Greenville, Texas - Part One
Find Your Heart on the Jefferson Highway - The Hero & The Heritage
Welcome to Day 1 of our special 4-day virtual travel guide to Greenville, Texas! If you’re a new listener, the Jefferson Highway is a 115-year-old international treasure. Known as the "Pine to Palm" route, it stretches from the snowy pines of Winnipeg, Canada, to the sunny palms of New Orleans, Louisiana. Today, we are anchoring in the Northeast Texas portion of the highway to find out why Greenville is the ultimate "Homebase" for your next road trip.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
The Journey Begins
Our adventure started with a massive thank you to Stacey Foley, Greenville’s Tourism Manager. She helped us “Find Our Heart” in this community by showing us the hidden gems and the deep history that makes this city a vital stop on the route.
We unpacked our bags at the Comfort Suites Greenville—which served as our perfect homebase and caught a moonlit performance of Romeo & Juliet at the local Farmers Market.
The first morning, we immediately hit the road through the historic Blackland cotton fields. We even took some time to visit Bonham, one of the “Highway Sisters” where our mascot, Priscilla the Sock Monkey met up with Stinky the Donkey…more on them, later.
Inside the Museum: Susan Lanning
To truly understand the heart of Greenville, you have to understand the soil and the soul of the region. We sat down with Susan Lanning, Executive Director of the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum, to discuss the two pillars of this community:
1. The Hero: Audie Murphy
Many know him as a Hollywood star, but Audie Murphy was first and foremost a son of Northeast Texas. As the most decorated soldier in U.S. history, Murphy earned every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army—all before he was 21 years old. The museum beautifully preserves the legacy of this sharecropper’s son who became an international symbol of integrity and bravery.
2. The Heritage: “White Gold”
Greenville sits on the Blackland Prairie, some of the richest soil on the planet. This dark, fertile earth fueled a cotton industry so massive that Greenville once housed the largest cotton compress in the world. The Jefferson Highway served as a vital artery for moving this “White Gold” toward the ports of New Orleans, building the prosperity of the region we see today.
Key Takeaways for Your Visit:
Heroism: Audie Murphy’s medals are on display, but his character is the true exhibit.
Industry: See how the “Cotton Capital of the World” put Northeast Texas on the map.
Location: The museum is located right on the historic Jefferson Highway route—an essential stop for any traveler.
Resources & Links:
* Greenville Tourism: http://travelgreenvilletx.com/
* The Museum: https://cottonmuseum.com/
* The Route: https://jeffersonhighway.org/
* Plan Your Texas Trip: https://www.jeffersonhighwaytravelguide.com/travel-directory/texas
* Stay Updated: https://jeffersonhighwaydispatch.substack.com/
