Kilgore, Texas
Encyclopedia
Kilgore is a city in Gregg
and Rusk
Counties in the eastern part
of the U.S. state
of Texas
. It is the home of Kilgore College
, and was also the childhood home (from age six) of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn
. The population was 12,975 at the 2010 census
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 15.4 square miles (40.0 km²), of which, 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.19%) is water.
of 2000, there were 11,301 people, 4,403 households, and 2,963 families residing in the city. The population density
was 734.3 people per square mile (283.5/km²). There were 4,766 housing units at an average density of 309.7 per square mile (119.6/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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.11% of the population.
There were 4,403 households out of which 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 non-families. 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 spread out with 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 $33,910, and the median income for a family was $40,737. Males had a median income of $31,575 versus $20,149 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,314. About 9.7% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
completed the initial phase of rail line between Palestine
and Longview
. The rail chose to bypass a small community approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Longview, New Danville, in lieu of a new townsite platted on 174 acre (0.70415364 km²) sold to the rail by Constantine Buckley Kilgore, the town's namesake. The new town received a post office in 1873 and soon began to draw residents and businesses away from New Danville. By 1885 the population had reached 250 and the community possessed two cotton gins, a church, and its own school. The Kilgore Independent School District was organized in 1910, and 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 had been 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
.
Kilgore's fortunes changed dramatically, however, 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 Oilfield
, and seemingly overnight Kilgore was transformed from a small farming town on the decline into a bustling boom town
. By 1936, the population had increased to over 12,000 and Kilgore's skyline was crowded with oil derricks. Oil production maintained 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. Law enforcement struggled to keep order amongst the shanties
, tents, and ramshackle honkytonks
that now crowded Kilgore's main streets. On one occasion, help had to be summoned from the Texas Rangers in order to keep the peace.
By the mid 1930's 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, though oil production remained central to the city's economy, and still does to this day. The population, which fluctuated wildly throughout the 1930s, stabilized at around 10,000 in the 1950s and a 2008 estimate placed it at just over 12,000 residents.
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
by Republican Kevin Eltife
, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives
by Republican David Simpson
, District 7.
and Kay Bailey Hutchison
; Kilgore is part of the Texas' US Congressional 1st District, which is currently represented by Republican Louie Gohmert
.
.
- Home of the Rangers and the World-Renowned Kilgore College Rangerettes
.
, 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.
. 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 for over twenty years.
In 2001 The Kilgore College Ranger Football team had a perfect season, winning the southwest junior college football conference and finishing #2 in the nation.
December 18, 2004: The Kilgore High School "Ragin' Red" Bulldog football team completes 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, TX. Nick Sanders blocked a potential go-ahead field goal attempt by Lincoln and picked it up himself and carried it down the field for the winning touchdown.
Gregg County, Texas
There were 42,687 households out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had...
and Rusk
Rusk County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
Counties in the eastern part
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is the home of Kilgore College
Kilgore College
Kilgore College is a community college located in Kilgore, Texas. It has an annual enrollment of more than 5000 students.The school was established in 1935 at the height of the East Texas oil boom...
, and was also the childhood home (from age six) of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn
Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War....
. The population was 12,975 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
Geography
Kilgore is located at 32°23′8"N 94°52′7"W (32.385534, -94.868502).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 15.4 square miles (40.0 km²), of which, 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.19%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,301 people, 4,403 households, and 2,963 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 734.3 people per square mile (283.5/km²). There were 4,766 housing units at an average density of 309.7 per square mile (119.6/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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.11% of the population.
There were 4,403 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 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 spread out with 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 $33,910, and the median income for a family was $40,737. Males had a median income of $31,575 versus $20,149 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,314. About 9.7% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
History
Kilgore was founded in 1872 when the International-Great Northern RailroadInternational-Great Northern Railroad
The International – Great Northern Railroad was a railroad that operated in the U.S. state of Texas. It was created on September 30, 1873, when International Railroad and Houston and Great Northern Railroad merged....
completed the initial phase of rail line between Palestine
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
and Longview
Longview, Texas
Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is...
. The rail chose to bypass a small community approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Longview, New Danville, in lieu of a new townsite platted on 174 acre (0.70415364 km²) sold to the rail by Constantine Buckley Kilgore, the town's namesake. The new town received a post office in 1873 and soon began to draw residents and businesses away from New Danville. By 1885 the population had reached 250 and the community possessed two cotton gins, a church, and its own school. The Kilgore Independent School District was organized in 1910, and 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 had been based), and the effects of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. 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
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
.
Kilgore's fortunes changed dramatically, however, on October 3, 1930 when wildcatter
Wildcatter
A wildcatter is an American term for a person who drills wildcat wells, which are oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. A wildcatter notable for his success was Texan oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy....
