This is How 15 of Our East Texas Towns Got Their Names

Knowing and understanding the history of a Texas town is very important and is also fascinating. Knowing the history of the town you're living in will go a long way toward understanding why the town is the way it is. For us in East Texas, most of our towns are close to, or over, 150 years old. It's good to know the history of your hometown. That's why I'm taking a look at 15 of our East Texas towns, give a brief description of them and tell you how that town got its name.

Tyler's Place in History

Tyler has an interesting claim to fame, it is the home of the very first Adopt A Highway in the world. It is a two mile stretch of Highway 69 just north of Loop 323 and is marked with that designation.

Michael Gibson / Townsquare Media

It came about in 1984 when James Evans, who was an engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, was behind a truck in Tyler and trash was getting blown out of the truck bed. Evans was thinking about the tax payer cost of keeping the highways clean. To subvert this, he decided to go to some local volunteer groups and asked if they would be willing to pick up trash along various highways.

It wasn't until Billy Black, the Public Information Officer for the Tyler District of TxDOT, took up the cause and got the Adopt A Highway program off the ground. Black set up training for those who wanted to volunteer and provided equipment for them to use.

A World Record in East Texas

Yes, a unique world record still finds it's home in East Texas, Paris to be exact. Adam Sandoval had made three failed attempts at this world record (UPI) between 2010 and the event held on Saturday, October 5, 2019. In total, 3,497 (rideapart.com) bikers from all over the country, and Canada, gathered at Cox Field airport in Paris. The parade of bikes was three miles long. This parade was also for a good cause as $50,000 was raised for Motorcycle Missions which helps military veterans and first responders who suffer from PTSD.

These are just a couple examples of the cool stuff that has happened in East Texas. Below, I've given a brief description of when 15 East Texas towns got their start and how the town got its name. I know 15 East Texas towns doesn't come anywhere close to covering everybody. So, if you would like to look up the history of your town, you can click this link then just type in your town's name in the search bar for a full rundown of it's history.