ETX HERITAGE CO. PRESENTS

ETX Stories

The people, places, traditions and hometown stories that make East Texas feel like home.

East Texas Roots. Everyday Stories.

Courthouse square in Marshall, Texas on a Saturday afternoon, photographed by Russell Lee in 1939. MARSHALL
FEATURED STORY · MARSHALL

Where the Rhythm Met the Rails: The East Texas Story of Marshall

Railroads, boogie-woogie, Wiley's Great Debaters, civil rights and the courthouse traditions that shaped Marshall, Texas.

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FROM AROUND EAST TEXAS

Latest Stories

A forest of oil derricks in Kilgore, Texas, photographed by Russell Lee in 1939. KILGORE
KILGORE

The World's Richest Acre: The Oil Boom Story Behind Kilgore, Texas

How a struggling East Texas railroad town became the center of an oil rush—and built a skyline of derricks that...

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Illustrative golden-hour Longview railroad scene with hot air balloons for ETX Stories LONGVIEW
LONGVIEW

Where East Texas Connected: The Railroad Story Behind Longview, Texas

From the railroad that created the town to the Great Texas Balloon Race that fills its skies today, discover the...

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Illustrative golden-hour Tyler skyline framed by roses for an ETX Stories feature TYLER
TYLER

Why Tyler Is Called the Rose City: The East Texas Story Behind the Name

From peach orchards to a nationally known rose industry, discover the East Texas history behind Tyler’s Rose City identity.

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THE PLACES BEHIND THE STORIES

Across East Texas

From the Rose City to oil-boom towns, railroad crossroads and Piney Woods communities, ETX Stories follows the character of the region one hometown at a time.

TYLER KILGORE LONGVIEW MARSHALL + MORE TO COME