Gregg County History and Information

The County Clerk's Office is the record keeper of the county. The county records include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, brand registrations, DD214s (military discharges), land / real estate / property records, probate and civil filings.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, Texas Deaths, 1964-98, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 & 1966-2002, and Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does cover Texas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Gregg County, Texas Court Books at Amazon.com
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers the State of Texas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

Gregg County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Texas

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756; (888) 963-7111 or (512) 458-7111; Fax: (512) 458-7711. Please allow up to approximately 6-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail, or 2-5 Days when you order through VitalChek Express Certificate Services. The Vital Records Department has the following records:

• Birth Certificates: Birth records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For births that occurred within the past 75 years, copies can be requested only by the immediate family of the person whose name is on the birth certificate. Cost: The cost of a birth record is $22.00. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Death Certificates: Death records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For deaths that occurred in the past 25 years, copies can be requested only by immediate family members of the deceased. Cost: The cost of a certified death certificate is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy issued at the same time for the same certificate. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $20.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage Verifications from Jan 1966 and Divorce Verifications from Jan 1968. Certified copies of marriage licenses or divorce decrees are only available from the county clerk (marriage) or district clerk (divorce) in the county or district in which the event occurred. Marriage verification or divorce verification letters can now be ordered Online. Cost is $20 - Fee is for verification only.

ORDERING

• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
• Order In Person: The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office.   If you want the copy the same day, our hours for same day service are 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Monday – Friday. The Texas Vital Statistics Office in Austin is located at 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756.
• Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Texas Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: Texas Vital Records, Department of State Health Services, PO Box 12040. Print Aplication for Birth Certificates, Death Certificates and Marriage & Divorce Certificates.

There are a few online marriage databases which include: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, Texas Deaths, 1964-98, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 & 1966-2002, and Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002. Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Texas newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-10, 1926-29 - Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek. If you're unsure of the year or location, use the search box under the browse menu. These records can be searched by father's first and last names, mother's first and maiden names, year, county, and city. The certificates include the child and parents' full names, residence, occupations, age, time and date of the birth, and the name of the physician attending the birth.
• Texas Death Certificates, 1890-1976 - These records are searchable by first and last name of the deceased, year, county, and city. A certificate may include the decedent's date, place, and cause of death; age; date of birth; last residence; and marital status. If known, it will also include occupation, birth place, parents' names, and place of burial. Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek. If unsure of the year or location, use the search box under the browse menu.
• Gregg County, Texas Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

Gregg County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Texas

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Gregg County, Texas are 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.

The Texas State Library holds microfilm editions for all of Texas' federal censuses. Although the 1850, 1860, and part of the 1870 mortality schedules have been published, all the original mortality schedules are at the Texas State Library and on microfilm The 1830 territorial census of Miller County, Arkansas, enumerates an area that is in today's Texas boundaries. The remaining 1890 population schedules which exist for Texas include: Ellis County (Justice Precinct 6, Mountain Peak, and Ovilla Precinct); Hood County (Precinct 5); Rusk County (No. 6 and Justice Precinct No. 7); Trinity County (town of Trinity and Justice Precinct 2); and Kaufman County (Kaufman). Although Greer County in present-day Oklahoma functioned as part of Texas between 1886 and 1896, the 1890 census for this county was enumerated under Oklahoma Territory.

Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Gregg County, Texas are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Gregg County, Texas Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

Gregg County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Arkansas and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Texas showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Texas showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Maps. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Texas General Land Office Map Collection
• Gregg County, Texas Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Gregg County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Texas

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Texas Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Texas Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Texas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Texas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Texas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Texas units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Texas (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Gregg County, Texas Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

Gregg County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Texas tax records constitute one of the most complete sets of available records generated at the county level (by the Commissioners Court) because these documents are maintained by the state. These lists may only include approximately sixty percent of eligible males over the age of twenty-one. Persons exempted from taxes included native Americans, "idiots," "incompetents," and those exempted because of age. This final category of exemptions varied over time. Years without an older age exemption were 1840 and 1862-70. Between 1841-44 exemptions began at forty-five years; in 1845 and from 1850-61 the upward age was set at fifty years. In 1837, 1848, and 1849 the limit was established as fifty-five, and in 1846-7, and 1871 the upward limit was set at sixty years.

Texas Ad Valorem (poll, personal, and real property) tax records for 1836 through 1976 are available in microfilm at the Texas State Library from the date of respective county organization; these are arranged by county and date and are somewhat alphabetized within each division. Microfilm copies are housed in the Genealogy Section. Tax lists for the various counties from creation to 1901 may be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Tax records through 1901-1947 are readily accessible, but not on interlibrary loan. Those for 1948 through 1976 can be obtained upon request. 

Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Gregg County, Texas Tax Books at Amazon.com

Gregg County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Texas Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• East Texas Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 6967, Tyler 75711
  [Counties Covered: Anderson, Henderson, Smith, Rusk, Gregg, Panola]
• Gregg County Hist. & Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 2985, Longview 75606-2985
  Meets 1st Tue. of the month at 7 p.m. in the Cecile Moeschle Room of Longview Public Library
  Newsletter published monthly
• Public Library, Longview, TX 75601
  
• Longview Public Library, 222 West Cotton St., Longview, TX 75601
• Texas State Library and Archives Commission, P.O. Box 12927, Austin, TX 78711-2927
  Holdings under the auspices of the Texas State Library are divided. Most important for genealogical research are the Texas State Archives with its Local Records Department, the Records Management Division, and the Information Services Division, which includes a Genealogy Section and a Reference Department.
  The Genealogy Section maintains vertical ties that contain notes, clippings, pamphlets, and correspondence on Texas families. These files may be accessed in person, by phone (512-463-5463, forty-five minute limit), or through correspondence.
• Texas Genealogical Society, 2505 Beluche Drive, Galveston 77551
• Texas Historical Commision
  The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is the state agency for historic preservation. THC staff consults with citizens and organizations to preserve Texas' architectural, archeological and cultural landmarks. The agency is recognized nationally for its preservation programs.
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• Texas Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Gregg County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Texas

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Gregg County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Gregg County Tombstone Transcription Project.

During Texas's colonization period Roman Catholics were the most numerous, but early citizens included those representing other religious faiths such as Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Christian or Disciples of Christ.

Many cemetery records have been collected and transcribed, including the largest of which is multi-volumes compilation by the DAR and two volumes for Peters Colonists and descendants. The DAR collection, also microfilmed, is available at the Texas State Library and through the FHL.

Some Texas county historical and genealogical societies have published local cemetery and/funeral home records. These are normally available for purchase through the respective society. Two references can help determine which cemeteries have been recorded: Kim Parsons', A Reference to Texas Cemetery Records (Humble, Tex.: by author, 1988), arranged by county; and Sharry Crofford-Gould's, Texas Cemetery Inscriptions: A Source Index (San Antonio, Tex.: Limited Editions, 1977).

Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Texas obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Texas newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Texas.
• Gregg County, Texas Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Gregg County, Texas Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Gregg County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Gregg County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Texas Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Texas Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Gregg County ] [ Texas ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The Texas Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Gregg County, Texas Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

Northern Gregg County was a part of the hunting grounds of the Caddo Indians, and the part of the county south of the Sabine River was occupied at times by various Indian groups, generally peaceful farming people. Soon after 1800 the Cherokees were driven west across the Mississippi River, and they in turn drove the other Indians out of Northeast Texas and occupied the area. There is much remaining evidence of the Cherokees in Gregg County. One of the earliest roads across Gregg County was the Cherokee Trace, which crosses from north to south and passes over the Sabine near Longview; it was used by the Cherokees when driven from East Texas by President Mirabeau B. Lamar in 1838, and later served as a military road from South Texas to Fort Lawson on the Red River.

The first land patents in the area that became Gregg County were issued in 1835 by the Republic of Mexico and were subsequently recognized by the Republic of Texas. The earliest Republic of Texas grants were issued in 1838, and by 1858 almost all of the area that became Gregg County had been surveyed and patented. In the early days of the republic, the land was occupied by settlers rather than speculators. Among the old settlements were Camden, Peatown, Danville, and Fredonia, south of the Sabine; and Arpville, Killingsworth, Pine Tree, and Bethel north of the Sabine.

By 1872 both the International-Great Northern and the Texas and Pacific had built rail lines in the area that became Gregg County, which was marked off from southern Upshur County by the Thirteenth Texas Legislature on April 12, 1873. The bill originally called the new county Roanoke, but during passage of the legislation the name was changed to Gregg, in honor of Confederate war hero John B. Gregg. Longview was selected as the county seat. By an act of the Fourteenth Legislature, on April 30, 1874, Gregg County was extended southward to add a portion of northern Rusk County.

The county grew steadily from a population of 8,530 in 1880 to 16,767 in 1920, but declined to 15,778 before the census of 1930. During the 1930s the number of county residents increased dramatically, largely because of the East Texas oilfield discoveries in 1931 and the growth of related industries. The county population was 58,027 by 1940 and 61,258 by 1950, a 5.6 percent growth in ten years. From 1950 through 1970, the population grew every ten years by 5,000 to 8,000. The most spectacular growth occurred between 1970 and 1980, when the number of residents grew from 23,566 to 99,495, despite a recession in the oil industry.

In censuses between 1880 and 1930, with the exception of 1920, black residents in Gregg County were more numerous than white. In 1910 blacks comprised 55 percent of the county population, and in 1930, 52 percent. After 1931, with the influx of oil entrepreneurs and their employees, the white population increased considerably relative to the number of blacks. Between 1930 and 1940 the number of whites rose from 7,555 to 43,548, while the black population rose from 8,198 to 14,423. In 1980 blacks numbered 17,807 and whites 79,806.

