Elkhart is a town in southwestern Anderson County, Texas, in the Piney Woods of East Texas, along State Highway 19 about eleven miles south of Palestine, the county seat. Its population is roughly 1,250. The town's origins are unusually distinctive. Elkhart grew from the Pilgrim Predestinarian Baptist Church, a congregation formed in Crawford County, Illinois, in 1833 under the leadership of Daniel Parker. Parker and his followers migrated to Texas, and the settlement that took root around their church became Elkhart, giving the town a pioneer heritage that many residents still trace to those earliest settlers. In the early twentieth century Elkhart was noted for its mineral waters and briefly promoted as a health resort, but its economy has long rested on the surrounding farms, ranches, and timber. Today Elkhart functions as a quiet, close-knit East Texas town. It is served by Elkhart Independent School District, whose campuses include Elkhart Elementary and Elkhart High School and whose boundaries extend into northern Houston County. The school district is a central part of community identity, with Friday-night football a focal point of local life. The town's setting offers rich outdoor access. The Davy Crockett National Forest, covering more than 160,000 acres, lies to the south, along with Ratcliff Lake, while Palestine to the north adds the Texas State Railroad excursion trains, Davey Dogwood Park, and the celebrated spring Dogwood Trails. The surrounding timber and farmland keep the area lightly developed, and its location along State Highway 19 places the larger cities of East Texas within reach. For those seeking a small-town address with deep roots and the forest at its doorstep, Elkhart offers an appealing slice of East Texas.