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January 24, 1955 - Humble Oil Company Camp Recreation Center, Hawkins TX

If you've been following along since the '54 shows, misspellings were rampant in the early days and the January 20th, 1955 Wood County Democrat was no exception when it announced Elvis Prestley's return to Hawkins, Texas. Having previously played Hawkins High on December 20th, Elvis was booked at the Humble Oil Company on January 24th.

Humble Oil rebranded as Exxon in 1973 and later ExxonMobil after a 1999 merger, and the old refinery just north of Hawkins is still in use as the XTO Hawkins Gas Plant.

Although the refinery is still active, many of the older buildings have been replaced or demolished, including the Recreation Center where Elvis, Scotty, and Bill performed. The most probable location of the venue is highlighted in the aerial photo above.
Elvis-historian Francesc Lopez visited the site and took the following photograph. The buildings in the background may date back to the 1950s but they are not the recreation center; it was most likely where the empty lot is today.
Hopp Wheeler, author of the Wood County Democrat article, was 18 at the time and, "an outstanding baseball pitcher ... he accepted a scholarship offer to Paris Junior College, where he was voted Mr. Paris Junior College by fellow students." Mr. Wheeler passed away May 14, 2024.

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