Kilgore, Texas | |
---|---|
Motto: "The City of Stars" | |
Coordinates: 32°23′08″N94°52′07″W / 32.38556°N 94.86861°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Counties | Gregg, Rusk |
Government | |
• Type | Council-Manager |
• City Council | Mayor R.E. Spradlin III Merlyn Holmes Alan VanDoren Missy Merritt Victor A. Boyd [1] |
• City Manager | Josh Selleck [2] |
Area | |
• Total | 18.65 sq mi (48.29 km2) |
• Land | 18.61 sq mi (48.20 km2) |
• Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
Elevation | 351 ft (107 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 13,376 |
• Density | 798.02/sq mi (308.12/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP codes | 75662-3 |
Area code(s) | 903, 430 |
FIPS code | 48-39124 [5] |
GNIS feature ID | 2411541 [4] |
Website | cityofkilgore |
Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. 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 [6] and 13,376 at the 2020 census. [7]
From the age of six, Van Cliburn lived in Kilgore; he became an internationally known classical pianist. He is the namesake for Van Cliburn Auditorium on the Kilgore College campus.
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 these lands.
The new town received a post office in 1873 and, with a station and transportation for getting commodity crops to market, soon began to draw 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 fortunes changed dramatically on October 3, 1930, when wildcatter Columbus M. "Dad" Joiner struck oil near the neighboring town of Henderson. This 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. [8] [9] 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 had begun to subside, 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.
Kilgore is located in southern Gregg County at 32°23′8″N94°52′7″W / 32.38556°N 94.86861°W (32.385534, –94.868502), [10] 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. [6]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 248 | — | |
1940 | 6,708 | — | |
1950 | 9,638 | 43.7% | |
1960 | 10,092 | 4.7% | |
1970 | 9,495 | −5.9% | |
1980 | 11,331 | 19.3% | |
1990 | 11,066 | −2.3% | |
2000 | 11,301 | 2.1% | |
2010 | 12,975 | 14.8% | |
2020 | 13,376 | 3.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [11] |
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 [5] 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. [15]
Kilgore is the home of the Mount Tabor Indian Community, a cultural heritage organization and nonprofit organization. [16]
Kilgore is home to the Texas Shakespeare Festival, an annual summer repertory company. Founded in 1986, the Texas Shakespeare Festival presents four shows in rotating repertory every summer at the Van Cliburn Auditorium on the campus of Kilgore College.
Based on the style of Normandy cottages, construction of the Kilgore Public Library began in 1933 and was completed in 1939. The New Deal agencies, the Public Works Administration and Works Progress Administration of the President Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, participated in the construction.
Every November, Kilgore hosts the East Texas Pipe Organ Festival, which honors the work of pipe organ voicer Roy Perry (1906–1978). Perry, a longtime resident of Kilgore, worked for the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, and he oversaw the construction of highly regarded pipe organs at St. Mark's Cathedral (Shreveport, Louisiana) and Washington National Cathedral.
The Kilgore Film Festival began in 1998 under the sponsorship of KTPB, the former public radio station of Kilgore College. [17] Each year a festival is held in the Spring and Fall offering moviegoers a chance to see unique and award-winning selections. The festival is held at Kilgore's 4 Star Cinema.
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. [18]
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.
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.
The city is served by the Kilgore Independent School District. A small portion of the town is also served by the Sabine ISD.
Kilgore College is home to the Rangers and the Kilgore College Rangerettes.
The Kilgore News Herald is a twice-weekly newspaper published in the city. [19]
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 this crime. [20]
In 2001, the Kilgore College Ranger football team had a perfect season, winning the Southwest Junior College Football Conference. The 2001 squad finished #2 in the nation, losing the NJCAA national championship when the coaches poll gave the championship to Georgia Military College.
On December 18, 2004, the Kilgore High School "Ragin' Red" Bulldog football team completed a perfect season (16–0) after winning the Class 4A Division II state championship game, 33–27, in a double-overtime thriller against the Dallas Lincoln Tigers at Baylor University's Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco. Nick Sanders blocked a potential go-ahead field goal attempt by Lincoln and returned it for the winning touchdown. [21]
Smith County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 233,479. Its county seat is Tyler. Smith County is named for James Smith, a general during the Texas Revolution.
