Everything Longview is known for
Longview, Texas, a city in the Piney Woods region of East Texas, has a notable connection to the world of music. While known as a hub for East Texas outdoor recreation and for its historic downtown, Longview also boasts a vibrant musical identity through its artists and the songs that mention it.
Seven artists call Longview home, including country artist Sunny Sweeney and Americana musician John Moreland. The city is also referenced in five songs, such as "Longview" by Green Day and "East Texas Red" by Tom Russell.
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Longview.
Longview, Texas, a city nestled in the East Texas Piney Woods, offers more than just rolling terrain and the scent of pine. Established because the Southern Pacific Railroad needed a place to stop after bypassing New Danville, the town has grown into a hub for healthcare and manufacturing, blending modern development with its Southern roots. But Longview's story stretches beyond industry and geography; it's a place that has nurtured talent, sending it out into the world.
You're in Longview, and on May 23rd, 1894, this town did something outlaws never expected: it shot back. Bill Dalton — last of the infamous Dalton gang — rode in with Jim Wallace and the Nite brothers to rob the First National Bank. But word spread fast, and ordinary Longview citizens grabbed rifles and poured into the streets around the bank. What followed was one of the wildest gunfights of the late Old West — close to 200 shots fired in a few violent minutes. Three townsmen were killed in the crossfire: George Buckingham, Charles Learned, and J. W. McQueen. City Marshal Matt Muckleroy should have died too, but a bullet meant for his heart slammed into a coin purse in his shirt pocket and stopped cold. A citizen gunned down outlaw Jim Wallace, and that broke the raid. Dalton and the Nites fled with about $2,000, but the frontier was closing in. Two weeks later a posse cornered Bill Dalton at a cabin in Oklahoma's Arbuckle Mountains and shot him dead in a cornfield as he ran. Longview had faced down the last Dalton — and won.
In 1930, Longview was a sleepy town of 5,000. By 1931, it was pure chaos. The discovery of the East Texas Oil Field, the biggest in the nation, triggered a stampede. People poured in from all over the country, desperate for work during the Great Depression. The city's population more than doubled, climbing to nearly fourteen thousand, while all around it Gregg County swelled in a matter of weeks from about sixteen thousand to more than one hundred thousand. Wooden oil derricks were built so close together you could walk from one to the next without touching the ground. The unpaved streets turned into impassable rivers of mud, trapping cars and wagons. Hotels were so full that people rented sleeping space in eight-hour shifts. It was a time of incredible wealth and incredible hardship, a true boomtown frenzy that laid the financial and physical foundation for the modern city of Longview. The quiet cotton town was gone, replaced by an oil-drenched capital.
Karen Gay Silkwood, union activist, the daughter of William and Merle Silkwood, was born on February 19, 1946, in Longview, Texas. She was raised at Nederland and studied medical technology at Lamar State College in Beaumont on a scholarship from the Business and Professional Women's Club. In 1965 she married William Meadows, with whom she had three children. She left her husband in 1972 and went to Oklahoma City, where she was employed briefly as a clerk in a hospital before being hired as a metallography laboratory technician at the Cimarron River plutonium plant of Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation. She lived for a time with Drew Stephens, who introduced her to auto racing through the Sports Car Club, and soon joined the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union; she participated in the union's strike against the company. In 1974 Silkwood became the first female member of the union bargaining committee in Kerr-McGee history. On her first assignment to study health and safety issues at the plant, she discovered evidence of spills, leaks, and missing plutonium. As environmental concerns increased in the 1970s, Kerr-McGee faced litigation involving worker safety and environmental contamination, and Silkwood testified to charges before the Atomic Energy Commission that she had suffered radiation exposure in a series of unexplained incidents. On November 13, 1974, she was killed in an automobile crash while on her way to meet with an Atomic Energy Commission official and a New York Times reporter. Speculations over foul play in her death were never substantiated, but led to a federal investigation into plant security and safety, and a National Public Radio report about forty-four to sixty-six pounds of misplaced plutonium. An autopsy showed Silkwood's body had been contaminated by plutonium. Her case, which began in 1974, emphasized the hazards of nuclear energy and raised questions about corporate accountability and responsibility. According to the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union, the Kerr-McGee plant had manufactured faulty fuel rods, falsified product inspection records, and risked employee safety. Eventually, Kerr-McGee closed the plant. Silkwood was the subject of a motion picture, Silkwood , released in 1984. In 1986 her family settled an $11.5 million plutonium-contamination lawsuit against Kerr-McGee for $1.38 million. Kerr-McGee did not admit liability in settling the case. Karen Silkwood was buried in Danville Cemetery, Kilgore, Texas.
A bloody day (May 23, 1894) in early Longview. Bill Dalton, leader of armed gang presented a note for money at First National Bank. A gunfight erupted when Sheriff Jack Howard, City Marshall Mat Muckleroy and citizens resisted. Three local men-- J. W. McQueen, Geo. Buckingham, Charles Learn-- and one outlaw died of gunshot wounds. Bank president J. R. Clemmons and cashier Tom Clemmons were held as hostages for a short time as outlaws made getaway into Oklahoma. Forged $20 bank notes led to capture of survivors.
(1896-1967) One of America's giants of journalism. Newsboy, reporter, advertising manager, foreign correspondent, editor-publisher. Born in New Market, Tenn.; came to Texas in youth. Founded Commerce "East Texan", 1919. Worked for Denison "Herald" and Tyler "Courier-Times" before his 1934 founding of "Texas Oil Journal" and purchase, Longview "Daily News" and "Morning Journal". Erected this building, 1935. Published annual special editions of 314 to 624 pages. Estes soon became the most powerful voice for East Texas. Dynamic, forceful, philanthropic-- firm but fair-- he devoted his keen abilities and showman's talents to conserving for human betterment the vast wealth of the East Texas oil field (largest in the world when it was discovered in the 1930's). He fought "hot oil" runners who risked future of entire great field for sake of immediate profits. He promoted highway and air travel facilities, expanded educational and medical resources, and land and water conservation. His work attracted into East Texas manufacturers whose payrolls and investments poured into economy of the area hundreds of millions of dollars. He was internationally known and respected. Fought in World Wars I and II. Married Margaret McLeod. Outstanding Texas Newspaper Publishers Series, 1967
Texas' first native governor (1891-1895), James Stephen Hogg, founded here in 1871 his first newspaper, the Longview News. He was then 20 years old. In his paper Hogg was a strong supporter of educational and governmental improvements for Longview. He campaigned against radical reconstruction policies, railroad subsidies, lawlessness. This venture, following earlier apprentice news work, showed Hogg's alertness, self-confidence. He was a publisher for 3 years. This experience developed his qualities of leadership and led to later success as a statesman. (1967)
