24 PALESTINECHAMBER . ORG
Texas Dogwood Trails Festival
a brief history
The origin of the Dogwood Trails can be traced back to 1938 . The idea was first conceived by two friends , Charles Woolridge and Eugene Fish , as chronicled in the 1976 Bicentennial Scrapbook . In time , the Dogwood Trails would grow into an entire festival including numerous events and activities .
The founders , Woolridge and Fish decided on the idea for a Dogwood Trail after having been inspired by the sight of many resplendent dogwoods during a country drive in 1938 . They enlisted the help of the Palestine Herald-Press and the newspapers of neighboring cities to advertise their idea . With the help of locals , signs were affixed in order to guide residents and visitors to the location of dogwoods in the countryside . The rudimentary foundations for what would become one of Palestine ’ s most notable attractions were now in place .
By 1941 , thousands were traveling to view the dogwoods . In the preceding three years , many improvements were accomplished : easements were secured and a very basic track was made through the dogwoods north of town . Visitations to the site were curtailed during the later war years due to gasoline rationing . It was during this period that M . A . Davey , a local businessman purchased the area and gifted the land to Anderson County for use as a park . When World War II ended the first roads were completed in the park . After this completion many visitors would return for a yearly “ pilgrimage ” to see the dogwoods .
During the 1940 ’ s , as noted by the Kilgore News Herald other events began to be incorporated into the Dogwood Trails season . These events included track meets , a golf tournament and relay races .
In 1950 , a series of setbacks forced the park to remain closed during the dogwood season for three consecutive years . These closures were due to two year drought followed by an ice storm the following year . Prior to closure , the dogwood season had seen an estimated 100,000 visitors tour the park .
The late 1950s would see a resurgence in tourism to the trails and festival , with additional events being added . A