The sleepy city of Hawkins is situated just north of Tyler and west of Longview. Like many small cities in Texas, Hawkins was founded in the 1870s due to the expansion of the railroad. Since the installation of a post office just before the turn of the century, Hawkins' population as been sometimes volatile, rising as high as 1,200 people and dipping as low as 400 residents. These population fluctuations were due mainly to events like the Great Depression, the discovery of oil, and a lack of industry.