Gregg County, in northeastern Texas, is bounded on the north by Upshur, on the south by Rusk, on the west by Smith, and on the east by Harrison counties. Longview, Gregg County's largest town, is 130 miles east of Dallas and sixty-five miles west of Shreveport, Louisiana. The county's center lies at approximately 32°30' north latitude and 94°50' west longitude. Gregg County comprises 273 square miles, with an elevation ranging from 230 to 524 feet above sea level. It is within the East Texas timberlands. The terrain is gently sloping to hilly, with well-drained to moderately well-drained loamy and gravelly soils. Numerous streams drain to the Sabine River, which runs through Gregg County from northwest to southeast. Temperatures range from an average high of 96° F in July to an average low of 38° in January, rainfall averages 47.18 inches per year, and the growing season extends for 247 days. Mineral resources include oil and gas, sand, and gravel. Northern Gregg County was a part of the hunting grounds of the Caddo Indians, and the part of the county south of the Sabine River was occupied at times by various Indian groups, generally peaceful farming people. Soon after 1800 the Cherokees were driven west across the Mississippi River, and they in turn drove the other Indians out of Northeast Texas and occupied the area. There is much remaining evidence of the Cherokees in Gregg County. One of the earliest roads across Gregg County was the Cherokee Trace, which crosses from north to south and passes over the Sabine near Longview; it was used by the Cherokees when driven from East Texas by President Mirabeau B. Lamar in 1838, and later served as a military road from South Texas to Fort Lawson on the Red River. The first land patents in the area that became Gregg County were issued in 1835 by the Republic of Mexico and were subsequently recognized by the Republic of Texas . The earliest Republic of Texas grants were issued in 1838, and by 1858 almost all of the area that became Gregg County had been surveyed and patented. In the early days of the republic, the land was occupied by settlers rather than speculators. Among the old settlements were Camden, Peatown, Danville, and Fredonia, south of the Sabine; and Arpville, Killingsworth, Pine Tree, and Bethel north of the Sabine. By 1872 both the International-Great Northern and the Texas and Pacific had built rail lines in the area that became Gregg County, which was marked off from southern Upshur County by the Thirteenth Texas Legislature on April 12, 1873. The bill originally called the new county Roanoke, but during passage of the legislation the name was changed to Gregg, in honor of Confederate war hero John B. Gregg . Longview was selected as the county seat. By an act of the Fourteenth Legislature, on April 30, 1874, Gregg County was extended southward to add a portion of northern Rusk County. The county grew steadily from a population of 8,530 in 1880 to 16,767 in 1920, but declined to 15,778 before the census of 1930. During the 1930s the number of county residents increased dramatically, largely because of the East Texas oilfield discoveries in 1931 and the growth of related industries. The county population was 58,027 by 1940 and 61,258 by 1950, a 5.6 percent growth in ten years. From 1950 through 1970, the population grew every ten years by 5,000 to 8,000. The most spectacular growth occurred between 1970 and 1980, when the number of residents grew from 23,566 to 99,495, despite a recession in the oil industry. In censuses between 1880 and 1930, with the exception of 1920, Black residents in Gregg County were more numerous than White. In 1910 Blacks comprised 55 percent of the county population, and in 1930, 52 percent. After 1931, with the influx of oil entrepreneurs and their employees, the White population increased considerably relative to the number of Blacks. Between 1930 and 1940 the number of Whites rose from 7,555 to 43,548, while the Black popul
This entry is currently being revised and the new version will be available soon! LONGVIEW RACE RIOT . The Longview Race Riot occurred during the Red Summer, as May to October of 1919 has been called. It was the second of twenty-five major racial conflicts that occurred throughout the United States during these months. In 1919 Longview, a rural cotton and lumbering community in Northeast Texas, had a population of 5,700; 31 percent were Black. Racial tension was especially high immediately before the riot because two locally prominent Black leaders, Samuel L. Jones and Dr. Calvin P. Davis, had urged Black farmers to avoid local White cotton brokers and sell directly to buyers in Galveston. Then an article in the July 10 issue of the Chicago Defender , a nationwide Black newspaper, described the death of a young Black man, Lemuel Walters, in Longview. The article reported that Walters and an unnamed White woman from Kilgore, Texas, were in love and quoted her as saying they would have married if they had lived in the North. Walters, according to the article, was safely locked in the Gregg County Jail until the sheriff willingly handed him over to a White mob that murdered him on June 17. Jones, a teacher in the Longview school system and a local correspondent for the Chicago Defender , was held responsible for the article, and on Thursday, July 10, he was accosted and beaten, supposedly by two brothers of the Kilgore woman. News of the article and of the attack on Jones inflamed tempers of both races, and about 1:00 A.M. Friday a group of twelve to fifteen angry White men drove to Jones's house. They were surprised by gunfire as they entered his yard and returned the fire as they fled. Three of the White men suffered superficial birdshot wounds, and a fourth man, who had sought shelter under a house, was found by Blacks and beaten severely. Some of the White men went to the fire station and rang the alarm to attract more recruits; others broke into a hardware store to get guns and ammunition. An undetermined number then returned to Jones's house and found it empty. The mob set fire to this house, to the home of Calvin P. Davis, a Black physician, to other Black residences, and to a Black dance hall in which they suspected the Blacks had stored ammunition. Early Friday, July 11, County Judge E. M. Bramlette and Sheriff D. S. Meredith telephoned Governor William P. Hobby , who ordered eight Texas Rangers to Longview and placed three Texas National Guard units in East Texas on alert. The rangers, however, could not arrive until Saturday morning, and Bramlette wanted troops in Longview before sundown Friday. Therefore, he called Hobby a second time, and the governor ordered 100 guardsmen to Longview immediately. The guard headquarters was located on the courthouse square. On Saturday evening Marion Bush, Dr. Davis's father-in-law, was killed after he fled from Sheriff Meredith, who was either offering him protective custody or attempting to arrest him. Bush's death led Mayor G. A. Bodenheim to request more aid from Hobby. Hobby responded by dispatching an additional 150 guardsmen to Longview and by placing the city and county under martial law, beginning at noon on Sunday, July 13. Hobby put Brig. Gen. R. H. McDill in command of the guardsmen and rangers. McDill ordered a curfew in Longview, prohibited groups of three or more people from gathering on streets, and ordered all Longview citizens, including county, precinct, and city peace officers, to turn in all firearms at the county courthouse. At his request local officials named a citizens' committee to work with the military officers. The committee passed resolutions expressing disapproval of the shooting and burning and pledged their support to the military authorities. The rangers arrested seventeen White men on charges of attempted murder; each was released on $1,000 bond. Twenty-one Black men were arrested, charged, and sent to Austin temporarily for their own safety. Nine W
Most recent: 35-34 over Beaumont West Brook · 2018 6A Division 2 final
Longview High School, a Class 6A football powerhouse, holds a distinguished place in Texas high school sports. The Lobos have cultivated a strong tradition, consistently developing talent that advances to major collegiate programs and professional ranks. Alumni such as Willie Andrews, Travin Howard, Chris Ivory, Malcolm Kelly, Haynes King, and Rickey Watts exemplify the caliber of athletes who have come through Longview.
The Lobos' commitment to excellence culminated in a UIL 6A Division 2 State Championship. This achievement stands as a testament to the program's enduring strength and the vibrant sports culture in Longview, Texas.
The 2018 6A Division 2 State Championship saw Longview beat Beaumont West Brook with a final score of 35-34.
Most recent: 2025 4A Division 2
Spring Hill High School, nestled in Longview, Texas, has established a proud record in Class 4A baseball. The Panthers have brought home a UIL state championship, a significant achievement for any program in the Lone Star State. This success reflects the dedication found within the school's athletic programs and the broader community's support for its student-athletes.
The baseball program's most recent triumph came with their 2025 4A Division 2 state title. This championship stands as a high point in Spring Hill's athletic history, showcasing the team's ability to compete at an elite level. The Panther baseball program continues to be a source of pride for the Spring Hill community.
The Spring Hill Panthers celebrated a significant milestone with their 2025 4A Division 2 baseball state championship.
