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Wednesday, July 2, 2025
KILGORE, Texas – The Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation (KHPF) has launched an ambitious, seven-figure fundraising campaign to restore the historic Lou Della Crim House, a significant landmark intrinsically tied to the city’s oilfield heritage. The organization recently acquired the property with the goal of transforming it into a public museum, leveraging momentum from the successful opening of another Crim family home, the Dean Keener Crim House.
The Lou Della Crim House, built in 1920, stands at 201 N. Longview Street and holds a Texas Historical Commission marker. It occupies the former site of the Hearne Hotel. The restoration project is expected to be extensive, addressing years of neglect with overgrown grounds, rogue saplings, and wisteria. KHPF Board President Chip Hale emphasized the need for “aggressive fundraising” and public support to complete the renovation, which includes restoring the house itself and three towering derricks with pumpjacks on the property.
The Crim family played a pivotal role in Kilgore’s history, particularly during the East Texas oil boom. Lou Della (Thompson) Crim’s farm at Laird Hill was instrumental in the oil exploration efforts spearheaded by her son, Malcolm Crim. On December 28, 1930, the Bateman-Crim Wildcat Well No. 1, located on her property, blew in, becoming the discovery well for this significant portion of the East Texas oilfield. This event dramatically transformed Kilgore, leading to a population surge from 700 to 10,000 in just three days.
Malcolm Crim, Lou Della’s son, became Kilgore’s first mayor following the city’s incorporation in 1931. He was elected in an overwhelming 102-0 vote, reportedly taking the office not as a politician, but to protect the nascent oil boomtown from being “overrun with the wrong kind of people.” He famously called upon Texas Ranger Captain M.T. “Lone Wolf” Gonzaullas, housing him in his mother’s home, which overlooked the north side of the depot. The Lou Della Crim No. 1 well, named after his mother, initially produced 20,000 barrels per day and was eventually plugged in 1961.
While the Lou Della Crim House is a crucial piece of Kilgore’s oil history, it is not the city’s oldest dwelling. That distinction belongs to the Dean Keener Crim Home, located at 101 E. North Street. Constructed around 1876 by S.G. Dean, it is considered the oldest house still standing in Kilgore. This home was later acquired by L.J. and Allie Keener in 1881, and then by Wiley Newton Crim (Lou Della’s brother-in-law) in 1902. The Dean Keener Crim Home, also a project of the KHPF, recently hosted a free open house in May 2025, allowing the public to experience a significant piece of Kilgore’s early history and an example of a 19th-century East Texas family home.
The Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation plans to use the revitalized Lou Della Crim House to house another collection of Kilgore heritage, welcoming community input on its best use. Fundraising efforts are underway, with more information available at KilgoreHistory.org and on the @KilgoreHistory Facebook page. The long-term preservation of both Crim family homes underscores the community’s commitment to safeguarding its rich and unique history.
Kilgore historical foundation raising funds to restore Lou Della Crim House — KLTV, June 24, 2025
WebXtra: Dean Keener Crim Home hosting free open house in Kilgore — KLTV, May 15, 2025
Historical preservation foundation launches new revitalization project to save Kilgore landmark — Kilgore Current, June 24, 2025
Lou Della Crim Home 1981 — Gregg County Historical Commission, May 30, 2025
A Historical Perspective — Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation, Unknown
Lou Della Crim Home in Kilgore, Texas — StoppingPoints.com, Unknown
The Dean Keener Crim Home — Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation, Unknown
Lou Della Crim No. 1 — Rusk County, TXGenWeb, Unknown
