As you make your way north from Liberty City area, the road carries you into Gladewater, a town known for both oil and antiques. Welcome to Commerce and Main, the lively center of downtown Gladewater and proudly recognized as the Antique Capital of East Texas.
Gladewater’s story changed forever in 1931 with the discovery of oil. A replica of the Gladewater Discovery Well, stands tall in the center downtown. It symbolizes the wildcat well that produced more than 1,000 barrels an hour, an astonishing output for its time. That single well sparked a boom that drew roughnecks, investors, and dreamers from across the country, and the town’s population swelled almost overnight.
Today, the roar of the oil boom has quieted, replaced by the steady flow of antique hunters moving from shop to shop. Many storefronts along Commerce Avenue still display their early twentieth century facades, now filled with pieces of East Texas history. Whether you are searching for a Depression era oil lamp, a 1950s record, or a story from a shopkeeper who has seen it all, Gladewater offers a true treasure trove of nostalgia and a proud small town legacy.