the border of the state.
Property here runs through the Shelby Central Appraisal District and the county tax office — the homestead exemption, the appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level. The Shelby County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Shelby County notes
What to know around Tenaha
Property Tax
Who handles your property tax in Shelby County
Two separate offices handle property taxes in Shelby County. The appraisal district sets your value, and the tax assessor-collector sends your bill.
Tax Exemptions
Lower your tax bill: homestead and timberland exemptions
Texas law gives homeowners and working landowners ways to reduce their property tax bill, but you have to apply.
Lakes & Fishing
Fishing Toledo Bend Reservoir from Shelby County
Toledo Bend Reservoir sits on Shelby County's eastern edge and is one of the largest reservoirs in the South, known for bass, crappie, and catfish.
Wildlife Management Area
Hunting and camping at North Toledo Bend WMA
North Toledo Bend WMA is a 3,650-acre public hunting and camping area in Shelby County, managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
National Forest
Sabine National Forest: public land in Shelby County
Sabine National Forest covers parts of Shelby County and offers camping, fishing, and hiking on federal land along Toledo Bend Reservoir.
County History
How Center became the county seat of Shelby County
Shelby County was formed in 1836 and named for a Revolutionary War hero, and its county seat moved from Shelbyville to Center in 1866.
Nearby
Places near Tenaha
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Panola County
7 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Nacogdoches County
18 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Rusk County
25 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
San Augustine County
7 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Harrison County
24 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Sabine County
6 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Next steps for Tenaha
Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Shelby County notes
Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
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