Arp, Texas is in southeastern Smith County by the International-Great Northern Railroad. Before the name Arp was painted on a sign over the railroad station, it had several names bestowed upon it, including Jarvis Switch, after a local landowner. Later, because strawberries were a major crop, the name was changed to Strawberry Junction. The strawberry shippers who had to label the crates by hand found writing "Strawberry Junction" to be time consuming. Therefore, Junction was dropped and the name became "Strawberry".

Several years later Charles Henry Smith (using the pen name Bill Arp, a popular and well-known newspaper reporter and editor), came through the area. The city fathers honored him by naming the town "Arp".

On May 13, 1905, an election was held and 67 people voted on school incorporation for the Arp School District. The school district was composed of 10.28 square miles. A total of 23 landowners made up the district with James Jordan owning the largest tract composes of 1,940 acres.

In 1910, Arp was forging to the front in all areas of community development. At one time Arp led East Texas in genuine diversified farming--that kind of farming that was dependable, that brings positive results from the years’ toil and makes the pay-days weekly and monthly instead of annually. Arp was known nation wide for her fruits, cotton, corn and oats as well as for her truck farming.

Many people had telephones in both town and the country, and it seemed the telephone switchboard was always busy.

While Arp was flying under the name of Arp, the city was not officially incorporated until 1931. John Wadsack and 61 other electors applied for the proposed City of Arp, April 18, 1931. The territory in mind contained less than two square miles with in the city and population was a little more than 600.

The residents liked the name "City of Arp," and 36 voters cast their ballots May 25, 1931, resulting in 29 for, 7 against. A city layout was then presented and it was officially declared a city. J.R. Hawes submitted the city play in 1932 showing the boundaries railroads and two highways through town.

After the city was incorporated Guy Lewis brought drilling equipment to the area and drilled the first oil well in 1931.

The well, which took a little over a month to complete, reached a depth of a little over 3,700 feet—the day, March 30, 1931. The crew began swabbing the well, a crowd of two or three hundred people appeared, most of them hopeful, but still a bit doubtful of the outcome. They were, excited beyond a doubt, when the wind blew specks of oil all over their faces and clothing as well as oil that gushed out and the Guy V. Lewis I.S.S. Cook became a reality.

The result of the well was overwhelming. Within two or three months, wells were being drilled all around. Most important, however, was the people of the area. The depression was still a very real part of their lives. The well brought money to some, work to many, and even more important, hope to others.

It was a happy time for all, especially Guy V. Lewis, who immediately began to plan for a second well, which would be located on the Wright property near Arp. As preparations were underway, Lewis became ill. His condition weekend and he died on April 22, 1931, just three weeks after his well was brought in.

The outcome of the well surely was beyond even Lewis’ expectations. In the beginning, the well near Arp was said to have brought in 10,000 barrels of oil per day. It was not plugged until 1945.

All of Arp and Smith County enjoyed the outcome of Lewis’ well. This one well near Arp was the beginning of the East Texas Oil Fields, which caused the city of Arp to become a Boom Town.

Arp was the place to be in the 1930’s, but the picture began to change as oil production dropped and oil companies were moving elsewhere. The refineries were following the oil strikes and people in need of work followed the places where oil was discovered.

The first dark cloud over the city came on April 6, 1933. The State Railroad Commission ordered oil production stopped in the East Texas fields (some 10,000 wells) in order to determine the potential production and equalize the pressure among the wells for five days

During the years of 1937-38 people started leaving the city of Arp. By 1940 the population had dropped to 1,139. The area was now dying as businesses were closing down. The oil production was diminishing and the drillers started pulling out.

The Premier Oil Refinery, the last to leave, closed in the 1950’s taking more residents from the city’s limits.

Becoming a ghost town didn’t appeal to the people of Arp. Arp has never been a community to sit down and let the world pass by, so the businessmen started pooling their thoughts and efforts to try to revive the dying town.

By 1958, the population was down to 550 and the Chamber of Commerce headed by H. D. Mitchell, figured something drastic had to be done to keep Arp from becoming a ghost town. With the help of its dues-paying members, the chamber hit on a real estate plan.

They bought up acreage, split it into lots and offered them free to persons who would build at least a $5,000 home in Arp. That would bind the builders and their renters to Arp, the chamber figured.

And to a degree, it worked. Forty families in 1963 still lived in Arp that otherwise would not be there, and publicity on this big Chamber of Commerce venture was international. They even got an inquiry from Rome, Italy.

Arp mad a bid for the New York Stock Exchange when the Exchange made public their proposed move in 1966. The Arp Chamber of Commerce offered the Exchange 18 acres located on the main line of the I. G and N. Railroad and adjacent to Highway 135. In addition, if the Exchange came to Arp, and additional 100 acres would be offered for homes to Exchange employees.

A letter was received by the Arp Chamber from G. Keith Funston, president of the New York Stock Exchange, declining the offer. Arp’s offer to Wall Street was among 600 other proposals.

The Arp Chamber of commerce which was organized in the early 50’s was instrumental in getting a number of new businesses to settle in Arp. The area including Arp slowly began to recover.

The area was helped in its recovery when Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East were built. Two housing developments, Big Oak Bay and East Shores Estates were established in the Arp School District. Therefore, the enrollment almost doubled. Two new schools were built in the district in order to accommodate the increase in enrollment. In the fall of 1972 the entire school was housed in a beautiful new school. The district continued to grow and in January 1988 the elementary school was moved to another beautiful new building located 2 miles north of town on the old Tyler highway.

One of the best things that happened to Arp in recovering from a ghost town was the arrival of the Snow families in 1990. They cam to town and bought a number of old buildings and began immediately to renovate all of the empty ghost-like buildings into something beautiful and useful. On this date, 1992, all buildings have occupants.

The old drug store turned into the Strawberry Junction Café, which is now the Arp Café. It provides great food to Arp residents and the surrounding area. The old ghost town has come to life. Parking space is very scarce in Arp these days. People come from far and near to visit the beautiful antique places like the Victorian Rose and the mementos and antiques in the Arp Café and other places of business.

Arp has had a colorful past as it developed from a sleepy agricultural community from a flashy boom town and then to a small stable community. With the proposed developments in store for East Texas, who knows what the future may hold for the city of Arp.

Because of the pride the community has of the past and because of the belief the community has in the future the chamber of Commerce has adopted the slogan: