The Kilgore I&GN-Missouri Pacific Railroad Station
Kilgore, Gregg County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The town of Kilgore was platted by the International Railroad Company after it purchased land for a townsite from C. B. "Buck" Kilgore, who had donated a 200-foot railroad right-of-way in 1871. Kilgore, a resident of Danville (4 mi. E), recognizing the economic opportunities afforded by the railroad, soon built a new home near the station. Many other Danville citizens followed Kilgore's lead, and a community was established and named for him. This railroad station was completed in 1872 to provide passenger and freight service and to serve as a communications center for this agricultural and lumbering area. In 1931 oil was discovered in what became known as the East Texas Oil field, and the volume of shipments from the Kilgore station increased dramatically. Later, World War II provided the depot with a steady stream of troop trains. The rail line became known as the Missouri Pacific in 1956. As automobile, bus, and air travel became more popular, rail traffic decreased, and in 1977 the Kilgore station was closed. The depot stands today as a reminder of the significant role rail transportation played in the growth and development of Kilgore and East Texas.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The town of Kilgore owes its existence to the railroad, which platted a townsite in the early 1870s on land tied to C. B. "Buck" Kilgore, who had donated a right-of-way and lent the community his name. This depot, completed in 1872, handled passengers and freight and served the surrounding farming and lumber country. When oil was struck nearby in the early 1930s, the station's shipments surged, and it later saw troop trains roll through before rail traffic faded and the depot closed in 1977.
Why it matters
The rise and quiet decline of this depot mirrors the whole arc of American rail towns, which the railroad first conjured into being and then, a century later, largely left behind.
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Related people
- · C. B. "Buck" Kilgore
Related events
- · Discovery of the East Texas Oil Field
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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