Gladewater, Texas

While the nation suffered during the Great Depression, Gladewater became a thriving oil boomtown. Once called the “Hub of the East Texas Oil Field,” this Texas Main Street city is now known as the “Antique Capital of East Texas.” A replica of Old Snavely No. 1, the derrick for the discovery well that started the 1931 boom, stands in the middle of town. Fifteen miles west of Gladewater, Hawkins boasts Jarvis Christian College, a historically black institution initiated through the efforts of Mary Alphin, the African American leader of the Negro Disciples of Christ in Texas. Learn about the college’s founding through stained glass windows in the campus’ Christian Church. Events include the East Texas Gusher Days in April, the Gladewater Round Up in June, and the Gladewater Arts and Crafts Festival in September.