ETX Blog

Shady Glade Resort
Uncertain of where you want to go this weekend for a family getaway? Why not follow your intuition and go to Uncertain, Texas. It is located in northeast Harrison County right next to Caddo Lake. The small township, with a population of 94, is where you go to get away and truly unwind and relax

Queen St. Grille
As temperatures warm and we crawl out of our isolation, it time to get out and explore our beautiful state. Spring is a magical time in East Texas and there is no better time for a road trip. Soon the azaleas, dogwoods and wildflowers will be in full bloom across our Texas Forest Trail region.

JT2 Restaurant
When trekking through Smith County and looking for something more than a chain restaurant, try JT2 Gourmet Burgers & Ranch Market in Lindale, Texas. It’s a local family owned restaurant that is the extension of the J&J Ranch. Owner Jayson Taylor controls the supply chain of beef, so you are getting true “Farm to Table”

Ginocchio Restaurant
On most day trips, restaurants are a waypoint or stopover, but some can be a destination. The Ginocchio Restaurant is definitely a destination. It is an opportunity to explore a unique dining experience that will satisfy all of the senses. The food will delight your palette, while the restored building will transport you back into

Fugler’s Grocery Market & Deli
Home Of The Bubba Burger When trekking across northeastern Harrison County, an ‘off the beaten path’ dining experience can be found at Fugler’s Grocery Market and Deli. Don’t let the outside appearance distract you. The full parking lot is an indication that something special awaits you inside. This is the place that locals and savvy

Texarkana: More Than Just A State Line
We have been wanting to visit Texarkana for a while now, if only because I thought our daughter would get a kick out of standing in Texas and Arkansas at the same time on State Line Avenue. Little did I know, Texarkana has so much more to offer than 11 miles of divided state lines.

Nacogdoches: Something For Everyone
It’s no secret I have an affinity for East Texas towns. It’s why I do what I do! While I can’t claim a favorite, Nacogdoches has definitely captured my heart in so many ways. Maybe it’s the quaint downtown or their well known love and support for local music. Maybe it’s the college student influence

Starr Family Home
We have visited the Starr Family Home multiple times over the holidays to partake in crafts and story-time. We were so impressed by the beautiful grounds, informative staff and the history behind one of Marshall’s most prominent families. Site Manager, Barbara Judkins, graciously spent time with us answering our questions and introducing us to the
The Great Runaway
I have deep roots in Texas, thanks to the five generations (on both sides of my family) that came before me. My earliest ancestors came from Kentucky to Texas by covered wagon in 1830. Composed of father, mother, an 11-year-old son, and three younger girls, they probably traveled with extended family, all looking forward to
My Great Grandfather
My great grandfather, Jefferson Yarbrough was shot and subsequently killed while defending a woman from her abusive husband in Jasper Tx, in 1918. But he didn’t go down without a fight. After being shot he pulled his Colt’s .45 and fired at his fleeing killer striking the fleeing man in the right elbow. The arm
Hello Electricity: Welcome To The Farm
Most people today would agree that I was raised in a large family. I came into this world in 1940,the seventh of ten children, and never heard my parents complain of having too many children. Having a large family could be beneficial in working a farm during the Great Depression that lasted at our farm

The Time J. Frank Dobie Came To Henderson
I have to say that I am exceedingly proud that on both my mother’s and father’s sides of the family—we are East Texas pioneers. My mother’s ancestors arrived in Henderson by way of Alabama from Virginia just before the Civil War, with their entire clan in tow. My father’s family showed up somewhat later than
Stories About My East Texas Family
Why didn’t I ask questions as I listened to the stories being told at our family reunions? Perhaps my great grandmother, Margaret Henrietta (Stanley) Welch, could have told me about the little town of Bugschuffle where she was from. Or do we know if all of great Uncle Kinchs’ moonshine that was buried out in

Fishing With A Trotline
One of the stories told at night to us kids by our dad Ernest OJ Vaughn while we were camping alone along the river. This is the story as told by him around the campfire. As a young boy I would sit out a small trotline at the mouth of a small creek along Arkansas

The Life & Times Of Thomas Earl Gentry
A Conroe Leader With A Servant’s Heart Story Submitted By Larry Foerster It was December 8, 1941. Conroe businessman and mayor, Thomas Earle Gentry, wept as he read the headlines of the Conroe Courier. He learned that the day before, the Japanese had bombed the American naval port at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was obvious

The Wind
There is an old dirt road hidden within the piney woods of East Texas…. It’s near the farmhouse I grew up in as a child… It’s lined with fallen brush and debris of those age old Texas pines… It was more than a trail, more than a road; it was a sanctuary, and all mine…