261 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
Longview, Texas, a city nestled in the East Texas Piney Woods, offers more than just rolling terrain and the scent of pine. Established because the Southern Pacific Railroad needed a place to stop after bypassing New…
You're in Longview, and on May 23rd, 1894, this town did something outlaws never expected: it shot back. Bill Dalton — last of the infamous Dalton gang — rode in with Jim Wallace and the Nite brothers to rob the First…
This stretch of Spur 63 in Longview, running from US-80 down to Spur 502, is named for Texas Ranger Glenn Elliott. Elliott was an East Texas legend. He spent thirty-five years as a Ranger working the oil country and the…
You're driving through Gregg County, formed back in 1873 from parts of Rusk and Upshur counties. It's named for General John Gregg, a delegate to the Secession Convention and a Confederate officer. Longview is the…
You're driving past one of Longview's earliest homes, the Franklin L. Whaley House. Built in 1871, this place has seen five generations of the Whaley family grow up within its walls. Imagine the lumber for this house…
A bloody day (May 23, 1894) in early Longview. Bill Dalton, leader of armed gang presented a note for money at First National Bank. A gunfight erupted when Sheriff Jack Howard, City Marshall Mat Muckleroy and citizens…
You're driving through Longview, the county seat of Gregg County, a place that's seen its share of courthouse drama. Formed in 1873, the county’s first courthouse was a tiny building, quickly outgrown. For a while,…
You're driving through Longview, the home of General John Gregg. Born in Alabama in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1828</say-as>, Gregg moved to Texas in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1854</say-as>. A…
You're driving through Longview, and right here is a spot known as The Grove. <break time="400ms"/> This natural timber stand was more than just trees. <break time="400ms"/> As early as the 1860s, freedmen gathered here…
You're driving past Preachers Hill, a historic African American neighborhood just outside Longview. Established in the 1880s, it earned its name when Bethel Temple Church was founded here in 1920. Legend says Ella Jacob…
You're driving past the original home of the Delta Drilling Company, founded right here in 1931 by Bob Stacy, Sam Dorfman, and Joseph Zeppa. They were responding to the East Texas oil boom, and their company quickly…
You're driving past the site of Longview's First Presbyterian Church. It was established in 1872 by nine members as a mission in the new town. The congregation built its first church in 1874, and has constructed two…
You're driving past the site of the First Methodist Church of Longview. Its history goes back to 1845, when a log meeting house was built nearby for worship, school, and town meetings. The congregation moved buildings…
You're driving past the Longview home of Martin Hays, a man who served his community for decades. Born in 1883, Hays was a respected citizen who first entered public office in 1910 as city marshal and district clerk. He…
You're driving past the Everett Building in Longview, a true architectural gem from <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1910</say-as>. This is the only example of Classical Revival commercial architecture you'll find…
(1896-1967) One of America's giants of journalism. Newsboy, reporter, advertising manager, foreign correspondent, editor-publisher. Born in New Market, Tenn.; came to Texas in youth. Founded Commerce "East Texan", 1919.…
Texas' first native governor (1891-1895), James Stephen Hogg, founded here in 1871 his first newspaper, the Longview News. He was then 20 years old. In his paper Hogg was a strong supporter of educational and…
You're driving through Longview, and right here is the former home of Thomas Mitchell Campbell, who went from working in the county clerk's office to becoming Governor of Texas! This humble cottage was his and his wife…
You're driving through Longview, and right here is where a significant chunk of this city began. About 1870, O. H. Methvin, who’d settled in this area a couple of decades earlier, donated a hundred acres of his land.…
You're driving past the Longview area, home to John Tyson Smith, a man who wore many hats in this community. Born in Alabama in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1846</say-as>, Smith moved to Texas with his family…
You're driving through Longview, and right here is the old Municipal Building and Central Fire Station. Longview was booming in the 1930s thanks to the East Texas oil fields, and the city government just couldn't keep…
You're driving past the site of Longview's First Baptist Church, which has been continuously active since 1871. Fifteen people started the congregation, and by 1874, they had their first sanctuary and called their first…
You're driving past Greenwood Cemetery, the final resting place for a lot of Longview's history. It started in 1877 as 'Longview Cemetery' and was renamed Greenwood in 1905. Inside, you'll find veterans, pioneers, and…
You're cruising through Longview, and to your right stands the Northcutt House, built in 1902. <break time="400ms"/> This beautiful Queen Anne home, with its fishscale shingles and grand wraparound porch, was built for…
You're driving past the J.C. Turner home, built in 1874, just two years after Longview was founded. Look for the distinctive fireplace in every room and that beautiful stairway, carved from walnut. The builder, J.C.…
You're driving through Longview, where David Sutton Meredith served as Gregg County Sheriff from 1916 to 1921. He played a crucial role in quelling potential race riots during the turbulent Longview Red Summer of 1919.…
You're driving past the Longview home of David Sutton Meredith, Jr., born right here in 1902. He became a prominent local lawyer, serving as county judge and county attorney before prosecuting 'hot oil' violations as a…
You're driving past Bethel Baptist Church, a cornerstone of Longview's African American community. It was organized in 1874 by Rev. Richard Perry and nine deacons, starting under a brush arbor before a sanctuary was…
You're cruising through Longview, passing the Rembert-Harrison House. Built between 1877 and 1879, this Queen Anne cottage was later remodeled by merchant and mayor Frank Rembert, who even added a detached garage around…
You're driving past the Lewis-Bivins House, a beautiful example of late Victorian architecture in Longview. Constructed around 1885 or 1895 for merchant B. F. Lewis, it was later purchased in 1905 by Confederate veteran…
You're driving past St. Anthony Catholic Church in Longview. Established in 1880, it's been a cornerstone for the Hispanic population, holding the first mass in Spanish in 1981 and hosting Cinco de Mayo celebrations for…
You're cruising through Longview, and right here is the J. N. Campbell home, built way back in 1872. For over a century, this house has been a hub for Texas culture. Judge Campbell and his family opened their doors to…
You're driving past the site of Longview's first public high school, built way back in 1880. Imagine that! The town grew so fast, they had to build a bigger school just four years later. Then, in 1929, this very complex…
You're driving past what used to be Longview Junction, a community that sprung up in the 1870s right where the Texas & Pacific and International & Great Northern Railroads met. It wasn't just tracks here; churches,…
You're cruising past the site of Earpville, a community that boomed in the late 1840s. Settled by James Earp and his kinfolk from Alabama, this spot was a vital stop on the stagecoach line. At its peak, Earpville had a…
You're driving through Longview, a town literally founded by the railroad. In 1870, O.H. Methvin gave land to Southern Pacific, and by 1871, Longview was its westward end-of-the-line. The impressive Colonial Revival…
You're driving through Earpville, one of Longview's oldest neighborhoods, and this house behind me is a rare survivor. Built before 1882, it was bought by Latimus and Mary Teague. But this home wasn't just a residence;…
You're driving past the Longview Community Center, a building with a story that starts back in 1934. That's when Longview's Women's Clubs decided they needed a central place for community activities. They worked hard,…
You're driving through Longview, and right here is the story of Oliver H. Pegues. He arrived in Texas with his family back in 1850, eventually settling in Longview in 1871. That very year, he became the town's very…
You're driving through Longview, where the First Christian Church was organized back in 1875. They met in a schoolhouse until they built their first sanctuary on land donated by the Texas and Pacific Railroad. The…
You're cruising through Longview, and right here is Johnny Cace's Seafood and Steak House, a true east Texas landmark since 1949! Johnny Cace Jr. learned the ways of the sea from his Yugoslav immigrant father, who…
