Preserve America Community:
Electra, Texas
Electra is a small community of 3,200 that is accomplishing big things in north-central Texas. From frontier outpost and cattle railhead to oil boomtown and farming center, through three names and a hundred years, Electra has a history that illustrates the development of Texas.
Electra promotes itself as "Classic Texas" and welcomes
visitors on a walking tour through its historic downtown, featuring
the circa 1919 Grand Theater. The completion of the exterior rehabilitation
of the theater, celebrated with a marquee lighting ceremony, was
accomplished with the help of a transportation enhancement grant;
private donors; the support of the city, Main Street Electra,
and the Chamber of Commerce; and the work of dedicated volunteers.
Electra has been a Texas Main Street Community since 1998, and a nationally recognized Main Street Community since 2000.
Known as the "Pump Jack Capital of Texas," Electra hosts several popular festivals, including an annual celebration of its oil heritage, and participates in regional tourism marketing efforts, including the newly formed North Central Texas Rural Tourism Association.
In addition, Main Street Electra observes National Preservation Week with a Main Street Mysteries contest for third graders, who locate architectural features in the downtown historic district.
For more information
Electra Chamber of Commerce: www.electratexas.org
Main Street Electra: www.texascook.com/Electra/program
Updated March 18, 2009