Kilgore, officially the City of Kilgore, is a city in
Gregg and
Rusk
A rusk is a hard, dry Biscuit#Biscuits in British usage, biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the ...
counties in
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, United States. Located where
Interstate 20 and
US 259 converge just south of the
Sabine River. Over three-fourths of the area within city limits are located in Gregg County, the remainder in Rusk County. The population was 12,975 at the
2010 census and 13,376 at the
2020 census.
History
Kilgore was founded in 1872 when the
International–Great Northern Railroad completed the initial phase of rail line between
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
and
Longview. The rail company chose to bypass New Danville, a small community about southeast of Longview, in lieu of a new townsite platted on sold to the railroad by
Constantine Buckley Kilgore, the town's namesake. That way the railroad gained the profits from sale and development of the lands.
A post office was built in Kilgore in 1873 and with a station and transportation for getting
commodity crops to market, the city soon began drawing residents and businesses away from New Danville. By 1885, the population had reached 250, and the community had two
cotton gin
A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); ...
s, a church, and a school (for white children only). The
racially segregated Kilgore Independent School District was organized in 1910. By 1914 the town had two banks, several businesses, and a reported population of 700. The 1920s showed continued steady growth, and by 1929 Kilgore was home to an estimated 1,000 residents.
Prosperity came to a halt, however, when Kilgore was dealt severe blows by a steep decline in cotton prices (on which most of the town's economy was still based), and the effects of the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. Businesses began to close and, by the middle of 1930, the population had fallen to 500; the community appeared destined to become a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
. Many Blacks joined the
Great Migration out of the South to northern, midwestern, and western cities for work.
Kilgore's fortunes changed dramatically on October 3, 1930, when
wildcatter
A wildcatter is an individual who drills wildcat wells, which are exploration oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. Notable wildcatters include Glenn McCarthy, Thomas Baker Slick Sr., Mike Benedum, Joe Trees, Clem S. Clark ...
Columbus M. "Dad" Joiner struck
oil near the neighboring town of
Henderson. The well known as the Daisy Bradford #3, marked the discovery of the vast
East Texas Oil Field. Seemingly overnight Kilgore was transformed from a small farming town on the decline into a bustling
boomtown
A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although t ...
. The Daisy Bradford #3 was subsequently followed by the Lou Della Crim No. 1 and many others.
By 1936, the population had increased to more than 12,000, and Kilgore's skyline was crowded with
oil derricks.
Oil production continued at a breakneck pace throughout the early 1930s, with more than 1,100 producing oil wells within city limits at the height of the boom. The explosive growth left most civic services overwhelmed, and as a result Kilgore was forced to
incorporate in 1931. With the city flooded with male workers and
roustabout
Roustabout (Australia/New Zealand English: rouseabout) is an occupational term. Traditionally, it referred to a worker with broad-based, non-specific skills. In particular, it was used to describe show or circus workers who put up tents and boo ...
s, law enforcement struggled to keep order among the
shanties, tents, and ramshackle
honky-tonks that crowded Kilgore's main streets. On one occasion, they had to summon help from the
Texas Rangers to keep the peace. By the mid-1930s the
oil boom was almost over and most of the small oil companies and wildcatters had sold out to major corporations. The boom was essentially over by 1940. But oil production has remained central to the city's economy. The population, which fluctuated wildly throughout the 1930s, stabilized at around 10,000 in the 1950s. A 2015 estimate placed it at just under 15,000 residents.
In the 1940s Kilgore had over 1,000 wooden oil derricks. One acre was known by the nickname "The world's richest acre." Now there are 60 steel replicas of the derricks in the city topped with stars. The city is Texas' City of Stars.
Geography
Kilgore is located in southern Gregg County and extends south into Rusk County.
U.S. Route 259 passes through the east side of the city as a limited-access bypass, leading northeast to
Longview and south to
Henderson. Kilgore's city limits extend north from the city center as far as
Interstate 20, with access from Exits 583, 587, and 589. I-20 leads east to
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...
and west to
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Kilgore has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.22%, are covered by water.