Karen Gay Silkwood, union activist, the daughter of William and Merle Silkwood, was born on February 19, 1946, in Longview, Texas. She was raised at Nederland and studied medical technology at Lamar State College in…
Gregg County, in northeastern Texas, is bounded on the north by Upshur, on the south by Rusk, on the west by Smith, and on the east by Harrison counties. Longview, Gregg County's largest town, is 130 miles east of…
This entry is currently being revised and the new version will be available soon! LONGVIEW RACE RIOT . The Longview Race Riot occurred during the Red Summer, as May to October of 1919 has been called. It was the second…
You're driving through Longview, Texas, a city born from a single, breathtaking vista. Right here, in the mid-1800s, Ossamus Hitch Methvin, Sr. settled on a prominent hill. He built his home on Rock Hill, a spot that…
You're driving near Longview, and right here is the site of the legendary Reo Palm Isle! Opened in 1935 as the Palm Isle, this place was built to be the largest and most elaborate nightclub in the South. Imagine a…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Longview, where George Benton Turner was born. He wasn't always a hero. After leaving college early, he worked in California. But when the call came in World War II, he…
You're driving through Longview, Texas, and right here is LeTourneau University. But did you know this whole campus started in a World War II hospital? In 1946, industrialist Robert LeTourneau and his wife Evelyn bought…
You're driving through Longview, a city born from a railroad's ambition. Back in the early 1870s, the Texas and Pacific Railroad needed a western terminus. They laid out a new town on land purchased from Ossamus…
You're driving through Gregg County, Texas, and right here near Longview is the area where Bluford Washington Brown made his mark. After serving as a Confederate officer in the Civil War, Brown moved to Texas in 1866.…
You're driving through Longview, Texas, a town that once hosted a funeral so massive, it drew some 6,000 mourners. That was for Reese Calhoun De Graffenried, a lawyer and congressman who made his mark here after moving…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here in Longview, Carl Lewis Estes was a powerhouse of industry and media. After serving in two World Wars and working as a foreign correspondent, he returned to Longview and…
You're driving near Longview, where the Texas, Sabine Valley and Northwestern Railway Company was chartered way back in October of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1887</say-as>. This ambitious line planned to…
You're driving past the Finch Family Home in Longview. This early Victorian cottage was built in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1898</say-as> by John Finch, on the very site where his family's original log cabin…
You're driving through what used to be Longview Junction, a community that sprang up in 1873 right here where the International-Great Northern Railroad met the Texas and Pacific line. It wasn't long before this junction…
You're driving through Longview, and you might notice the unique architecture of Temple Emanu-El. Its story starts not here, but in nearby Kilgore. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1936</say-as>, Temple Beth…
You're driving past the former site of Rockwall Farm, just outside Longview. Built in 1854, this large colonial home was a key stop on William T. Brooks' stagecoach line, connecting Louisiana to Tyler. Imagine mail…
In 1930, Longview was a sleepy town of 5,000. By 1931, it was pure chaos. The discovery of the East Texas Oil Field, the biggest in the nation, triggered a stampede. People poured in from all over the country, desperate…
Right here in Longview, one of the 20th century's most brilliant engineers, R.G. LeTourneau, built some of the most outlandish vehicles ever conceived. After moving his earth-moving equipment company here in 1946, he…
You're driving past the site of New Providence Cemetery, a final resting place with a dramatic past. This cemetery was tied to the New Providence Missionary Baptist Church, founded in the 1880s. The first recorded…
You're driving past Winterfield Methodist Church, which began as Methodist camp meetings in the Winterfield farm community as early as the 1870s. The site was set aside for worship in the early 1880s, and the…
You're driving past the Winterfield Cemetery, which began as a family plot on the Garner farm back in 1879. It eventually grew into a community graveyard, serving Longview for generations. Today, the Winterfield…
You're driving past the legacy of Robert Gilmour LeTourneau, a self-educated inventor who revolutionized heavy construction equipment. He started in California in 1921, pioneering components still standard today. His…
You're driving past the site of Harmon General Hospital, a massive military medical complex that sprung up right here in Longview during World War II. Established by the U.S. Army in 1942, this wasn't just a hospital;…
You're driving past the site of a chapel that served a massive World War II hospital. Harmon General Hospital opened in late 1942, a huge facility built to care for wounded soldiers. Just months later, in January 1943,…
Longview High School (Longview, TX): Most recent: 35-34 over Beaumont West Brook · 2018 6A Division 2 final.
You're driving through Longview, and right here is the site of Saint Mark C.M.E. Church. Organized by former slaves around 1867, this congregation started in a brush arbor. They built their first sanctuary in 1876, and…
You're driving through Longview, and just off the road is the site of the Red Oak Missionary Baptist Church. Founded in 1875 by freed African Americans, it started as Red Oak Grove Baptist Church on land donated by…
You're driving past the starting point of a wartime marvel: the Big Inch Pipeline. Before this massive project, German submarines were sinking oil tankers off the East Coast. To combat this, Secretary of the Interior…
As you drive through Longview, look for this marker. During the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, this site was a vital home industry. Joseph M. Sparkman, despite suffering from arthritis, ran a shoe factory for the…
You're driving past the site of the Alpine Presbyterian Church in Longview. Founded on December 2, 1881, by evangelist J. DeWitt Burkhead, the congregation first held services in Tyron School. Members built their own…
You're driving past the site of the Pine Tree Cumberland Presbyterian Church, founded way back in 1847. That makes it the very first church in Gregg County, and one of the oldest continuously serving churches in all of…
You're driving past Gum Springs Cemetery, a burial ground that started as a family plot in the 1850s. It grew to include a community school and a church, all named for a nearby spring. Over 800 people are buried here,…
You're driving past Fisher Cemetery, originally designated before 1860 by A.T. Castleberry II on his land. It serves as a burial place for early Pine Tree Cumberland Presbyterian Church members and families, eventually…
You're driving through Gregg County, and right here, you're passing the site of Camden, once known as Walling's Ferry. This community sprang up in the late 1820s around a ferry crossing operated by John Walling on the…
You're driving through what's now Longview, but you're passing through the ghost of Earpville, a town literally built by one man. James Earp, a farmer and merchant, arrived in Texas before 1835 and eventually settled…
Earpville was on a site that is now within the city limits of Longview in Gregg County. It was founded by the James Earp family of Alabama in the 1840s and had a post office from 1850 to 1867. In 1848 James Earp and his…
You're driving past Longview, a town named for a 'long view' from a hilltop when surveyors laid out the townsite way back in 1870. It quickly became a railroad and lumber center, but listen to this: in 1894, it was the…
You're driving past the Angus, Dundee home, built by Dr. J. N. Allison, a pioneer physician. He even brought some building materials all the way from Virginia! But the real story here is the discovery right nearby that…
You're driving through the site of Old Fredonia, a town that boomed and busted in East Texas. Founded in 1825 by Haden Edwards, it became a key river port and ferry crossing, even boasting a brick kiln and warehouses…
You're driving through Longview, the heart of the East Texas oil boom! Look around you, because this area was transformed by wells like the F. K. Lathrop A-1. After years of searching, B. A. Skipper, Sr. assembled a…
You're driving past Elmira Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Pine Tree Cumberland Presbyterian Church began sponsoring Sunday School classes in the Spring Hill Schoolhouse after 1887. The Rev. W. M.
