KILGORE, Texas — Crews in Kilgore spent Monday repainting the oil derricks ahead of the first Derrick Fest this weekend.
The Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation has started an initiative to repaint the derricks located in what's called the "World's Richest Acre." The nearly 40-year-old oil derricks were in need of maintenance after wear and tear from rust.
The foundation plans to repaint 10 of the 53 derricks and said the fresh paint should last another 20 years.
This Saturday, the city of Kilgore and the Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation are hosting Derrick Fest in hopes of honoring the derricks and to help raise money for the project.
The new festival will run from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday in downtown Kilgore with live music featuring local talent, games, food trucks, and vendors as a way to keep preserving Kilgore's signature derrick skyline and local history.
A maintenance crew started the project last week and are expected to take five to seven weeks to complete the paintings. The structures are nearly 50-feet tall and expected to cost roughly $100,000 to repaint the 10 derricks.
"I think it's one of those things where we as a community; we like to honor our heritage and our history," said Chip Hale, president of Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation. "I mean, the Allies flew to a victory on a sea of Texas oil and much of that oil came from the East Texas oil boom in Kilgore. So there's not just history and not just civic pride, but it's, it's basically our calling card these derricks are. And we're very proud of that."