Archive for May, 2010

This was our first Pilgrimage Weekend in Jefferson. We dressed in costume and wandered around town with all the other costumed residents and visitors. There was so much going on it was hard to keep up! There was the Daimond Bessie Murder Trial play at the Playhouse, Thursday through Sunday. A full-fledged battle was held just outside of town on Saturday and Sunday. And, a parade of costumed participants sauntered down the main street on Saturday.

But the event that I enjoyed the most was the downtown skirmish on Saturday. The Grey and Blue manuveured and fought on the streets of Jefferson for more than an hour. Units moved in formation to attack or defend their positions. Patrols ran down alleys and around the block to approach the enemy from the flank or rear. Horses galloped and reared. Soldiers died and were mourned by costumed spectators swept up in the performance. I loved it.

We never had time to tour the historic homes.

All in all, a remarkable weekend. A great time to be in Jefferson.

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"Jefferson?! It's just my favorite city in all of Texas!" Jefferson is a wonderful place to live and an interesting tourist getaway destination. History, beauty, romance, ghosts, charm, and convenience are all aspects of life in Jefferson.

In 2008, my wife, Ellen, and I started investigating East Texas via the web. We looked at tourism sites, homes for sale, news articles, demographics, events, and festivals. In each category, we kept finding great examples in Jefferson. But, being urbanites from the San Francisco Bay Area in California, we were unsure whether a city of 2000 people could possibly offer the stimulus we need in order to thrive. The city had a lot going on, but could it possibly be as wonderful as it looked from our remote perspective? Finally, we called our sister-in-law, who lives in Longview. "Have you ever heard of the little town, Jefferson?" Her response, "Jefferson?! It's just my favorite city in all of Texas!" has been our mantra ever since.

By April, 2009 we had secured a home and started moving our lives here. We relocated our home and two businesses to Jefferson. At about the same time, our youngest daughter, Sara, decided that it was simply illogical to spend another winter in Chicago. She packed her belongings, cleaned out her cute little flat, quit her jobs (3!) and headed for Jefferson and our guest room. Her intension was to lodge with us for a short while and relocate, probably to Dallas, Houston, or Austin. To our surprise, it took only a week or so for Sara to decide, Jefferson was to be her new home. She loved it as much as did we.

This site has two purposes. We wish to reflect what we value about Jefferson so that you can follow our journey and possibly be inspired to pull stakes and take off for your dream destination as did we. Secondly, we want to promote the City of Jefferson. Our beloved city is a tourist town. We need you to visit, often. We also hope for an upward trend in permanent population. Decades ago, Jefferson enjoyed a population of over 30,000. As the world changed, so did Jefferson. Our population of approximately 2000 fits almost entirely into our 200 antebellum homes in the historic district and a few surrounding neighborhoods.

Consider Jefferson, Texas for your next excursion. You will find a place of beauty. You may find home.

Jefferson Texas, 75657, is a unique small town community with big city roots and attitudes. Located in the Piney Woods, sandwiched between Lake O' the Pines and Caddo Lake, Jefferson enjoys wonderful natural surroundings, the ease of country living, and the stimulation of progressive attitudes.

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Archive for May, 2010

Pilgrimage Weekend