Kilgore, Texas. Boomtown, USA

Kilgore is a tiny town in east Texas that has a big history. I didn’t know that when I drove there yesterday to tell stories at the public library. In my three hour break between performances, I decided to explore “downtown” Kilgore. I was surprised at the treasures I found. At first, it didn’t look like much, and I couldn’t figure out why anybody thought that decorating with oil wells was “cute.”

Then, I discovered they weren’t decorations but re-creations! The center of Kilgore was once known as “The World’s Richest Acre.” In the 1940s, there were more than 1,100 oil derricks lining the streets of Kilgore, pumping oil for a nation hungry to get it. The oil fields eventually dried up, and many of the old wooden derricks disappeared, but the Kilgore Historical Preservation Society put up steel ones to keep history alive.

World's Richest Acre in Kilgore, Texas

There isn’t much going on downtown, though there are a few shops. I was fascinated by the two abandoned movie theaters, across the street from each other, at the end of town.

The Texan Theater in Kilgore

The Crim Theater in Kilgore

I asked a local woman (who was in her seventies) if Kilgore had once been so large that it could support two theaters. She sadly explained that The Crim was for white people, and The Texan allowed blacks to view movies — if they sat in the balconies. She said, “I sure am glad times have changed, aren’t you?” Yes, indeed.

At the recommendation of a resident, I had lunch at “Nanny Goat’s” downtown. Ordinarily, the name would have been enough to drive me to McDonald’s, but I’m delighted that I dined there. I enjoyed a “sandwich sampler,” and I’m here to tell you that those folks know how to cook. The pimiento cheese (with pecans and chili powder!) on marbled rye was delicious … as were the turkey blt and the chicken salad. While there, I spoke to a woman from a nearby town who drove from out in the country just to get to eat there! Obviously she liked it as much as I did.

Nanny Goat's Restaurant in Kilgore, Texas

I still had time to kill before my second performance (and I don’t hold to the notion that “if you must kill time, work it to death”), so I decided to go to the East Texas Oil Museum on the campus of Kilgore College. I’d heard that it had a delightful re-creation of life in east Texas in the early days.

It’s called “Boomtown, USA.” The figures are life sized, and it makes the museum visitor feel as if they stepped back in time! The “mud streets” teeming with cars, mule drawn carts, and life sized people was amazing.

Re-creation of oil field days

And, I thought that MY car was dirty.

Those mules look real to me!

This passed for Wal Mart in the old days.

I was snapping pictures alongside a teenage boy, who whispered, “Look! Those mannequins are breathing!” And, indeed, some of them were. Trust me on this one, this diorama is extremely well done!

Now, I probably wouldn’t consider Kilgore a “destination,” but if I were passing down Interstate 20, I’d definitely spend a few hours in the town. In fact, I’m thinking about making Mr. Tucker take me back for a visit. I didn’t get enough time to explore that Boomtown. Besides, there is a “haunted cemetery” not too far from there, and y’all know I want to see that.

If you are in my neck of the woods, be sure to stop in those little Texas towns. They might not look like much from the highway, but dig a little deeper. You will often find something about them that will amaze and delight you.

Related posts:

1. Tough Times in Tioga, Texas
2. Lampasas, Texas. The Name Stuck With Me.
3. The Knight Studio in Kilgore, Texas
4. Vertigo Hats Gave Me Balance
5. The Shell of A Roadside Attraction in Decatur

Tagged as: My Neck Of The Woods, Piney-Woods, restaurant, Texas Travel