A group of deeply devoted followers of the Unity of the Brethren Faith were among the Czech immigrant families who settled in this area of eastern Bell County in the late 1870s and established the farming community of Ocker. The group initially worshiped informally in their homes. Annual visits from 1884 to 1891 by the Rev. Henry Juren and the Rev. Bohuslav Emil Lacjak encouraged them to organize. The Evangelical Congregation of the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren of Ocker was established in 1892. The dedication of their first church building, erected in 1893, was conducted by the Rev. Juren and the Rev. Adolph Chlumsky, noted early-day Czech community preachers. The church cemetery was established later that year. Membership in the church grew from 52 families in 1900 to 92 families in 1925. A new church/Sunday School building was erected at this site in 1931 to meet the spiritual needs of a growing congregation. By mid-1940, English had replaced Czech as the language used in Sunday School and worship services. The congregation was served by part-time pastors until 1981 when a full-time pastor was called. The church continues to serve the local community with spiritual guidance and outreach programs.

Plans began in early 1941 for a U.S. Army Air Corps installation to be located in Grayson County. This 1,160-acre site was acquired in June, and Air Corps personnel began arriving in August. The base was to serve as a basic flight training facility. During its construction, the U.S. was drawn into World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. The first class of flight students, which arrived on December 16, graduated in February 1942 in ceremonies which included the dedication of the base in memory of Lt. Col. Elmer D. Perrin, a Texas test pilot killed in the line of duty in 1941. Pilots trained here served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Their airplanes ranged from basic trainers of the 1940s to jets of the 1960s and 1970s.

The presence of the air base became important in the life of Grayson County, creating jobs and boosting the local economy. Following the death in 1961 of Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, many dignitaries, including the President and Vice President, arrived here and were transported by base personnel to the funeral in nearby Fannin County.

Partly because of increased air traffic in the area, Perrin Air Force Base was closed in 1971.

T.S. Hogan, a Montana attorney, rancher and oilman, came to the Permian Basin in 1925, where he became active in the oil business. He was convinced Midland was situated in the center of the petroleum basin and that it would become the leading city of the region. In 1927 he announced the construction of this building, which would serve as a center for the area oil companies. Designed by the prominent Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick, it was completed in 1929. A formal dedication was held on July 4 of that year.

Many believed that Hogan's enterprise signaled Midland's future as a major oil production center. The projections, unfortunately, were premature. Only months after the building was completed, the stock market crash occurred that resulted in the Great Depression of the 1930s. With the discovery of oil in East Texas, the price soon dropped to 15$ a barrel. Many companies closed their Midland offices and it was not until 1935 that they began to return to the Permian Basin.

When Midland eventually became a leading center of oil production as Hogan had earlier envisioned, the petroleum building played a significant role in the town's development.

The rapid growth of the petrochemical industry in Jefferson and Orange counties in the early 20th Century led to increased population in this area. In order to serve escalating transportation needs, plans began in the 1920s for the construction of a bridge to span the Neches River.

Due to the depressed economy and differences of opinion among business leaders, the campaign to build the bridge (led by the Port Arthur "News" and American Legion Post No.7) lasted for seven years. In 1934 Gov. Miriam A. Ferguson signed a special law to enable county bond and Federal Public Works Administration funds to pay for state highway bridge construction.

The project engineer, G.G. Wickline, used innovative techniques to design a bridge that would cross 7,742 feet of marshy terrain and river bottom. The bridge's 680-foot central span, designed to clear a Navy ship carrying a moored dirigible, was, at 176 feet, the world's highest elevated roadbed over tidal waters.

The final cost of the bridge was $2,750,000. Its dedication on September 8, 1938, drew huge crowds and was a major local event. In a 1957 contest sponsored by the North Port Arthur Lions Club, it was named "Rainbow Bridge."

The rapid growth of the petrochemical industry in Orange and Jefferson counties in the early 20th century led to increased population in this area. In order to serve the transportation needs of workers and others in this vicinity, the Dryden ferry was established in 1926. It soon proved inadequate for the volume of traffic, however, and plans began for the construction of a bridge to span the Neches River.

Jefferson County, the State of Texas, and the Federal government (through the Public Works Administration) all provided funding for the bridge's construction. While the citizens of Orange County also supported the project, the county's economic situation did not permit monetary assistance.

Construction of the bridge began in 1936, and was not completed until over two years later. Measuring 176 feet in height and 7760 feet in length, it was the largest bridge ever built by the State of Texas up to that time. Dedication ceremonies were held on Sept. 8, 1938, attracting a crowd of approximately 20,000. Among the activities were a boat regatta on the river and a stunt diver's plunge from the top of the bridge into the water below. The structure was officially named "Rainbow Bridge" in a 1957 contest.

