Why Jefferson Stands Out as East Texas' Most Charming Small Town!

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey

This past weekend, Terri and I headed out to East Texas to spend the day in the historic town of Jefferson. Neither of us had ever visited this charming town before, but I had picked up a brochure about it during one of my stops at the Texas Welcome Center in Waskom, which is just west of Shreveport off Interstate 20. I have been interested in exploring East Texas for some time now, so I’ve been collecting brochures about the area for about a year. Before settling in Louisiana, Terri and I had seriously considered relocating to Tyler, but we opted to move closer to our family instead. Nevertheless, our fascination with this part of the country has never left us.

During our adventures in Texas, we discovered another charming destination—Lufkin—which we have visited a few times now. We were excited to check out Jefferson because, as a couple who adore antiques and love history, the town looked like it would be right up our alley. When we arrived and began walking around, it quickly became clear that Jefferson was as advertised; in fact, it was much more than we expected.

Our first stop was the Jefferson General Store, which has been serving the residents of Jefferson since the 1870s. What once was a hardware store and mercantile is now a place that has to be seen to be believed. The majority of the photos in this piece were taken there, which is a testament to just how visually appealing this place is. It’s a store with something for everyone, from souvenir magnets and T-shirts to locally made jams and jellies, toys, and even high-end clothing. This place has it all covered, and it’s easy to get lost in all the wonderful items. We should know; we spent about two hours there and ended up buying a ton of stuff for our family as well as ourselves.

After finally extracting ourselves from the Jefferson General Store, we began our quest to visit all the antique stores in the general vicinity. I say “quest” because there are so many of them that we only made it around one square block before deciding to visit the Jefferson Historical Museum. We did take a lunch break midday at Riverport Bar-B-Cue, and I will be posting a review of that shortly—spoiler alert: the food was amazing!

The museum was a real treat, filled with items from the town's fascinating and somewhat colorful past. Once again, this place was a visual delight, featuring period clothing, classic works of art, artifacts from the past, and even a large model train layout in a building out back that represents the good old days when the Texas & Pacific Railroad, which ran through Jefferson, was still in operation. It was fun to learn about the history of Jefferson and the surrounding area. Neither Terri nor I had any idea just how prosperous and important the town was in terms of commerce and industry in Texas. If you love history and can tear yourself away from antique shopping, you really need to take the time to explore this museum. Terri and I felt a bit rushed, so we plan to return to check out the Jefferson Historical Museum again.

As a train enthusiast, I also recommend visiting rail baron Jay Gould's private railcar, the Atalanta, located just down the block and across the street from the museum. Honestly, Terri and I loved Jefferson. We have added it to our list of must-visit places, and we’ll be back soon—maybe even in just a couple of weeks. Jefferson is a place that makes us feel happy; it truly feels like a location made just for us!

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