Columbus M. "Dad" Joiner
Columbus Marion Joiner
Columbus Marion Joiner was an American oilman. With A.D. Lloyd, a self-educated, self-proclaimed geologist, he discovered the largest oil field in the world up to that time, the East Texas oil field, in 1930 in Rusk County.-External links:*...
struck oil near the neighboring town of Henderson
Henderson, Texas
Henderson is a city in Rusk County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,273 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rusk County...
. This well, known as the Daisy Bradford #3, marked the discovery of the vast East Texas Oilfield
East Texas oil field
The East Texas Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in east Texas. Covering and parts of five counties, and having 30,340 historic and active oil wells, it is the largest oil field in the United States outside of Alaska, both in extent and in total volume of oil recovered since its discovery in...
, and seemingly overnight Kilgore was transformed from a small farming town on the decline into a bustling boom town
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
. By 1936, the population had increased to over 12,000 and Kilgore's skyline was crowded with oil derricks. Oil production maintained 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. Law enforcement struggled to keep order amongst the shanties
Shanty
Shanty may refer to:* Ice shanty, a portable shed placed on a frozen lake* Sea shanty, shipboard working songs* Shanty Hogan , Major League Baseball catcher* Shanty town, unit of irregular, low-cost dwellings...
, tents, and ramshackle honkytonks
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
that now crowded Kilgore's main streets. On one occasion, help had to be summoned from the Texas Rangers in order to keep the peace.
By the mid 1930's the oil boom
Oil boom
An oil boom is a boom in the oil producing sector of an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economical benefits, in term of increased GDP growth, but might later lead to a resource curse.-Consequences:...
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, though oil production remained central to the city's economy, and still does to this day. The population, which fluctuated wildly throughout the 1930s, stabilized at around 10,000 in the 1950s and a 2008 estimate placed it at just over 12,000 residents.
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. :The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
| Department | Director |
|---|---|
| City Manager | Jeffrey Howell |
| City Attorney | Robert G. Schleier |
| City Clerk | Karen Custer |
| Municipal Court Judge | Glenn D. Phillips |
| Assistant City Manger – Public Safety | Ronnie Moore |
| General Services Director | B. J. Owen |
| Water Utilities Superintendent | David Hackley |
| Assistant Finance Director | Lawanna Williams |
| Street Superintendent | Tim Hobbs |
| Library Director | Linda Johnson |
| Planning Director | Carol Windham |
State government
Kilgore is represented in the Texas SenateTexas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
by Republican Kevin Eltife
Kevin Eltife
Kevin Paul Eltife is a businessman from Tyler, Texas, who is a Republican member of the Texas Senate. He was sworn in on March 5, 2004, as a result of a special election, to represent District 1...
, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
by Republican David Simpson
David Simpson (Texas politician)
David Simpson is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 7th district. He defeated Tommy Merritt in the Republican primary with 52.88% of the vote, before being elected to the 82nd Texas Legislature in November 2010 with 91.28% of the vote.Simpson was born in...
, District 7.
Federal government
At the Federal level, the two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John CornynJohn Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
and Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
; Kilgore is part of the Texas' US Congressional 1st District, which is currently represented by Republican Louie Gohmert
Louie Gohmert
Louis Buller Gohmert, Jr. is an American politician and current Republican U.S. Representative from Texas's 1st congressional district.-Life and career:...
.
Public school districts
The City of Kilgore is served by the Kilgore Independent School DistrictKilgore Independent School District
Kilgore Independent School District is a public school district based in Kilgore, Texas .In addition to Kilgore, the district serves rural areas in southern Gregg and northern Rusk counties....
.
Colleges and universities
Kilgore CollegeKilgore College
Kilgore College is a community college located in Kilgore, Texas. It has an annual enrollment of more than 5000 students.The school was established in 1935 at the height of the East Texas oil boom...
- Home of the Rangers and the World-Renowned Kilgore College Rangerettes
Kilgore College Rangerettes
The Kilgore College Rangerettes are a precision drill team from Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas. The team was created by Gussie Nell Davis in 1939-1940 and made their debut on September 12, 1940....
.
Culture
Kilgore is home to the Texas Shakespeare FestivalTexas Shakespeare Festival
The Texas Shakespeare Festival is a professional summer theatre housed in the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Center on the campus of Kilgore College, Kilgore, Texas...
, 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.
Notable events
September 23, 1983: The Kentucky Fried Chicken murdersKentucky Fried Chicken murders
The Kentucky Fried Chicken murders were an armed robbery and mass murder which took place at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore, Texas in 1983...
. Five men and women were abducted from a Kentucky Fried Chicken
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
restaurant in Kilgore and found slain, execution-style in an oilfield outside of town. The crime went unsolved for over twenty years.
In 2001 The Kilgore College Ranger Football team had a perfect season, winning the southwest junior college football conference and finishing #2 in the nation.
December 18, 2004: The Kilgore High School "Ragin' Red" Bulldog football team completes 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, TX. Nick Sanders blocked a potential go-ahead field goal attempt by Lincoln and picked it up himself and carried it down the field for the winning touchdown.