The History of Gun Barrel City, Texas
Gun Barrel City is one of the youngest and most memorably named towns in East Texas — a community that didn't exist until a lake was built, and whose colorful name has nothing to do with the Wild West. On the eastern shore of Cedar Creek Reservoir, it grew from a country crossroads into the commercial hub of the lake in just a few decades.
Here's how Gun Barrel City came to be.
Born from a Lake
Gun Barrel City owes its existence to Cedar Creek Reservoir. Before the lake, the area was a rural community known as Old Bethel, scattered farms and country roads in northwestern Henderson County. When Cedar Creek Reservoir was completed in the mid-1960s — one of the largest lakes in Texas — everything changed.
The new lake drew people seeking waterfront homes, weekend getaways, and recreation, and the Old Bethel community grew rapidly to serve them. On May 26, 1969, the booming settlement incorporated as Gun Barrel City, formally establishing the town that the lake had created.
The Story Behind the Name
Despite its Wild West ring, the name Gun Barrel City has a surprisingly straightforward origin. It comes from Gun Barrel Lane, an old road that connected Mabank and Payne Springs and ran 'straight as a gun barrel' for about two miles between U.S. Highway 175 and Texas Highway 334. That long, perfectly straight stretch gave the road — and then the town — its distinctive name. Gun Barrel Lane eventually became State Highway 198, the main route through town.
The city has embraced its colorful name with humor and pride. Its official motto is 'We Shoot Straight with You,' and its symbol features a rifle flanked by two crossed antique pistols — a playful nod to a name that's pure Texas character, even if its roots are just a straight country road.
Growth into a Lake Hub
Gun Barrel City's growth has been remarkable. From just 60 residents in 1970, the town swelled to about 3,526 by the early 1990s and 5,145 by 2000, continuing to grow into the largest community on Cedar Creek Lake. Lying on the lake's eastern shore — about fifty miles southeast of Dallas and twenty miles northwest of Athens — it became the commercial center for the whole lake area.
Today Gun Barrel City is the retail, dining, and service hub of Cedar Creek Lake, with the shopping, restaurants, and businesses that the surrounding lake communities rely on. A town that didn't exist before the 1960s has become a thriving destination, drawing residents, retirees, and visitors to the shores of one of the state's biggest lakes.
Timeline
Mid-1960s
Cedar Creek Reservoir is completed; the rural Old Bethel community begins to grow rapidly.
1969
The community incorporates as Gun Barrel City on May 26.
1970
The new town has about 60 residents.
Early 1990s
Gun Barrel City grows to about 3,526 residents.
2000
The population reaches 5,145 as the town becomes the lake's commercial hub.
FAQ: History of Gun Barrel City
The name comes from Gun Barrel Lane, an old road connecting Mabank and Payne Springs that ran 'straight as a gun barrel' for about two miles. The road gave the town its distinctive name and later became State Highway 198. The city's motto is 'We Shoot Straight with You.'
Gun Barrel City incorporated on May 26, 1969, after Cedar Creek Reservoir was completed in the mid-1960s. The town grew from the rural Old Bethel community as the new lake drew residents and visitors to its shores.
Gun Barrel City owes its existence to Cedar Creek Reservoir. Before the lake, the area was the rural Old Bethel community. When the reservoir was built in the mid-1960s, it drew people seeking lake homes and recreation, and the settlement grew rapidly and incorporated in 1969.
No, despite the Wild West connotation. The name comes from Gun Barrel Lane, a road that ran 'straight as a gun barrel' for about two miles between two highways. The town has embraced the name playfully, with a rifle-and-pistols symbol and the motto 'We Shoot Straight with You.'
Business Owner?
Want Your Business Featured in Gun Barrel City?
People are searching for businesses like yours in Gun Barrel City. Get listed in our city guide and local directory so they can find you.