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Kilgore, Texas

Coordinates: 32°23′08″N 94°52′07″W / 32.38556°N 94.86861°W / 32.38556; -94.86861
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Kilgore, Texas
City
Worlds richest Arce
World's Richest Acre Park in downtown Kilgore, where the greatest concentration of oil wells in the world once stood
Old Main
Old Main at Kilgore College
St. Lukes United Methodist Church in downtown Kilgore
Official seal of Kilgore, Texas
Seal
Official logo of Kilgore, Texas
Wordmark
Map
Interactive map of Kilgore
Map of the U.S.
Map of the U.S.
Kilgore, Texas
Location of Kilgore in the contiguous United States
Map of the U.S.
Map of the U.S.
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore, Texas (the United States)
Coordinates: 32°23′08″N 94°52′07″W / 32.38556°N 94.86861°W / 32.38556; -94.86861
CountryUnited States United States
StateTexas Texas
CountiesGregg, Rusk
Established1872
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • City CouncilMayor R.E. Spradlin III
Merlyn Holmes
Alan VanDoren
Missy Merritt
Victor A. Boyd[1]
 • City ManagerJosh Selleck[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total18.65 sq mi (48.29 km2)
 • Land18.61 sq mi (48.20 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2)
Elevation
[4]
351 ft (107 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total13,376
 • Density798.02/sq mi (308.12/km2)
GDP (of MSA)
[5]
 • Metro$20.259 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
75662-3
Area code(s)903, 430
FIPS code48-39124[6]
GNIS feature ID2411541[4]
Websitecityofkilgore.com

Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk counties in Texas, 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[7] and 13,376 at the 2020 census.[8]

Kilgore was initially developed as a product of the construction of major railroad lines through the area allowing access to transport cotton, cattle, and later oil in North and East Texas.

History

[edit]
Main article: History of Kilgore, Texas

Kilgore was founded in 1872 when the International–Great Northern Railroad completed the initial phase of rail line between Palestine and Longview. The rail company chose to bypass New Danville, a small community about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Longview, in lieu of a new townsite platted on 174 acres (0.70 km2) 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. [9]

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 gins, 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. 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. Many Blacks joined the Great Migration out of the South to northern, midwestern, and western cities for work.

Kilgore’s Downtown in 1930
1940 map of Kilgore

Kilgore's fortunes changed dramatically on October 3, 1930, when wildcatter 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. The Daisy Bradford #3 was subsequently followed by the Lou Della Crim No. 1 and many others.[10][11] 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 roustabouts, 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.[12]

On September 23, 1983, five men and women were abducted from a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore and found slain, execution-style, in an oilfield outside of town. The crime went unsolved until November 2005, when two men, already in prison for other crimes, were charged, tried, and convicted for the crime.

Geography

[edit]

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 11 miles (18 km) to Longview and south 17 miles (27 km) to Henderson. Kilgore's city limits extend 3 miles (5 km) north from the city center as far as Interstate 20, with access from Exits 583, 587, and 589. I-20 leads east 69 miles (111 km) to Shreveport, Louisiana and west 119 miles (192 km) to Dallas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Kilgore has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.7 km2), of which 15.7 square miles (40.6 km2) are land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.22%, are covered by water.[7]

Kilgore is located in the Piney Woods region south of the Sabine River.

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880248—
19406,708—
19509,63843.7%
196010,0924.7%
19709,495−5.9%
198011,33119.3%
199011,066−2.3%
200011,3012.1%
201012,97514.8%
202013,3763.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
Kilgore racial composition as of 2020[14]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 7,762 58.03%
Black or African American (NH) 1,857 13.88%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 34 0.25%
Asian (NH) 111 0.83%
Pacific Islander (NH) 5 0.04%
Some Other Race (NH) 32 0.24%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 577 4.31%
Hispanic or Latino 2,998 22.41%
Total 13,376

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[6] of 2000, 11,301 people, 4,403 households, and 2,963 families resided in the city. The population density was 734.3 inhabitants per square mile (283.5/km2). The 4,766 housing units averaged 309.7 units per square mile (119.6 units/km2). 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 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 for the city was $21,297. About 9.7% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.[17]

Economy

[edit]

In 2023, Kilgore had 309 locally owned businesses, and attracted $117 million of new industrial investment.[18]

Orgill, a hardware distributor, has a distribution center in the city.

Arts and culture

[edit]
A Kilgore College Rangerette, May 2024
Kilgore Public Library
Rangerette Showcase Museum and Joe H. Turner Physical Education Complex
The East Texas Oil Museum is located on the campus of Kilgore College.

