The History of Hawkins, Texas
Hawkins sits in the southeastern corner of Wood County, about twenty miles north of Tyler in the East Texas Piney Woods. Its story runs from a frontier settlement near the Sabine River, to a railroad shipping town, to an oil boomtown of the 1940s — and finally to its modern claim to fame as the 'Pancake Capital of Texas.'
Here's how Hawkins came to be.
Settlement and the Railroad
The Hawkins area was settled before the railroad arrived, near a river crossing to old Belzora, an early port and stagecoach stop on the Smith County side of the Sabine River. By the time the Texas and Pacific Railway built through in 1873 on its way to Dallas, the area was already fairly well established. A post office opened that same year.
The railroad gave Hawkins a reason to grow. By 1884 the town had a population of around 400 and was shipping lumber, shingles, livestock, and cotton, with gins, churches, hotels, and a school serving the surrounding farm-and-timber country. The population rose and fell over the following decades, settling into the quiet rhythm of a small East Texas railroad town.
The Oil Boom
Everything changed in October 1940, when former lightweight boxer Bobby Manziel brought in the first major oil discovery in Wood County — a wildcat well a few miles north of town. Independent operators soon struck oil within the Hawkins city limits, and the sleepy railroad town became a boomtown almost overnight. Land prices soared, with town lots reportedly selling for $500 to $10,000, and the population leapt to about 1,200 by 1941.
The Humble Oil and Refining Company (later Exxon) became a principal operator in the booming Hawkins oil field, with the densely populated Hawkins Camp (originally the Humble Camp) growing up just north of town. The oil economy reshaped the town and has been celebrated ever since at the annual Hawkins Oil Festival each fall, with its parade, antique vehicle and tractor displays, food vendors, and — fittingly — a pancake breakfast.
The Pancake Capital
Hawkins's most distinctive honor came in 1995, when the Texas Senate passed a resolution designating it the 'Pancake Capital of Texas.' The title pays tribute to Lillian Richard, a Hawkins native hired by the Quaker Oats Company to portray the 'Aunt Jemima' figure for decades, traveling the country flipping pancakes as one of the brand's living faces.
The community has embraced the designation as a point of local pride and a tie to its own history. Today Hawkins is a small Wood County town anchored by its Hawkins ISD 'Hawks,' the nearby historically Black Jarvis Christian University east of town, the recreation of Lake Hawkins, and a layered past that blends railroad, oil, and the unlikely story of a hometown woman who became one of the faces of one of America's most recognized brands.
Timeline
1873
The Texas and Pacific Railway builds through on its way to Dallas, and a post office opens.
1884
Hawkins has about 400 residents and ships lumber, shingles, livestock, and cotton.
1912
Jarvis Christian College, a historically Black school, is founded just east of town.
1940
Bobby Manziel brings in the first major Wood County oil well north of town, triggering a boom.
1995
The Texas Senate designates Hawkins the 'Pancake Capital of Texas,' honoring native Lillian Richard.
Notable People
Lillian Richard
A Hawkins native hired by the Quaker Oats Company to portray the 'Aunt Jemima' figure for decades; her fame led to Hawkins being named the 'Pancake Capital of Texas' in 1995.
Bobby Manziel
A former lightweight boxer turned oilman who brought in the first major oil discovery in Wood County, north of Hawkins, in October 1940, launching the town's oil boom.
FAQ: History of Hawkins
The Texas Senate designated Hawkins the 'Pancake Capital of Texas' in 1995 to honor Lillian Richard, a Hawkins native who portrayed the 'Aunt Jemima' figure for the Quaker Oats Company for decades, traveling the country as one of the pancake brand's living faces.
Hawkins began as a settlement near a Sabine River crossing. It grew into a town after the Texas and Pacific Railway built through in 1873, the same year its post office opened, shipping lumber, cotton, and livestock from the surrounding country.
Hawkins boomed beginning in October 1940, when Bobby Manziel brought in the first major Wood County oil well north of town. Strikes within the city limits soon followed, the population jumped to about 1,200 by 1941, and Humble (later Exxon) became a major operator.
Jarvis Christian University, just east of Hawkins, is a historically Black institution founded in 1912 by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on land donated by James J. and Ida Van Zandt Jarvis. It added senior-college courses in 1937, received a state charter in 1939, and is now a university.
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Hawkins in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
A Brief History of East Texas
From Caddo settlements to the oil boom and beyond, discover how centuries of history shaped East Texas communities like Tyler, Kilgore, and Henderson.
Read Guide →Best Day Trips from Tyler and East Texas
Drive-time guide to day trips from Tyler: state parks, small towns, museums, and lakes within about 30 minutes, an hour, and up to three hours.
Read Guide →East Texas Festivals and Annual Events
Season-by-season guide to East Texas festivals and events — Canton's First Monday Trade Days, the Texas Rose Festival, the Yamboree, Wonderland of Lights and more, checked against each host's own site.
Read Guide →East Texas State Parks Guide
Twelve East Texas state parks from TPWD: Tyler, Caddo Lake, Atlanta, Lake Bob Sandlin, Tawakoni, Purtis Creek, Cooper, Martin Dies Jr. and more. Camping, cabins and passes.
Read Guide →Business Owner?
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