Kilgore is located in the
Piney Woods region south of the
Sabine River.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 13,376 people, 5,060 households, and 3,476 families residing in the city.
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, 11,301 people, 4,403 households, and 2,963 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 4,766 housing units averaged . The
racial makeup of the city was 78.22% White, 12.34% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.95% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.11% of the population.
Of the 4,403 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were not families. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city, the population was distributed as 24.6% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,129, and for a family was $61,765. Males had a median income of $45,995 versus $30,124 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $21,297. About 9.7% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
In 2023, Kilgore had 309 locally owned businesses, and attracted $117 million of new industrial investment.
Orgill, a hardware distributor, has a distribution center in the city.
Arts and culture
Kilgore is the home of the
Mount Tabor Indian Community, a cultural heritage organization and
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
. The Reel East Texas Film Festival is an annual film festival. The
Kilgore College Rangerettes were founded in 1940, and were the world's first precision drill team. The Rangerettes performed in the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
.
The
Texas Shakespeare Festival is an annual summer
repertory company. Founded in 1986, it performs at the Van Cliburn Auditorium. Kilgore Public Library was completed in 1939.
The East Texas Pipe Organ Festival honors Kilgore resident Roy Perry; he supervised the installation of pipe organs at
St. Mark's Cathedral and
Washington National Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Episcopal Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral or National Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Wa ...
. The annual Kilgore Film Festival started in 1998. The East Texas Oil Museum depicts events of the early 1930s oil boom. The Rangerette Showcase and Museum is located at Kilgore College.
Sports
R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium primarily serving Kilgore College and the Kilgore Independent School District for football games and other events.
Driller Park is the home field for the Kilgore Drillers, and serving as the ballpark for Kilgore High School.
Baseball teams
*
Kilgore Drillers (1947 to 1950) in the East Texas League and the Lone Star League. They played home games at Driller Park, a venue originally built for them.
*
Kilgore Gushers
*
Kilgore Rangers (1937 to 1938)
*
Kilgore Braves
* East Texas Pump Jacks (2009 to 2016)
Kilgore College team
* Kilgore College Rangers Football and Kilgore College Rangers Basketball.
Park and recreation
The Kilgore Trails System is and was designed for walkers, runners, and cyclists. The trail system has access points throughout the city, and passes through wooded areas.
Government
Local government
According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city's various funds had $17.4 million in revenues, $19.4 million in expenditures, $19.5 million in total assets, $0.8 million in total liabilities, and $17.5 million in investments.
[City of Kilgore 2009 CAFR](_blank)
retrieved 2010-11-11
State government
Kilgore is represented in the
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives functioning as the lower house. Together, they form the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the state of Texas.
The Senate ...
by Republican Bryan Hughes, District 1, and in the
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...
by Republican
David Simpson, District 7 and Travis Clardy, District 11.
Federal government
At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans
John Cornyn
John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. ...
and
Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 ...
. Kilgore is part of
Texas's 1st congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican
Nathaniel Moran.
Education
Public schools
Most of the city is within the
Kilgore Independent School District, which covers sections of Gregg and Rusk counties.
[ ]
Text list
/ref> A small portion of the city in Gregg County is within the Sabine Independent School District.[
]
Higher education
Kilgore College is home to the Rangers and the Kilgore College Rangerettes.
The boundary of Kilgore College includes the independent school districts of Kilgore and Sabine (the ones covering sections of Kilgore).
Media
Newspapers
The '' Kilgore News Herald'' is a twice-weekly newspaper published in the city.
Radio
Infrastructure
Transportation
Major highways
* Interstate 20 connects Kilgore to Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, about 119 mi (192 km) to the west and to Shreveport, Louisiana, around 69 mi (111 km) to the east.
* Highway 259 is a north/south highway providing an alternate route to U.S. 59 between Nacogdoches, Texas, and the Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
/Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
border just south of Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the List of municipalities in Arkansas, third-most populous city in Arkansas, United States, and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas, Sebastian County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the pop ...
.
