Drive 20 minutes southwest from the cypress canopied bayous of Caddo Lake and you’ll arrive in Marshall, a quintessential small town steeped in musical history. The town was founded in 1841, and the Texas and Pacific Railway arrived 30 years later, quickly becoming one of the area’s largest employers. Then Wiley University, the first historically Black college west of the Mississippi River, was established in 1873. Marshall is known as the birthplace of boogie-woogie music, a style originated by African Americans in the late 1800s as they worked in logging camps and on the railroad. They turned to the piano to create a new sound influenced by rhythmic railroad reverberations, including a primary bass line called “The Marshall.” These days, there are new restaurants, breweries, boutiques, and hotels opening up throughout the historical downtown—merging the present with the past.
DISTANCE FROM
Dallas
2.5 hours
Houston
3.5 hours
Austin
5 hours
San Antonio
6.5 hours
El Paso
12 hours
Stay
Avelar Suites
Following a two-year renovation of the 1912 Elks Lodge, which sat vacant for 50 years, this seven-suite hotel opened in February. The grand suite is topped with a stunning stained glass half-dome arching over the balcony overlooking Washington Street. Rooms start at $189/night.
Shop
Marshall Mercantile
As part of downtown’s newest wave of growth, restaurateur Robbie Shoults of Bear Creek Smokehouse opened Marshall Mercantile in November 2023. Shop for trinkets and smoked meats before enjoying cast-iron cornbread or fried chicken for lunch or dinner. Grab dessert from the milkshake bar.
Drink
Rüeggenbach Brewing Company
This three-story 1872 firehouse was transformed into a craft brewery in 2023. Along with 14 beers on tap, it has one of the best rooftop views of the downtown square.
Learn & See
Texas Pacific Railway & Museum
Located at the still-operational Marshall train depot, this free museum features exhibits dedicated to the heyday of rail travel. There’s a model train landscape of downtown, vintage conductor uniforms, and telegram machines. Don’t miss the exhibit on the city’s boogie-woogie heritage.
Eat
The Ginocchio
Across the street from the train depot is one of Marshall’s finest restaurants, housed in a hotel named for a 19th-century Italian merchant. Take a seat at Ginocchio’s original wood bar—which was returned by Eagles singer Don Henley, who had previously bought it—and order a round of oysters topped with Southwest-style pesto. Follow that with a housemade pasta dish, a steak, or seafood.
Learn
Harrison County Historical Museum
A small but engaging collection occupies the ground floor of the old county courthouse, the focal point of downtown. Starting with the area’s Indigenous history, move through the decades with exhibits on Texas statehood and famous locals including Lady Bird Johnson.