Rusk County is a county located in Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 52,214. Its county seat is Henderson. The county is named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, a secretary of war of the Republic of Texas.
Harrison County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 68,839. The county seat is Marshall. The county was created in 1839 and organized in 1842. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary.
Gregg County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 124,239. Its county seat is Longview. The county is named after John Gregg, a Confederate general killed in action during the American Civil War.
Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 50,412. The county seat is Rusk, which lies 130 miles southeast of Dallas and 160 miles north of Houston. The county was named for the Cherokee, who lived in the area before being expelled in 1839. Cherokee County comprises the Jacksonville micropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Tyler–Jacksonville combined statistical area.
Cuney is a town located in northwestern Cherokee County, Texas, United States. With a population of 116 at the 2020 U.S. census, Cuney was the only "wet" town in Cherokee County from the mid-1980s until 2009, when voters in Rusk came out in favor of beer/wine sales. After that result, voters in Jacksonville and Frankston have since voted in favor of beer/wine sales, and Rusk voters returned to the polls to vote in favor of liquor sales.
Rusk is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Texas, United States. At the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 5,285.
Marshall is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Harrison County and a cultural and educational center of the Ark-La-Tex region. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Marshall was 23,392. The population of the Greater Marshall area, comprising all of Harrison County, was 65,631 in 2010 and 66,726 in 2018.
Big Lake is a small rural city in and the county seat of Reagan County, Texas United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 2,936. It is the county seat of Reagan County.
Henderson is a city and the county seat of Rusk County, Texas, in Northeast Texas, United States. Its population was 13,271 at the 2020 census. Henderson is named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas.
New London is a city in Rusk County, Texas, United States. The population was 958 at the 2020 census.
East Mountain is a city in Upshur and Gregg counties, Texas, United States. The population was 899 at the 2020 census, an increase over the figure of 797 tabulated in 2010.
Troup is a city in Smith and Cherokee counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 2,006 at the 2020 census. Troup lies in two counties in East Texas.
Gladewater is a city in Gregg and Upshur counties in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 census population of 6,134.
Longview is a city in, and county seat of, Gregg County, Texas, United States. Longview is located in East Texas, where Interstate 20 and U.S. highways 80 and 259 converge just north of the Sabine River. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 81,638. Longview is the principal city of the Longview metropolitan statistical area, comprising Gregg, Upshur, and Rusk counties. The population of the metropolitan area as of 2021 census estimates was 287,858.
Overton is a city in Rusk and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Overton lies in two counties as well as two metropolitan areas. The Rusk County portion of the city is part of the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Smith County portion is part of the Tyler Metropolitan Statistical Area.
East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region consists of the Piney Woods ecoregion. East Texas can sometimes be defined only as the Piney Woods. At the fringes, towards Central Texas, the forests expand outward toward sparser trees and eventually into open plains.
Northeast Texas is a cultural and geographic region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Texas. Geographically centered on two metropolitan areas strung along Interstate 20—Tyler in the west and Longview/Marshall to the east, the areas of Greenville, Mount Pleasant, Sulphur Springs, Paris, and Texarkana in the north primarily along Interstate 30, and Jacksonville and Palestine to the south are also major cities within the region. Most of Northeast Texas is included in the interstate region of the Ark-La-Tex.
The Longview–Marshall Combined Statistical Area covered four counties in Northeast Texas. The statistical area consists of the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Marshall Micropolitan Statistical Area. Prior to 2003, the area was known as the Longview–Marshall Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consisted of Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, and Upshur counties. As of the 2000 census, the CSA had a population of 256,152. In 2023, the Marshall micropolitan area was removed, and Harrison County was combined into the Longview metropolitan area.
The Longview metropolitan statistical area is a metropolitan area in Northeast Texas that covers four counties—Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, and Upshur. As of the 2010 census the MSA had a population of 280,000. Before 2023, it was also part of the larger Longview–Marshall combined statistical area. In 2023, the Marshall micropolitan area was disestablished and its sole county, Harrison County, was made part of the Longview metropolitan area.