What can you tell me about Carthage? (Houston, Austin: home, transferring to)

[Kurt]

I am looking at places to find some basic services like clinics and hospital and maybe a Super Walmart near the place I plan to retire on Toledo Bend near Converse, Louisiana. Mansfield is the nearest bigger town. But if I go up to Logansport and on up to Carthage it is really not that far--even closer than Shreveport--where I might go for major medical but I don't like to drive in bigger cities. Carthage appears to be about the same size as the town I grew up in--Grand Rapids in Northern Minnesota--NOT Michigan! What can you tell me about Carthage--is it a nice little burg? Thanks for any help.

[ripley]

Not much there other than a junior college and a good youth baseball program. They do have a regular Wal-Mart.

Don't know any specifics, but I know people from Carthage who choose to drive the 40 miles or so to Longview for doctors and hospitals.

Natchitoches, La (pronounced Nak-uh-dish) would be your best bet.

[Kurt]

I am familiar with Nachitoches or Nak ah dish. You are right as being my best bet if I don't like big towns like Shreveport. Nachitoches is quite a retirement center with lots of amenities. As I am a college professor the fact that a JC is in Carthage is intriguing. It might be a possibility for a bit of adjunct work--although I am getting a bit tired of the teaching game at present. Tell me, though, is Carthage a nice looking place--clean and upbeat--or is it rundown.

I must say my exposure to Shreveport in flying in to to the airport and driving south to Mansfield and T-Bend has been of a decaying industrial district. South Shreveport ain't much to write home about. I know it is nice stuff around Bossier City and they tell me the downtown is looking up.

I have entertained the idea of living in Texas and going to my lake property in Louisiana as a retreat. That way I pay no state income tax. Then again, life is too short not to be on the lake if that is what you want. You mention Longview. That is a pretty big place, eh? Could I get more advanced medical there rather than going into Shreveport? I do not have any major medical condition, but just wonder where to go if I should need it? Thanks, again.

[ripley]

Though there are nice areas in and around Shreveport, I agree with your description of the area.

Carthage is not a bad town at all. Would be worth looking closer at for the purposes you mentioned.

Longview is a decent sized city, 70,000+ with several smaller towns in the vicinity. Longview hospitals are good and very capable, but I wouldn't consider them more advanced than Shreveport. Tyler is 80-90,000+ with a number of bordering towns. Tyler's medical community is impressive, but also a pretty good trip from your lake retreat.

[cherokee1940]

Carthage was known as the fastest growing small town in Texas several years back. The hospital has grown but your best bet is either Longview or Shreveport. Longview has grown tremendously since I lived there. My children went to high school in Carthage back when there was no Wal-Mart. Some of the smaller towns along the Toledo Bend area are lacking in hospitals and some don't even have emergency rooms. I know one town that may lose its hospital. Like it or not, Shreveport, LA has some great hospitals. Being a Texas resident, you may have to pay an out of state fee to be admitted to a hospital there, if they still have that practice. While in nursing school we did our practicum in 5 different specialty areas in different hospitals in Shreveport and in Bossier City. Panola Junior College is a small community college. I attended there for my basic academics which was after a divorce and then transferring to Northwestern the Shreveport nursing campus. Tyler is too far really from the Toledo Bend area.

[tstone]

What can I tell you about Carthage? Well, I stopped by at their Dairy Queen to eat passing through to Chicago from Houston. It was the filthiest fast food place I've ever sat down to eat at. The burger meat was bloody. They had an insect problem, and the bathroom looked like it hadn't been cleaned in about 2-3 days. The impression I got is that the locals throw used toilet paper in the trash can and all over the floor, and let it sit there like some kind of fly-attracting trophy, instead of flushing it down. Disgusted, we figured this place was a lost cause, got up and left before finishing, and went into Texarkana only to find similar issues, only not so extreme. Sorry but substandard public sanitation is the first thing that comes to mind when someone says "NE Texas."

[bob102285]

well, i've lived in carthage most of my life. I am now studying engineering at the University of Texas in Austin. It is an excellent town to retire to...actually there are several "celebrities" that have some form of home here, including Mike Tyson. I graduated from CHS with honors, got a full scholarship to panola college and transfered to UT. I must admit that while the town is booming right now, (we have had SEVERAL buildings and businesses come into town lately including a super-walmart), the school district has begun to seriously lack in performance. Its not exactly their fault though...

Carthage is actually one of the richest school districts in Texas because of all the natural gas in the area.

Texas passed the "robin-hood act" which takes from the richer districts and gives to the poorer districts...that means Carthage has to give away most of the money they bring in now.

[calvin9495]

Originally Posted by tstone

What can I tell you about Carthage? Well, I stopped by at their Dairy Queen to eat passing through to Chicago from Houston. It was the filthiest fast food place I've ever sat down to eat at. The burger meat was bloody. They had an insect problem, and the bathroom looked like it hadn't been cleaned in about 2-3 days. The impression I got is that the locals throw used toilet paper in the trash can and all over the floor, and let it sit there like some kind of fly-attracting trophy, instead of flushing it down. Disgusted, we figured this place was a lost cause, got up and left before finishing, and went into Texarkana only to find similar issues, only not so extreme. Sorry but substandard public sanitation is the first thing that comes to mind when someone says "NE Texas."

All I can say is....that place was nasty back in 1987. (last time I spent any length of time there) For that reason I won't eat at ANY DQ, anywhere. Anyway--the rest of the town isn't that bad.

I, too, have heard that the school system in Carthage has slipped in recent years. Sad, b/c the district used to be pretty good, particularly the high school.

[catman]

Most DQs are quite acceptable in the cleanliness department. I wish there were still one close to my house.

(I always thought Carthage was a North African city which produced Hannibal and was crushed by Rome in the Third Punic War.)

[tstone]

Originally Posted by catman

Most DQs are quite acceptable in the cleanliness department. I wish there were still one close to my house.

Yeah, Carthage had the only filthy DQ I've ever been to. When you get into NE Texas, any public area like that is a crap shoot when it comes to sanitary practices. That's more akin to what you'd find in Arkansas, and is generally not representative of Texas.