Conservationist Richard E. Jackson was born August 12, 1880, in Leary, Georgia. In 1886, he came with his parents to Jasper, Texas, where they opened a general mercantile store. As a teenager, he worked for the family store and carried mail from Jasper to Woodville. In 1896, he was the first ticket agent for the GB&CK Railroad at Silsbee "Junction." Working as a conductor for the Santa Fe by 1904, he carried freight to sawmills and oilfields. In 1907, he married Velma Ophelia (Byrum), of Gainesville, and settled in Silsbee.

Because of his admiration for the Big Thicket, Jackson began leasing land in the region, which was threatened by development, timber activity and oil explorations. His leases exceeded 18,000 acres, and he formed the Hardin County Co-operative Pasture and Game Preserve Group. Envisioning a park and hunting club, in 1929, he began an effort for the area's preservation and attracted wide support. In 1936, Jackson called a meeting in the offices of the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce and organized the East Texas Big Thicket Association with 52 members. He hosted field studies for scientists, offered tours for public leaders, used his leases to show off the Big Thicket and delivered speeches publicizing it throughout the state and the region.

Among other factors, the Great Depression and World War II contributed to the collapse of this early organization, but Jackson continued his conservation efforts until his death in 1957. Many of his followers later joined to establish the Big Thicket Association. Due to Jackson's early initiative and vision in preserving the unique landscape he loved, a national preserve was finally created here in 1974. Because of his unselfish dedication, R.E. Jackson is widely recognized as the "Father of the Big Thicket."

The first Lutheran worship services in this area were held at the home of early German settler J.E. Pietzsch, who had moved from Austin County. In 1880 a small school and church building was erected on land donated by John Bartlett, for whom the nearby town of Bartlett was named. St. John Lutheran Church was formally organized on December 16, 1883. A year later the Rev. Immanuel Glatzle arrived to become the first resident pastor. By 1896 the congregation had acquired more land and erected a small white frame sanctuary. All written records were destroyed in a 1922 fire which burned the parsonage and two outbuildings. Larger facilities were needed by 1931, so a new church structure was built that year. Dedication services were held January 10, 1932. On August 12, 1951, the congregation dedicated its new pipe organ, which at the time was the largest in any Texas Lutheran Church. From its beginning St. John Lutheran Church has served the spiritual and educational needs of the surrounding communities. Although the last German service was conducted in 1942, the church continues to reflect the ideals and traditions of its founders.

Area Catholic services date from the 1860s, when mass was held in private homes. The Mission of St. Luke was established in 1902, and met temporarily in the Lively School building northeast of original Irving. Oral tradition states that parishioners removed seats from their buggies to be used as pews on Sundays. The city of Irving was founded in December 1903 by J.O. Schulze and Otis Brown, who each gave a town lot for the Catholic Church of Christ, and Baptist churches. St. Luke's first church, a white frame structure on the corner of Jefferson and 2nd Streets, was dedicated in 1904. The building was sold to the Irving School District in 1928, and a second church was erected on the corner of Iowa (now O'Connor) and 5th streets. The red brick church housed the altar that had been moved from the first church. Services were provided by priests from Sacred Heart Cathedral and the University of Dallas in Dallas. St. Luke attained parish status in 1947, and in 1948 a rectory was built and the first pastor assigned. Dedication of the third St. Luke Church and rectory was held on May 2, 1954. To the brick church was added a parish school in 1955 and a convent in 1958.

The Rt. Rev. Alexander Gregg, Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, officiated at the dedication of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Rockport on November 30, 1871. Led by lay ministers for much of its early history, St. Peter's first was located at the corner of Live Oak and Wharf Streets near the railroad depot, where services often were halted due to the noise of arriving and departing trains. Relocated to this site in 1954, St. Peter's became a self-sustaining parish ten years later. It continues to serve the community with a variety of programs.

Stephens County's first courthouse, erected in 1872, was a small pine building with desks for county officials lining the walls. In 1883, a new three-story red stone courthouse with a tower replaced the original structure.

Discovery of oil in Breckenridge in the 1920s resulted in a dramatic increase in population that led to the need for a larger courthouse and jail. Voters approved a bond in June 1924 to build a new courthouse and architect David S. Castle of Abilene designed the building constructed in 1926.

Although not occupied until December 1926, a grand dedication ceremony was held here on July 4, 1926. The porch and sandstone entryway from the 1883 courthouse were retained and are located on the southeast end of the square. During the depression of the 1930s, the courthouse became a financial burden and was refinanced. The last payment was made in 1962, thirty-six years after its completion.

The four-story Stephens County Courthouse is a fine local example of the Classical Revival style and features limestone construction, arched entry doors and monumental primary entry stairs rising to triple-arched entry doors, with ten columns above.