You're driving past Summerfield Methodist Church, named after a church the founding Brown family attended in Alabama. This building, established in 1869 on land donated by Parson B.W. Brown, is the only remaining…
You're driving past what's now known as Grable Cemetery, a place with deep roots in Longview's African American history. Back in 1888, M.H. Graybill set aside this land as a burial ground for local sharecroppers and…
You're driving past the site of the First Baptist Church of Judson. Organized in 1883, the congregation met in a school building until 1894, when they erected their own house of worship on land donated by the Whatley…
You're driving past the Sabine River, but you might not realize it's also a historic oilfield. The massive East Texas oilfield was discovered in 1930, and just two years later, drilling began right here in the riverbed.…
You're driving past where the Pleasant Green Baptist Church stands today, a cornerstone of Longview's African American community. Right after the Civil War, emancipated slaves formed the Freedmen's community here. Then,…
You're driving through Wood County, near Yantis. This area was once known by several names, including Singleton Crossing and Black Jack. But in 1893, a post office opened, and the community was temporarily called Mapes,…
You're driving through East Texas, right where history was carved into the landscape. Back in 1821, Cherokee Indians blazed this trail, slashing trees and clearing a path all the way from Nacogdoches to Arkansas. They…
You're driving through White Oak, near the site of the Shiloh School. This school was established by newly freed African Americans right after the Civil War. After a one-room building was demolished, classes moved to…
You're driving past White Oak, a community that grew up around a one-room schoolhouse back in the 1880s. After a fire destroyed the first building, locals rebuilt, using the new school for Sunday services too. By the…
You're driving past the site of White Oak Baptist Church. It traces its history back to a congregation founded in 1889, formally organizing in 1910. The Satterwhite family donated land for a building in 1935, and church…
The area has been home to several notable athletes who made their mark in professional sports. Mike Barber, a tight end, played for the Houston Oilers and later became involved in prison ministry. Byron Hunt also played…
You're driving past John O'Byrne Home. Social, cultural, political center. built 1888 in the O'Byrne's Mill settlement that included sawmill, planner, grist mill, cotton gin. O'Byrne, Irish emigrant, father of 13, built…
You're driving past the site of the Peatown Christian Church. It traces its history back to a Disciples of Christ congregation organized near Camden in 1852. This church itself was organized in 1871 with twelve charter…
You're driving past the site of Sherman Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, a testament to the resilience of freedmen in East Texas. Organized in 1870 with support from Reverend Daniel Sherman, this congregation initially…
You're driving past the site of Gum Spring Presbyterian Church. Organized in 1850 by Reverend J. M. Becton, this congregation started with just a handful of families. Their first log church, built in 1849, tragically…
You're driving past Shiloh Baptist Church in White Oak. It was founded in 1871 by former slave Butcher Christian and Reverend John Baptist. Services started in a log sanctuary on land donated by Christian. For years,…
You're driving past the site of Danville, also known as New Danville, established around 1847. Named by the S. Slade Barnett family, this community was a hub with a post office, Masonic Lodge, and businesses. It thrived…
You're driving through East Mountain, a community that owes its boom times to a surprising discovery. Established in the 1870s near a rise called East Mountain, this town was a quiet farming community. But in the 1930s,…
You're driving past Clarksville City, a community that owes its modern existence to the East Texas oil boom. Right here, in the 1930s, homes and businesses popped up so fast along U.S. Highway 80 that it was nicknamed…
You're driving past what used to be Point Pleasant, a community that thrived from about 1850 to 1871. It started as Gilead, with a post office and a ferry crossing the Sabine River. In 1852, the name changed to Point…
You're driving past the Hallsville Cemetery, established in 1875 by the James F. Taylor Masonic Lodge. It began as a community burial ground, with burials transferred from older settlements like Ash Springs and Fort…
You're driving through Hallsville, heading past the site of the Noonday Holiness Camp. Founded way back in 1897 by a group of local businessmen and landowners, this spot hosted annual camp meetings. At first, they…
You're driving past the site of the Post Oak Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, formed in 1878 by African American Christians near Easton. Initially meeting in a log cabin, the congregation grew, building several…
You're driving past Hallsville, a town that owes its existence to the railroad! Originally Ash Springs and Fort Crawford in the 1840s, this place really took off when the Texas & Pacific Railway rolled in. The very…
You're driving past the Forrest-Rogers-Dollahite Cemetery, a resting place that's been part of this community for over 125 years. It began as the home site for Elisha and Sarah Forrest, who arrived in Texas from…
You're driving through Hallsville, and just ahead is the site of the James F. Taylor Lodge. Chartered way back in 1856 in a town called Ash Springs, this Masonic lodge was named for a prominent local citizen and state…
You're driving past the Edwards Cemetery, a graveyard for settlers as early as the mid-1850s. The earliest burial recorded here was infant Josephine Rucker in 1855. The cemetery is named for James William Cartwright…
Once known as 'Gilead', the area now known as Clarksville City has a rich history. It was first settled before 1845, and a stagecoach stop at William W. Walters' home later became a hub operated by Warren P. Victory.…
In the 19th century, Hallsville's history was shaped by the railroad. The area was first settled in 1839 with the construction of Fort Crawford. But it wasn't until 1869, when the Southern Pacific Railway crossed a mile…
You're driving past William Delafield. A veteran of the American Revolution; lived in this area as patriarch of a family whose history typifies westward movement of the people of the United States. Son of Nicholas…
You're driving past the site of LaGrone's Chapel. Built around 1866 on land originally settled by Jacob LaGrone in 1837, this chapel was constructed using timber from Harleton's Mill. The property was eventually deeded…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here in Kilgore, you're passing through the hometown of a global music legend: Van Cliburn. Born in Louisiana, his family moved to Kilgore when he was just seven, drawn by…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, you might be near the birthplace of a national phenomenon: the Kilgore Rangerettes. Back in 1940, Kilgore College needed a halftime show that would keep folks in their…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here in Kilgore, you're passing the birthplace of a Texas legend: the Kilgore Rangerettes! <break time="400ms"/> Back in 1940, Kilgore College needed more female students and…
You're driving through Kilgore, a town that went from boom to bust and back again, all thanks to oil. Originally settled before the Civil War, Kilgore was officially founded in 1872 as a railroad stop. For decades, it…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, the town of Kilgore owes its very existence to a schoolhouse and a determined Methodist minister. In 1855, Isaac Alexander, fresh from teaching in Henderson, convinced…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here in Kilgore, a rockabilly legend got his start. Johnny Dollar, born John Washington Dollar, Jr., was a key figure in the Dallas music scene of the late 1950s. He…
You're driving through Kilgore, home to a truly unique Texas tradition: the Kilgore Rangerettes! Organized in 1940, these sixty-five coeds became a nationally known precision drill corps, famous for their high kicks and…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, you're passing through the town of Kilgore, named for a man who played a big role in its founding: Constantine Buckley Kilgore. Though he opposed secession, Kilgore…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Kilgore, the birthplace of Thomas Dickson Barton. Barton's life was a testament to military service, spanning decades and continents. He served in the Spanish-American…
You're driving through Northeast Texas, maybe near Kilgore, and you're passing through the heart of Lyde Williford Devall's publishing empire. From 1940 to 1979, she and her husband published the Kilgore News Herald.…
You're driving through northeastern Goliad County, passing through the rural community of Kilgore. It started in the 1880s as a German farming settlement, likely named after the nearby Kilgore Creek. Early families like…
You're driving past the site of the Upshur County Discovery Well, the J. D. Richardson No. 1. Completed on May 6th, 1931, this well kicked off a massive oil boom in the area. It was the very first of over 2,000 wells…
You're driving through Hallsville, a town that owes its very existence to a railroad shuffle. Back in 1839, settlers first gathered around Fort Crawford, a mile west of here, for protection from Native Americans. But…
You're cruising through Kilgore, Texas, once known as the 'Oil City of the World'! This boomtown got its start in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1872</say-as>, right when the railroad rolled in. It’s named for…
You're driving past Union Grove Cemetery. UNION GROVE CEMETERY HADEN HARRISON EDWARDS (1812-1864), A SOLDIER, MERCHANT AND LEGISLATOR, PURCHASED THIS LAND FROM THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO IN 1835. EDWARDS SERVED IN THE FIRST…
You're driving past the site of Forest Home Baptist Church, organized in 1889 by Reverend J. R. Goode and eight charter members. Their first sanctuary was a simple log structure, later replaced by a frame building that…
You're driving through Kilgore, and right here is the site of a school that's seen some serious growth. It started way back in 1873 as the Alexander Institute, a private school that moved to town and served local kids.…
If you head downtown, you can find what was once called the 'World's Richest Acre.' It's a single city block that perfectly illustrates the insanity of the Kilgore oil boom. In 1931, the block was so crowded with…
You're driving past the Dean-Keener-Crim House, the oldest still standing in Kilgore. Its east wing was built way back in 1876 by S. G. Dean. Later, L. J. Keener added the two-story west wing, and in 1902, Wiley N.…
