Most people driving through Mineola on Highway 69 or Highway 80 do the same thing. They slow down for a light, glance at the old brick storefronts, and keep going. I understand it. From the highway, Mineola looks like a lot of small East Texas towns. But if you park the truck and spend an afternoon here, you find out quickly that this town has more going for it than its size suggests.
Here are a few places worth your time.
Start at the depot
Mineola exists because of the railroad. The town was chartered in 1873, after two railroad companies raced to reach the spot first. The story goes that the International and Great Northern won by about 15 minutes. The name supposedly came from a railroad official who combined a friend’s name, Minnie, with his daughter’s name, Ola.
The railroad still matters here. The brick depot downtown was built in 1906, and after years of decline the town restored it and rededicated it in 2006. Amtrak’s Texas Eagle stops here today, running east toward Longview and Chicago and west toward Dallas. There is a small railroad museum inside. If you have kids, or you just like trains, it is a good first stop.
Walk the historic downtown
Downtown Mineola is a 23 acre historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, with buildings that date from 1885 to 1960. A lot of those old brick storefronts now hold antique shops, restaurants, and small local businesses.
I spend a lot of my working life looking at old buildings, and I can tell you that keeping a historic downtown alive takes real effort and money. Mineola has done it better than most towns its size. Take your time on the sidewalks and look up at the rooflines and brickwork.
Catch a show at the Select Theater
The Select Theater opened in 1920, and it is still showing movies more than a hundred years later. It is also home to live productions by the Lake Country Playhouse, a community theater group. There is something special about seeing a movie or a play in a room that people in this town have been filling since the silent film days. Check their schedule before you go, because showtimes change with the season.
Spend a morning at the Nature Preserve
If you only have time for one stop, make it the Mineola Nature Preserve. It covers 2,911 acres along the Sabine River bottom, and it opened in 2006. That is a lot of land for a town of a few thousand people.
There are hiking and biking trails, more than 20 miles of horse trails, fishing ponds, picnic areas, and primitive campsites. The preserve has grasslands, hardwood bottoms, ponds, and wetlands, which is why more than 190 kinds of birds have been spotted there. Mineola calls itself the Birding Capital of East Texas, and after an early morning walk out there, you will understand why.
Go early, bring water, and expect to see deer.
Why it matters to me
I have bought, cleared, and sold land and remodeled old houses across East Texas since 1993. When I look at a town, I look at more than the price per acre. I look at whether people take care of the place. Do they keep the old buildings standing? Do they invest in parks? Do they show up for local events?
Mineola does all of that. If you are thinking about moving to East Texas, or you just need a good day trip from Dallas or Tyler, give it a full afternoon instead of a red light.
Greg McKinney, Mineola, Texas
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