Kilgore | Texas, United States - Britannica

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External Websites

• Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - Kilgore, Texas, United States

Kilgore Texas, United States Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Kilgore, city, on the Gregg-Rusk county line, northeastern Texas, U.S., about 50 miles (80 km) west of the border with Louisiana. The city is part of the Longview-Kilgore-Gladewater-Tyler oil complex in the middle of the East Texas oil field. In 1871 Judge C.B. Kilgore settled the site, which was then the terminus of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Lumber and cotton became the chief sources of income, but, after the discovery of the vast East Texas pool in 1930, Kilgore became an oil-producing and supply centre with more than 1,200 derricks within the city limits; some 50 derricks remain, mostly as a reminder of the city’s past. While a petroleum-based economy still prevails, some manufacturing (notably of plumbing fixtures and clothing) has also developed. Kilgore (junior) College (1935) is nationally known for its Rangerette precision drill and dance team, and the Rangerette Showcase Museum on campus relates the team’s history. The East Texas Oil Museum, also on campus, celebrates the city’s history. The college hosts the Texas Shakespeare Festival, established in 1986. Inc. 1931. Pop. (2000) 11,301; (2010) 12,975.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.