Kilgore is the home of the Mount Tabor Indian Community, a cultural heritage organization and nonprofit organization.[19] The Reel East Texas Film Festival is an annual film festival.[20] 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.[21][22]

The Texas Shakespeare Festival is an annual summer repertory company. Founded in 1986, it performs at the Van Cliburn Auditorium.[citation needed] Kilgore Public Library was completed in 1939.[citation needed]

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.[23] The annual Kilgore Film Festival started in 1998.[24] The East Texas Oil Museum depicts events of the early 1930s oil boom.[citation needed] The Rangerette Showcase and Museum is located at Kilgore College.[citation needed]

Sports

[edit]
Driller Park

R.E. Saint John Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Kilgore, Texas, primarily serving Kilgore College and Kilgore Independent School District for football games and other events.

The Kilgore Drillers were a minor league baseball team which played from 1947 to 1950 in the East Texas League and the Lone Star League. The team played home games at Driller Park, a venue originally built for them.[25] Professional baseball teams included the Kilgore Gushers, Kilgore Rangers, and Kilgore Braves.[25]

Park and recreation

[edit]

The Kilgore Trails System is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) and was designed for walkers, runners, and cyclists. The trail system has access points throughout the city, and passes through wooded areas.[26]

Government

[edit]
Kilgore City Hall

State government

[edit]

Kilgore is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bryan Hughes, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican David Simpson, District 7 and Travis Clardy, District 11.

Federal government

[edit]

At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Kilgore is part of Texas's 1st congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican Nathaniel Moran.

Education

[edit]

Public schools

[edit]

The city is served by the Kilgore Independent School District. A small portion of the town is also served by the Sabine ISD.

Higher Education

[edit]

Kilgore College is home to the Rangers and the Kilgore College Rangerettes.

Media

[edit]

Newspapers

[edit]

The Kilgore News Herald is a twice-weekly newspaper published in the city.[27]

Radio

[edit]
Frequency (MHz) Call letters Licensed location Type Format
88.7 KZLO Kilgore Translator of contemporary
96.1 KKTX-FM Kilgore Translator of Classic Rock
105.3 K287AJ Kilgore Translator of Classic Hits

Infrastructure

[edit]

Transportation

[edit]

Major highways

[edit]

Airports

[edit]

Nearby airports include East Texas Regional Airport (public) and Kilgore Airport (private)[28]

Public transportation

[edit]

GoBus is a regional transit system serving Kilgore and nearby cities.[29]

Healthcare

[edit]

Allegiance Specialty Hospital of Kilgore is a 60-bed hospital in Kilgore.[30]

Notable people

[edit]
Main category: People from Kilgore, Texas

Sports

[edit]

Music/Acting/Dance/Arts

[edit]

More

[edit]
[edit]

Sister cities

[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Texas

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[15][16]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "City Council | Kilgore, TX". cityofkilgore.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "City Manager | Kilgore, TX". cityofkilgore.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Kilgore, Texas
  5. ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Longview, TX (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  6. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Kilgore city, Texas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 23, 2017.[dead link]
  8. ^ "Kilgore, Texas Population 2021 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)".
  9. ^ "Kilgore College". December 12, 2022.
  10. ^ East-Texas.com. "Joinerville in East Texas". www.east-texas.com.
  11. ^ Olien, Diana; Olien, Roger (2002). Oil in Texas, The Gusher Age, 1895-1945. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 170–171. ISBN 0292760566.
  12. ^ Bowman, Bob (December 19, 2005). "Kilgore". texasescapes.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  13. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  14. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  15. ^ https://www.census.gov/ [not specific enough to verify]
  16. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  17. ^ "American Community Survey results for Kilgore, TX 2007-2011". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  18. ^ https://www.cityofkilgore.com/
  19. ^ Brewer, Graham Lee; Ahtone, Tristan (December 27, 2021). "In Texas, a group claiming to be Cherokee faces questions about authenticity". NBC News. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  20. ^ "Reel East Texas". Reel East Texas. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  21. ^ Bass, Gary (November 22, 2018). "Kilgore College Rangerettes performing in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". KTRE. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  22. ^ Mary Ellen Hanson (1995). Go! fight! win!: cheerleading in American culture. Popular Press. ISBN 978-0-87972-680-5.
  23. ^ http://www.easttexaspipeorganfestival.com/
  24. ^ "Kilgore Film Festival celebrates ten years of unique movies". Kilgore News Herald. September 21, 2008. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011.
  25. ^ a b BR Minor page
  26. ^ "Trails – Visit Kilgore Texas".
  27. ^ "Kilgore News Herald". Kilgore News Herald. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  28. ^ "Kilgore Airport". Airnav.com. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  29. ^ "Transportation Services". East Texas Council of Governments. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  30. ^ "Allegiance Specialty Hospital of Kilgore". American Hospital Directory. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  31. ^ Meyers, Bill. "Money: the Charles Hurwitz story". Coast Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  32. ^ Harrris, David (1996). The Last Stand: The War Between Wall Street and Main Street over California's Ancient Redwoods. Sierra Club Books. p. 27. ISBN 9780871569448.
  33. ^ ""East Texas Red" ~ Woody Guthrie". www.woodyguthrie.org. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  34. ^ "Denton visits Kilgore's sister city in the Ukraine". Kilgore News Herald. August 8, 2009. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
[edit]
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