Kilgore in Gregg County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

"Oil City of the World" Kilgore

Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 31, 2019

1. "Oil City of the World" Kilgore Marker

Inscription.
Founded 1872 with coming of the I.G.N. Railroad. Named for site donor, a Confederate colonel, Constantine B. Kilgore, State Senator and U. S. Congressman.

Geographical center of huge East Texas oil field. World's greatest concentration of steel derricks. Petroleum production, service, supply, processing hub.

Commercial, industrial, farm, education and medical center.

Home of Kilgore College and its famous "Rangerettes", women's precision drill team; and of Van Cliburn, international concert pianist.

Erected 1965 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 9967.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1872.

Location. 32° 23.451′ N, 94° 51.908′ W. Marker is in Kilgore, Texas, in Gregg County. It is on North Kilgore Street near North Henderson Boulevard (Business U.S. 259), on the right when traveling east. Located in traffic triangle. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: North Kilgore Street, Kilgore TX 75662, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Kilgore High School (approx. half a mile away); Allis-Chalmers Pumps (approx.

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0.6 miles away); The New Deal Era in Kilgore (approx. 0.6 miles away); First Baptist Church of Kilgore (approx. 0.6 miles away); Site of Alexander Institute (approx. 0.6 miles away); St. Luke's United Methodist Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Kilgore I&GN-Missouri Pacific Railroad Station (approx. 0.7 miles away); Removal (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kilgore.

Also see . . . Texas State Historical Association on Kilgore, Texas history. (Submitted on September 5, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

"Oil City of the World" Kilgore Marker near oil derrick. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 31, 2019

2. "Oil City of the World" Kilgore Marker near oil derrick.

Wide view of markers and oil derrick looking northerly. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 31, 2019

3. Wide view of markers and oil derrick looking northerly.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 555 times since then and 37 times this year. Last updated on December 26, 2025, by Joe Lotz of Flower Mound, Texas. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 5, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.