* State Highway 31 runs from U.S. 84 connecting Waco, Corsicana, Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
, Tyler, to Kilgore and U.S. 80
* State Highway 42
*
Texas State Highway 135
State Highway 135 (SH 135) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Texas that runs from Jacksonville
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeast ...
Airports
* East Texas Regional Airport is located 8 miles east of Kilgore, and services the city.
* Kilgore Airport
Rail
* Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...
A proposal is in the works for a over 200mph high-speed rail
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...
system from Dallas/Fort Worth to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
along the I-20 corridor, currently named the I-20X, that will pass directly through Kilgore, bringing passenger rail
A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line, as opposed to a freight train that carries goods. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) push-pull train, ...
service to that corridor for the first time since the Texas and Pacific's unnamed successor to the Louisiana Eagle in the late 1960s.This initiative promises to support regional development, reduce car dependency, and create jobs in areas like Tyler, Kilgore, and East Texas. Early phases of planning are in motion, with design on the Atlanta-Birmingham segment expected to start by 2025.
Public transportation
GoBus is a regional transit system serving Kilgore and nearby cities.
Cycling
Kilgore's cycling infrastructure includes the 3.5-mile Creekside Trail, part of the Kilgore Trails System, and the Big Head Mountain Bike Trail. Opened in phases from 2018 to 2020, the Creekside Trail follows Bighead Creek with multiple access points. The city continues to promote outdoor recreation through events and activities.
Healthcare
Allegiance Specialty Hospital of Kilgore is a 60-bed hospital in Kilgore.
Notable people
Sports
* Audrey Chase Hampton, MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
Pitcher for the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
* Ricky Collins, Wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
for the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
and the Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
* Wayne Daniels (born 1987), NFL Defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
played for the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
* Loyie Nawlin "Buddy" Humphrey (1935–1988), NFL Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, and St. Louis Cardinals
* Lane Johnson (born 1990), plays in the NFL and was a football player for Kilgore College
* James Randel "Randy" Matson (born 1945), Olympian
* Alvin Reed (born 1944), played in the NFL for the Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...
and Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
* Walter Edward "Ed" Red (born 1942), Olympian
* Ron Shepherd (born 1960), former outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
; attended Kilgore High School
* Demorrio Williams, played football for Kilgore College, the University of Nebraska
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
, and the NFL
Music, acting, dance, arts
* Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (July 12, 1934February 27, 2013) was an American pianist. At the age of 23, Cliburn achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 during the Cold ...
(1934–2013), piano virtuoso, lived and grew up in Kilgore
* Gussie Nell Davis (1906-1993), created the Rangerettes at Kilgore College in 1940
* Will Jennings
Wilbur Herschel Jennings (June 27, 1944 – September 6, 2024) was an American lyricist. He was known for writing the songs " Up Where We Belong", " Higher Love", " Tears in Heaven" and "My Heart Will Go On". He was inducted into the Songwriter ...
(1944-2024), composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
* Hank O'Neal (born 1940), music producer, author and photographer, veteran
* Robert Patrick (1937-2023), actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
* Ally Venable (born 1999), blues rock guitar player, singer, and songwriter
More
* Dana Dodd (1985–2003), murder victim; body found in Kilgore in 2006
* Robert G. "Bob" Goss (1898-1978), former police chief of Kilgore, and a Texas Ranger
* Charles Hurwitz (born 1940), businessman and financier
* David Van Os (born 1950), civil rights activist, labor lawyer, politician; attended Kilgore High School
See also
* List of museums in East Texas
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Gregg County, Texas
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Rusk County, Texas
* List of municipalities in Texas
Texas is a U.S. state, state located in the Southern United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, 29,145,505 (93.14%) of the 31,290,831 residents of Texas lived in a Municipal corporation, municipality in the 2024 estimate.
...
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Texas State Historical Association
Mount Tabor Community
Cities in Texas
Cities in Gregg County, Texas
Cities in Rusk County, Texas
Cities in the Ark-La-Tex
Longview metropolitan area, Texas
Populated places established in 1872
Mexican-American culture in Texas
Railway_towns_in_Texas
Constantine B. Kilgore