When the boom hit Kilgore, it hit downtown. There were no spacing rules yet, no laws about how far apart wells had to be, so people drilled wherever they could buy or lease a scrap of land, even the lots between…
You're driving past the site of a home that became a temporary headquarters during one of Texas's biggest oil booms. Built in 1920 for Lou Della Crim, this bungalow once stood where the Hearne Hotel used to be. But its…
You're driving past what's left of Kilgore's oil boom! It all kicked off on December 28th, 1930, when the Lou Della Crim Number One well exploded to life, making Kilgore a major player in the East Texas oil field. These…
You're driving past the site of a remarkable transformation in Kilgore. Back in the 1930s, oil was discovered, and suddenly thousands of people, displaced by the Great Depression, descended on this area, creating a…
You're driving past Kilgore I&GN-Missouri Pacific Railroad Station. The town of Kilgore was platted by the International Railroad Company after it purchased land for a townsite from C. B. "Buck" Kilgore, who had donated…
You're driving past the site of the Alexander Institute, a school that was once a beacon of education in East Texas. Founded as the New Danville Masonic Female Academy in <say-as interpret-as="date"…
You're driving past the Kilgore Public Library, a building that's more than just books. It all started in 1933, thanks to two determined local women's clubs who wanted a public library for their town. With a boost from…
You're driving through Kilgore, and right here is the site of St. Luke's United Methodist Church. The story of Methodism in Kilgore really kicks off in 1873. Many folks from the nearby town of New Danville moved here…
You're driving past the site of the First Baptist Church of Kilgore. It was formed in 1902 by five charter members and held its first sanctuary construction in 1906. The current brick structure was completed in 1933,…
You're cruising through Kilgore, and right here is a spot that changed Texas forever. This tiny 1.195-acre patch, known as the World's Richest Acre, was developed before modern spacing rules. It became the most densely…
In 1940, Kilgore College had a problem: fans kept leaving at halftime of football games. The dean hired a physical education instructor named Gussie Nell Davis and asked her to create something that would keep people in…
In 1930, Dad Joiner's well came in east of Kilgore and revealed the largest oil field in the world at that time. The East Texas field stretched forty-three miles long and up to twelve miles wide, and Kilgore was right…
You're driving past Rosedale Cemetery, a place with a story as rich as the oil that once flowed beneath it. Back in 1844, John Kettle Armstrong and his wife Sarah were early settlers here. When Sarah passed in 1856,…
You're driving past the Kilgore National Bank Building, a symbol of the town's prosperity during the 1930s oil boom. Built in 1937, its Art Moderne and Art Deco design was meant to project progress. The bank operated…
Kilgore's story is etched in black gold, but its foundations run deeper than the oil boom of the 1930s. It began as a railroad stop, named for Constantine Buckley Kilgore, a figure who symbolized the promise of…
You're driving through Kilgore, and right here is the First Presbyterian Church. Organized way back in 1850 as Gum Spring Presbyterian Church, this congregation moved to Kilgore in 1874. But the real story here is the…
You're driving through the Cross Roads Community, where in 1911 folks decided they needed a church and a cemetery. Land was bought in 1912 next to the existing Hickory Grove Cemetery, and construction began that same…
Every major oil company geologist said there was no oil in East Texas. Columbus Marion 'Dad' Joiner, a seventy-year-old wildcatter running on charm and borrowed money, drilled anyway. On October 3, 1930, his third well,…
You're driving past the Kilgore College Administration Building. In the midst of the Great Depression, Kilgore residents voted to start a junior college in 1935. Classes were held in the high school until this building…
On October 3, 1930, an aging, nearly broke wildcatter named Columbus Marion Joiner, who everyone called Dad, brought in a well known as the Daisy Bradford No. 3. And it almost didn't happen. He had already drilled two…
Here's the surprise that took people years to fully understand. All those thousands of East Texas wells, drilled by hundreds of different owners across a huge area, weren't tapping separate pockets of oil. They were all…
Here's the engineering lesson the East Texas field taught the whole world, and it was learned the hard way. In the early 1930s, everyone pumped as fast as they possibly could, and it backfired twice. So much oil flooded…
You're driving through Upshur County, near Glenwood. Following the Civil War, freedmen and their families established communities like East Springfield. Though the congregation formed in the late 1800s, East Springfield…
You're driving through Chalk Hill, where worship services started in the schoolhouse around 1917. A community church building went up in 1921, funded by donations, and the women even sold baked goods and quilts in 1925…
You're driving past the site of the Parson McClelland School, built around 1869 by Reverend William Henry McClelland. He was a Baptist minister and educator who ran this private school, with both day and boarding…
You're driving through Union Grove, a place that really grew up around its schools. Back in 1888, a public school kicked off here with J.H. Sheppard at the helm. Fast forward to 1907, and the Union Grove Common School…
As you drive through Kilgore, look for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. This burial ground tells the story of African Americans in East Texas after the Civil War. Newly freed, they formed the Mt. Pleasant Colored Methodist…
In 1930, Gladewater was a sleepy village of about five hundred people. Then, on April seventh, 1931, a well came in and everything changed. The discovery of the East Texas Oil Field turned this place into a real-life…
This East Texas city experienced a dramatic transformation in the early 20th century, evolving from a quiet farming and lumber community into a bustling oil boom town. The discovery of oil in 1931 triggered an explosive…
You're driving through Rusk County, near the border with Gregg County, and right here is the story of Major Kennedy. Born to former slaves in 1881, Kennedy could have headed North for opportunity. Instead, he stayed…
You're driving past the Foshee Family home, built in 1890. Imagine this: the lumber for this house was sawed at a famous local mill, and the chimney? It's made of unique, hand-hewn rock pulled from the stream running…
You're driving past the former home of Dr. E.L. and Nannie Walker, a remarkable couple who left their mark on early Gladewater. Dr. Walker, a physician and drugstore owner, bought this land in 1895. Their impressive…
You're driving through Hallsville, and just a few months after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, formerly enslaved families began settling this area. They started holding prayer meetings in homes, led by Brother…
You're driving past the site of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1893 by former slaves seeking new opportunities. This congregation didn't just offer worship; it served as a vital center for the African…
You're cruising through Gladewater, and right here, you're passing the birthplace of Texas public bus travel! Back in March 1925, W. E. Nunnelee started the state's very first franchised motor bus line. Imagine this: a…
You're driving by the Gladewater birthplace of John Ben Shepperd, a prominent Texas lawyer and official. After serving in World War II and leading the national Jaycees, he served as Texas's Attorney General, tackling…
You're driving past Kilgore's Driller Park, a place that hit a home run with the community. On April 24th, 1947, over 3,000 fans packed this stadium for the grand opening of baseball's postwar return, cheering on the…
You're driving past the Bumpus House in Gladewater. Believed to have been built around the turn of the 20th century, it's a local landmark showcasing Colonial Revival and Craftsman architectural styles. Area sawmill…
You're driving through Gladewater, where Gladewater Lodge No. 852, part of the Freemasons, was established in 1901. For thirty years, members met in a general store that also housed the post office. They built their own…
You're driving through Gladewater, where a Methodist congregation formed in 1922. Twelve adults and two children met in a private home to organize the church, soon building a simple sanctuary. The church saw significant…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here is Gladewater, the lifelong home of Dick Burnett. He wasn't just an oilman; he was a baseball entrepreneur! Burnett struck oil in the 1930s, becoming wealthy, but his…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Gladewater, where John Ben Shepperd was born. He became a powerful figure in Texas politics, serving as Attorney General in the 1950s. He took on big fights, like tackling…
You're driving through North Texas, and right here is the hometown of Harding Lawrence, the man who transformed Braniff Airways into an industry icon. Growing up in Gladewater, Lawrence went on to lead Braniff from 1965…
You're driving through Gladewater, a town that owes its boom to a gusher! Founded by the railroad in 1873, Gladewater grew slowly for decades. But on April 7, 1931, everything changed. Right near here, the first oil…
You're driving past Shady Grove Cemetery, a resting place that began in 1855 with the unknown deaths of two young boys, John Hurt and John Littleton. This land was originally a gift in 1852 for a church and school. Over…
You're passing through Gladewater, a town that exploded overnight! Originally founded as St. Clair back in 1827, it moved to this spot on the railroad in 1872. But the real boom happened in 1931 with the discovery of…
You're driving past West Mountain Cemetery, established in the mid-1850s by plantation owner Alpha Phillips. His father's grave, marked by a stone cairn, was the first here. Originally called Old Phillips Cemetery, it…
You're passing the Rock Springs Schoolhouse, built way back in 1849. Imagine this one-room schoolhouse, powered by a single teacher, serving students until the 1930s. It wasn't just for lessons, though. This building…
You're driving through Diana, where two railroads once carved paths through Upshur County. The Marshall & East Texas, chartered in 1908, even earned the nickname 'Misery & Eternal Torment' for its passenger service.…
Texas Tech University in Lubbock, out there on the South Plains, has always punched above its weight.
