Kilgore, Texas

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Kilgore (Template:IPAc-en) is a city in the Gregg and Rusk counties in Texas, United States.<ref name=gnis/> As of the 2020 census, its population was 13,376.<ref name="Census-2020-QF">Template:Cite web</ref> It is located where Interstate 20 and US 259 converge south of the Sabine River.

History

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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 Template:Convert southeast of Longview, in lieu of a new townsite platted on Template:Convert 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=oo>Template:Cite book</ref> 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 nicknamed the City of Stars.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Kilgore is located in southern Gregg County and extends south into Rusk County,<ref name=gnis/> where over three-fourths of the city are located in Gregg County, the remainder in Rusk County. U.S. Route 259 passes through the east side of the city as a limited-access bypass, leading northeast Template:Convert to Longview and south Template:Convert to Henderson. Kilgore's city limits extend Template:Convert north from the city center as far as Interstate 20, with access from Exits 583, 587, and 589. I-20 leads east Template:Convert to Shreveport, Louisiana and west Template:Convert to Dallas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Kilgore has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert, or 0.22%, are covered by water.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>Template:Clear left

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. Template:US Census population

Kilgore racial composition as of 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
(NH = Non-Hispanic)Template:Efn
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 census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 11,301 people, 4,403 households, and 2,963 families resided in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. The 4,766 housing units averaged Template:Convert. 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Economy

In 2023, Kilgore had 309 locally owned businesses, and attracted $117 million of new industrial investment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Arts and culture

Performing arts

A Kilgore College Rangerette. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith.

The Kilgore College Rangerettes, the world's first precision dance drill team, were founded in Kilgore in 1940 by Gussie Nell Davis. The Rangerettes provide college football halftime entertainment,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and appear annually in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.<ref name="macys">Template:Cite web</ref>

Museums and historical institutions

Kilgore Public Library, built during the New Deal era.

Festivals and events

Festivals and events include:

  • Kilgore Oktoberfest, which blends German and Texan traditions, and features beer gardens, music, and dancing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • The Reel East Texas Film Festival, which features independent films.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • The Texas Shakespeare Festival, a professional summer repertory theatre company founded in 1986, which performs in the Van Cliburn Auditorium at Kilgore College.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • The East Texas Pipe Organ Festival, which celebrates Kilgore organ builder Roy Perry, and features concerts and tours of organs in the region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Indigenous community

Mount Tabor Indian Community is a state-recognized cultural heritage organization representing descendants of Cherokee and other southeastern tribes. The community is a non-profit organization focused on preserving its cultural history.<ref name="501c3lookup">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Driller Park was the homefield for the Kilgore Drillers,<ref name="Visit Driller Park">Template:Cite web</ref>

Baseball teams

Park and recreation

The Kilgore Trails System is Template:Convert and was designed for walkers, runners, and cyclists. The trail system has access points throughout the city, and passes through wooded areas.<ref name="trail1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Government

Local government

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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.<ref name="City of Kilgore 2009 CAFR">City of Kilgore 2009 CAFR Template:Webarchive retrieved 2010-11-11</ref>

State government

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

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

Public schools

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).<ref>Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.194. Sec. 130.184. KILGORE JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.</ref>

Media

Newspapers

The Kilgore News Herald is a twice-weekly newspaper published in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Radio

Frequency (MHz) Call letters Licensed location Type Format
88.7 KZLO Kilgore Broadcast station KZLO Contemporary Christian
96.1 KKTX-FM Kilgore Broadcast station KKTX Classic Rock
105.3 K287AJ Kilgore Translator of KDOK Classic Hits

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways

Airports

Rail

A proposal is in the works for a over 200 mph high-speed rail system from Dallas/Fort Worth to Atlanta, Georgia along the I-20 corridor, currently named the I-20X, that will pass directly through Kilgore, bringing passenger rail service to that corridor for the first time since the Texas and Pacific's unnamed successor to the Louisiana Eagle in the late 1960s.<ref>Streamliner Schedules, Louisiana Eagle, 1952 http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track9/louisianaeagle195208.html</ref><ref>Texas & Pacific September 1960 timetable http://streamlinermemories.info/South/T&P60TT.pdf</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Public transportation

GoBus is a regional transit system serving Kilgore and nearby cities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="trail1"/>

Healthcare

A significant part of Kilgore’s modern healthcare landscape stems from the legacy of longtime mayor Roy H. Laird.

Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital and Health Science Center

In 1950, Kilgore’s first full‑service community hospital was renamed the Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital in honor of the city’s long‑time mayor; For more than four decades, the hospital provided acute-care beds and outpatient services for Kilgore and the surrounding area, with a particular focus on serving indigent patients.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Following Laird’s death, the Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital Trust was established in 1957 to oversee charitable healthcare outreach to indigent patients in Gregg County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1994, the Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital Foundation, Inc. was chartered to secure philanthropic support for local medical programs and capital improvements.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On July 11, 2024, a new, 74,800 sq ft Roy H. Laird Health Science Center & Torrence Health Science Education Center officially opened on the former hospital site. This joint project of CHRISTUS Good Shepherd, Kilgore College, the City of Kilgore, and the Laird Foundation houses Kilgore College’s nursing, physical‑therapy‑assistant, and radiologic‑technology programs alongside modern clinical training labs, marking a major expansion of hands‑on healthcare education in East Texas. Providing advanced medical spaces to train the region’s healthcare workforce<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

At the 2025 State of the Community address, Mayor Ronnie Spradlin highlighted the project as a major achievement, continuing the lasting legacy of Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

UT Health East Texas

UT Health East Texas, a clinical extension of The University of Texas System and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, anchors the Kilgore region’s access to UT‑affiliated medical access. As part of one of Texas’s academic health networks, the Kilgore urgent care clinic serves as a critical point for acute evaluation, diagnostics, and seamless referral into the broader UT Health East Texas specialty and inpatient services.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Notable people

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Sports

Arts

More

Sister cities

See also

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Notes

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References

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