Liberty City
Kilgore, Gregg County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Historic rural community in oil-rich Gregg County. Settled before Civil War. Has also been known as Sabine, Mount Moriah, McCrary's Chapel, Goforth and Hog Eye (for an early settler with an "eye" for hogs). Present name adopted in early days of famous East Texas oil boom. Area served by Sabine School district, established 1893; an example of excellent schools in county. Also crossed by great system of improved, all weather county roads-- finest in state. Center of farming, livestock raising. Has fine churches, park and community meeting places.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This rural Gregg County community was settled before the Civil War and carried a string of colorful names — Sabine, Mount Moriah, McCrary's Chapel, Goforth, and Hog Eye, the last for a settler with a keen eye for hogs. It took the name Liberty City in the opening days of the fabled East Texas oil boom, which transformed the county's economy. The area built its reputation on good schools, farming, ranching, and an admired network of all-weather county roads.
Why it matters
Its layered history — frontier settlement, farm town, then oil-boom crossroads — mirrors the arc of East Texas, where the 1930s petroleum strike remade quiet agricultural communities almost overnight.
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Related events
- · East Texas oil boom
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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