You're driving past the site of the Lou Della Crim No. 1 well, the discovery that proved the massive East Texas oil field. J. Malcolm Crim drilled this well on his mother's land after the initial East Texas oil…
Methodist services began in Harleton homes in the 1840s. In 1901, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, built its first sanctuary here, later replaced by a new brick building in 1914. The congregation became the…
You're driving through Gregg County, past the area once known as Liberty City. But before it got that name, this community went by some wilder ones. Imagine calling this place Hog Eye – apparently for an early settler…
You're driving past Piney Cemetery, a resting place that began in the 1800s. The oldest grave here is from 1861, belonging to Carolin Oney Ragon. The cemetery officially became an organization in 1967, but its story…
You're driving past the site of Simmons Hill Baptist Church. Its history goes back to the 1850s as County Line Baptist Church, and it eventually moved into the Simmons School House. The congregation remodeled it and…
You're driving through Harleton, a town that owes its very existence to a timber boom in the late 1800s. Back in the 1830s, people settled here, but it wasn't until 1891 that things really took off. That's when a…
You're driving past the Judge J.B. Williamson House, a grand ante-bellum plantation built right after the Republic of Texas was founded. Originally log cabins, it was expanded into a Greek Revival mansion, possibly by…
You're driving past Mattox Cemetery, a chronicle of Upshur County's pioneers. The first recorded burial here was Milla Ann Greer Oliver in 1861, though oral history suggests slaves were interred even earlier. The land…
You're driving through Smyrna, where Dr. John Chadd and his family settled in 1846. He helped found the Smyrna Methodist Episcopal Church, South, using his home for services. The congregation faced challenges, with…
You're driving past the site of Walnut Creek Baptist Church, organized by pioneer settlers around 1855. The congregation built a sanctuary and cemetery here in 1856, with the oldest marked grave dating to 1870. A new…
You're driving past Millville Cemetery, a resting place with a unique look. Back in the 1840s, Jesse Walling, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto, donated land for this community's church, school, Masonic lodge, and…
You're driving past the site of Smyrna Cemetery, a place with roots stretching back to the mid-1800s. Pioneer physician John Chadd received a land grant here in 1845 and, the very next year, donated land for a church,…
You're driving past Crim's Chapel Cemetery. It's believed people were buried here before 1882, but Jo Anna Crim, wife of Abraham B. Crim, has the earliest marked grave, dating to that year. Abraham Crim formally set…
You're driving past the site of the old Grover community. It started in 1848 as a school, later adding a Union church, becoming the heart of a farming settlement. The cemetery here dates to the 1850s, with Susan Green,…
You're driving past the County Line Cemetery, a final resting place for early settlers of this crossroads community. Folks like Eli Henderson McCoy, who arrived from North Carolina in 1859, and Jeremiah Brisco Ormes,…
Tatum (Tatum, TX) placed on the 3A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Grant Adcock (0.461 avg, 4 HR); Colt Bullard (0.448 avg, 4 HR); Ty Stephens (3 HR); Keaton Keel (2 HR); Cole Wood (2…
You're driving through Tatum, a town with roots stretching back to the 1840s. Wealthy Alabama planter Albert Tatum settled right here, near the Trammel's Trace and Grand Bluff Road crossing. His plantation home became a…
You're driving past Harmony Hill Cemetery, where the oldest grave dates back to 1844. That's the resting place of J. W. Hall, marked by a large rock when the land was first donated by John W. Kuykendall in 1852. Over…
You're driving past Nesbitt Cemetery, a final resting place with roots stretching back to 1847. Twin brothers Robert Jamieson and Nathan Nesbitt settled here that year. The first burial was Nathan's wife, Psyche, who…
You're driving through Tatum, a town with roots stretching back to the 1840s. It all started with Albert and Mary C. Tatum, who built a massive plantation right here. Legend says the mansion was so grand, its boundaries…
In the 1840s, Tatum, Texas, was settled by Albert Tatum and his second wife, Mary C. They built a large plantation in 1848. The town's history took a turn in 1885 when the Santa Fe Railway came through, dividing the…
You're driving past Liberty Cemetery, a final resting place with roots going back to the 1850s. It started as the burial ground for the Liberty Baptist Church, with Bennett C. Ragon donating land in 1872. The oldest…
You're cruising through Gilmer, a town that got its start way back in 1846. It's named for Thomas W. Gilmer, a big deal in Washington D.C. who pushed hard for Texas to join the U.S. During the Civil War, Gilmer was a…
You're driving past Tatum Cemetery, a resting place with roots stretching back to the Civil War. It began as a private family burial ground for Albert Tatum, a pioneer settler. His son William was the first interred…
You're driving past Wright's Cemetery, a final resting place established by a veteran of the Republic of Texas Army. Hansel Wright arrived in East Texas in 1836, earning land for his service. By 1846, he and his family…
You're driving past the site of a truly unique Texas institution: the Pioneer Dickson Orphanage. For thirty years, from 1900 to 1929, this was the *only* home in Texas specifically for African American orphans. Founded…
You're driving through Overton, and we're passing the site of El Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. This congregation's roots go way back, possibly to around 1840, when Reverend J.D. James arrived with his family and…
You're driving near Henderson, where the New Prospect Baptist congregation and its cemetery were established in the 1850s. Many of the founding members, like Thomas Ballenger and B.F. Montgomery, came here from…
You're driving through Upshur County, past the site of the Ben Phillips Place. Built in 1872, this home was a hub for political talk and news, with a reputation for welcoming strangers. Ben F. Phillips himself, a Church…
You're driving past Gilgal Baptist Church, a place with roots stretching back to 1865. Led by the Rev. John Baptist, the founding members built a brush arbor and chose the name "Gilgal" – the Israelites' first…
You're driving past Morris Cemetery in Gilmer, and right here, you're looking at the final resting place of an Unknown Soldier. This is the first grave in this cemetery, and it belongs to a Confederate soldier who died…
You're driving through Rusk County, near New London, where in 1937 stood one of the richest rural school districts in America. That March 18th, students were preparing for a competition, the PTA was meeting, and a…
You're driving through New London, Texas, a town that owes its existence to oil, but is forever remembered for a horrific tragedy. For decades, this was a quiet farming community. Then, in 1930, the East Texas oil boom…
You're driving past a beautiful example of early 20th-century architecture in Gilmer. This house, built in 1912, was inspired by the Prairie School and Arts and Crafts movements. Notice its overhanging eaves and the…
You're driving through Gilmer, and just off the road here is the site of the Pritchett Normal Institute. Opened in 1901 by the Maberry brothers, this place wasn't just a school; it was a teacher-training powerhouse. It…
Gilmer, Texas. It's a name that might not ring a bell for everyone, but around here, it's synonymous with Friday night lights and sweet potato pie. You can feel the small-town charm just driving in, past the piney woods…
You're driving past the area where one of the first major Texas trails was blazed, not by settlers, but by the Cherokee Nation. Around 1821, they needed a route from Nacogdoches to their reservation in Arkansas. To mark…
You're driving past a spot where Sam Houston, the legendary Texan, stood and spoke not once, but twice, against secession. Back on June 10th, 1857, as a U.S. Senator, he urged Texas to stay with the Union. Then, in…
You're driving past Gilmer, Texas, a town that was a vital hub for the Confederacy during the Civil War. While men and boys fought on distant battlefields, Upshur County became a powerhouse of production. Factories here…