Gregg County, probably due to its sizable black population, voted Republican in four presidential elections (1880, 1884, 1896, and 1900) during the late nineteenth century. However, the county vote was overwhelmingly Democratic from 1904 to the presidential election of 1952, when Republican Dwight Eisenhower carried the county. In presidential elections from 1952 through 2004, Gregg Countyhas consistently voted Republican. Third parties have had minimal influence except during the election of 1968, when 8,109 votes were cast for George Wallace (as opposed to 5,733 for Hubert Humphrey and 9,278 for Richard Nixon). The trend seems to be in the direction of continued conservatism. In the 1992 presidential election, the county cast 20,542 votes for George H. W. Bush and only 12,797 for Bill Clinton; in 2004, George W. Bush beat John Kerry 29,939 to 12,306.

From 1880 to 1930 Gregg County was predominantly agricultural, with cotton and corn as the most important crops. The number of farms increased steadily to a high of 2,000 in 1930 and then began to decline. By 1982 the county had only 378 farms, which produced primarily beef cattle and hay. Agricultural land values were high, however; farm property was valued at $60,453,918. Manufacturing, related primarily to the lumber industry, was relatively limited from 1880 through the 1920s. The total value of manufactured products in 1929 was $2,243,573. Retail business provided employment to fewer than 500 people in 1929.

The discovery of oil in Gregg County in 1931 brought a boom just as the rest of the country and much of Texas was facing the Great Depression. County population increased in a matter of weeks from around 16,000 to more than 100,000. In 1935, the post office receipts of Longview rose to $100,000, and bank deposits rose from $500,000 to more than $10 million. Freight shipments increased 1,000 percent. In 1932 a $350,000 jail and courthouse were erected in Longview. More than $2 million was spent on road building between 1932 and 1937. A new county hospital built in 1934 cost $65,000 and a nurses' home $15,000. The schools spent more than a million dollars for new buildings and equipment in Gregg County between 1932 and 1936. In order to keep pace with the astonishing growth, the state constructed a highway from Longview to Kilgore, a distance of twelve miles, at a cost of over $600,000; repair to other roads was estimated to exceed $200,000.

Though the oil boom eventually ended, the economy of Gregg County did not stagnate. By 1940 retail sales for the county had increased to $22,320,000, 951 stores employed a total of 2,301, and 52 manufacturing establishments employed 704 wage earners. In 1950 combined wholesale and retail sales totaled $125,431,000; and, by the early 1960s, $188,654,000. Employment increased from 14,237 in 1952 to 17,184 in 1966. Also significant was the rise in wholesale-trade employment from 1,324 in 1953 to 3,154 in 1980, and in retail trade from 5,584 in 1953 to 9,524 in 1980. In 1984 wholesale and retail trade together accounted for a total of 13,247 employed. In 1953 service employees were 2,166 in number, and in 1984, 7,903. By 1980 education levels in the county had risen dramatically, as the percentage of high school graduates was 65.5 percent, compared to 33 percent in 1950. Interstate Highway 20, completed around 1970, had improved transportation and attracted new commercial interests.

The recession in the East Texas oil industry, beginning around 1982, seriously affected employment in Gregg County. In 1981 only 6 percent of the workers (2,988) were unemployed. But by 1982, 10.1 percent of all workers were unemployed; the unemployment rate peaked in 1983 at 12.2 percent, with 6,561 workers unemployed. By August 1985, 10.5 percent of the workforce continued to be unemployed, a total of 5,518 workers. The total production of oil in Gregg County from 1931 to January 1, 1985, was 2,887,007,007 barrels. Crude production in 1984 was 36,695,427 barrels, down from 53,390,345 barrels in 1972. Production has dropped steadily since at least 1972, even though Gregg County was the fifth highest producing county in Texas in 1980 and 1982. The problems in the troubled oil industry were reflected by employment increases and decreases in other areas of the county economy. Between 1953 and 1984 Gregg County employment increased in all business activities with the exception of mining, which showed a slight decrease from 4,357 to 4,073. Manufacturing employment, which rose from 3,448 in 1953 to a high of 10,713 in 1980, declined to 7,509 in 1984.

The census counted 104,948 people living in Gregg County in 1990, and 111,379 in 2000. Almost 70 percent of the population in 2000 was Anglo, 20 percent was black, and 9 percent was Hispanic. More than 69 percent of the residents over age twenty-five had four years of high school, and almost 20 percent had college degrees. In the early twenty-first century oil, manufacturing, tourism, agribusiness, and lignite mining were central elements of the area's economy. More than 3,001,000 barrels of oil and 57,982,007 cubic feet of gas-well gas were produced in the county in 2004; by the end of that year 3,285,627,108 barrels of oil had been taken from county lands since 1931. In 2002 the county had 444 farms and ranches covering 46,660 acres, 44 percent of which were devoted to crops, 26 percent to pasture, and 26 percent to woodlands. In that year farmers and ranchers in the area earned $2,416,000 (down 20 percent from 1997); livestock sales accounted for $1,866,000 of the total. Cattle, horses, hay, and nursery crops were the chief agricultural products. Longview (2000 population, 73,344), the seat of government, was the county's largest city; other towns include Kilgore (11,301), Gladewater (6,078), White Oak (5,624), Clarksville City (806), Liberty City (1,935), Lakeport (861), Rolling Meadows (352), and Warren City (343).