Atlas spotlights Kilgore’s ‘peaceful’ reputation

It's a bit of mystery how WorldAtlas.com learned Kilgore's one of the most peaceful towns in Texas, but the announcement comes as no surprise to Kilgore Mayor Ronnie Spradlin.

According to the lauded cartographers, "Some of the quietest corners of Texas are found in its small towns, well away from the crowds and chaos of the big cities." World Atlas ranks Kilgore alongside other peaceful communities like Balmorhea, Crockett, Dublin, Fort Davis, Glen Rose, Granbury, Matagorda, Monahans and Palestine.

Maybe someone was bragging on the "City of Stars" to a travel writer. Maybe the publishers heard about the community's annual Derrick Lighting Ceremony. Or was it...

"No idea," Spradlin says, but 'peaceful' is a designation the longtime mayor appreciates: "I think we have a very peaceful town, from law enforcement to people's attitudes, it's a very peaceful place to live."

Spradlin was one of a trio of civic leaders who spearheaded the effort to establish Kilgore Economic Development Corporation more than 36 years ago, and he's a dedicated cheerleader for the EDC, its businesses, stakeholders and the community at-large.

"I think part of the peace is that people here get along real well," he said. "We don't have any lack of peace among different races, we don't have any lack of peace among different religions, we don't have a lack of peace among people of different politics."

He's glad people outside the town know Kilgore's reputation: "Wow."

WorldAtlas.com spotlighted Kilgore's derricks, its 'City of Stars' moniker and some of its key destinations in this week's announcement:

Each Christmas season, Kilgore lights the oil derricks downtown during A Very Derrick Christmas, a festival with live entertainment and activities for children, and the electric stars that top the derricks have earned the town the nickname "city of stars." The derricks stand in World's Richest Acre Park, which preserves an original derrick among dozens of replicas on the 1.2-acre block where 24 oil wells once pumped at once.
The East Texas Oil Museum at Kilgore College tells the story of the 1930s oil boom through animatronic characters, period scenes, and vintage cars. For an afternoon outdoors, the paved Creekside Trail winds through wooded greenspaces for walkers, runners, and bicyclists. (Read more here…)

For Kilgore EDC Marketing & Development Director Katherine Kirkpatrick, it's another feather in Kilgore's cap to be thankful for this season.

It's also the kind of good news that helps prospective employers discover Kilgore as a place to put down roots, and it's a boon to the businesses and workers already engaged here.
"Companies care about their employees," she said, "and a safe, family-oriented community like Kilgore creates a great environment where people want to live."