You're driving past the site of an early Cherokee village, established right here at the start of the 1800s. This settlement was a home for these Native Americans and their associated tribes for decades. But by 1839,…
You're driving through Gilmer, Texas, right where the Confederacy was keeping its horses shod and its armies moving. During the Civil War, this area was home to vital leather factories. One plant churned out shoes for…
You're driving past the site of Antioch, a community founded by freed slaves right after the Civil War. In 1866, they organized Antioch Baptist Church, which became the heart of their settlement. This church wasn't just…
Houston's story is etched in oil and ambition, but also in the threads of countless cultures woven together. Founded in 1836, its destiny shifted dramatically with the Spindletop gusher. The black gold boom pulled…
You're driving through Gilmer, passing a business that's served this community for over a century. Back in 1890, J.F. Croley bought a hardware store, and saw a need for more than just nails and hammers. He added…
You're driving through Gilmer, and right here is the home of the Gilmer Mirror, the oldest continuous business in Upshur County. It started way back on January 1st, 1877, as the 'Upshur County Democrat.' Over the years,…
You're driving past the old Gilmer Post Office, a handsome building designed by James A. Wetmore and completed in 1926. It served the town until 1991, then sat vacant until local groups saved it for use as a museum.…
You're driving past Brumley Crossroads Cemetery, established by the Mt. Gilead Primitive Baptist Church back in 1848. It's the final resting place for pioneer settlers and local residents, with the oldest legible stone…
You're driving through Gilmer, where the Looney School once stood just a few blocks north. From 1860 to 1870, this place was known for its high academic standards, drawing students from all over East Texas. Boys and…
You're driving past the site of the first full-time hospital in Upshur County, opened in 1933 by the Ragland family. For nearly fifty years, this clinic-hospital served Gilmer and the surrounding areas, even training…
You're driving past the site of the Robert Potts Bros. hat factory, a crucial Confederate operation during the Civil War. In just one year, they churned out 600 hats for the army, using 300 pounds of wool and valued at…
You're driving past the site of Gilmer's First United Methodist Church. Organized around 1852, this congregation established both a men's and a women's academy in the 1850s. The church has occupied this site since 1881,…
You're driving past First Baptist Church of Gilmer. First congregation was organized in a log cabin in 1846 as the Gilmer Missionary Baptist Church of Christ. In 1854 the congregation consisted of 22 members and the…
You're driving through East Texas, not far from Gilmer, the birthplace of blues legend Freddie King. Born Freddie Christian in 1934, he was playing guitar by age six. After moving to Chicago, he honed his raw,…
You're driving through Upshur County, Texas, where in 1881, David Abner Jr. made history. Right here, he became the very first African American to graduate from a Texas institution of higher learning, earning his degree…
You're driving through Texas, maybe not far from Gilmer, where John Lafayette Camp, Jr. got his start. He became a judge, and in 1912, he made a decision that saved the Alamo. Governor Colquitt wanted to turn the shrine…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, in Gilmer, Texas, a life that would shape state law came to an end in a shocking tragedy. William Pierson, a future Texas Supreme Court Justice, was born in this town…
You're driving through Harrison County, near Gilmer, where a remarkable man named Meshack Roberts once lived. Born into slavery, Roberts was given land after the Civil War and built a home for his family. But in the…
You're cruising through North Texas, maybe not too far from Gilmer, where a musical legacy began. Back in 1924, brothers Virgil and Frank Stamps founded the Stamps Quartet. They weren't just singers; they were…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Gilmer, where John Lafayette Camp made his home. When the Civil War broke out, Camp, already a lawyer and planter, answered the call. He rose to become colonel of the…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Gilmer. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this area was home to a remarkable institution: the Dickson Colored Orphan's Home. It was spearheaded by Reverend William…
You're driving through Upshur County, not far from Gilmer, the home of Cullen Redwine Earp. He was a Confederate officer who fought in over twenty engagements, including Chickamauga and Atlanta. Earp was promoted to…
You're driving through East Texas, not far from where Matthew F. Locke established the town of LaFayette back in 1850. Locke wasn't just a planter; he was a Confederate Colonel who raised the Tenth Texas Cavalry.…
You're driving through Upshur County, near Gilmer, the site of the Looney School. Established in 1861 by Morgan H. Looney, this wasn't just any school. It was a bustling academy, averaging 200 students annually. They…
Right here, south of Gilmer in Upshur County, you're passing the site of the State Colored Orphans' Home. It began in 1900, founded by African American Baptists who wanted to create a safe haven. Initially known as the…
You're driving through Gilmer, Texas, a town with a name that came from a tragic accident way back in 1844. Right here, in what is now Upshur County, the county seat was to be named for Thomas W. Gilmer. He was a…
You're driving through Upshur County, near Gilmer, where Jesse Martin Glasco made his mark. Born in Tennessee in 1818, Glasco arrived in Texas and became a key figure in this region. For decades, he served as Upshur…
Right here in Gilmer, you're driving past the site of a school that had a few names and a few owners! It started in 1851 as the Gilmer Masonic Female Institute, founded by the local Masons. When their lodge disbanded,…
Coffeeville is south of State Highway 155 and five miles west of Lake O' the Pines in the pine country of northeastern Upshur County. One account of the origin of the community's name claims that an early traveler…
Kelsey, on Farm Road 1795 seven miles west of Gilmer in central Upshur County, was named for Dr. W. H. Kelsey, one of the earliest settlers in the county; a nearby creek also bears his name. During the antebellum period…
LaFayette (Lafayette), at the junction of Farm roads 993 and 1975, thirteen miles northeast of Gilmer in extreme northern Upshur County, was first settled in the late 1850s and was named for LaFayette Locke, the son of…
You're driving through Upshur County, named for a Secretary of State under President John Tyler. This area has been home to people for thousands of years, from Paleo-Indians to Caddoan and Cherokee tribes. But it was…
Bettie, at the junction of U.S. Highway 271 and Farm Road 2088, six miles north of Gilmer in north central Upshur County, was established in the early 1880s as a stop on the newly constructed Texas and St. Louis…
Glenwood, at the junction of State Highway 300 and Farm Road 726, eight miles southeast of Gilmer in southeastern Upshur County, was established as a plantation before the organization of the county in 1846. The…
Grice, at the junction of Farm roads 852 and 1002, twelve miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was established in the late 1880s or early 1890s near a heavily wooded area known as the Big Woods. The community…
Latch, on Farm Road 1795 eight miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was established in the late 1880s and originally named Know. The name was changed to Latch when a post office opened in 1894, after L. A.…
Rosewood is on State Highway 154 eight miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County. It was probably first settled in the late 1880s or early 1890s and was originally known as Double Springs. Its name was changed to…
Simpsonville, also known as Thomas, at the junction of Farm roads 2088 and 556, twelve miles northwest of Gilmer in northwestern Upshur County, was first settled in the late 1850s. The community was originally known as…
West Mountain, at the junction of U.S. Highway 271 and Farm Road 726, eight miles southeast of Gilmer in southeastern Upshur County, was founded by Isaac Moody, one of the earliest Anglo settlers in the county, and…