Van Craddock's Gregg County Tales
- Nuggett Hill offered something special (June 2020)
- Local 'Rifles' were itching for fight (April 2020)
- Making memories at Christmastime (December 2019)
- Memories of a South Ward Pirate (November 2019)
- 'Runaway Scrape' and old Chief Colita (October 2019)
- Felix McCord was a public servant (September 2019)
- 'Flamboyant' described Longview mayor G.A. Bodenheim (August 2019)
- Who named Longview? Take your pick (July 2019)
- A holy war to win East Texas souls (June 2019)
- When it came to oil, Barret knew the drill (May 2019)
- Bonnie and Clyde nearly nabbed in Gregg County (April 2019)
- Leisurely pace of baseball is a plus (March 2019)
- City banked its success on T. Crawford Morgan (February 2019)
- Cold weather, hot topics of January 1909 (January 2019)
- The preacher foretold 1894 violence (December 2018)
- LHS Lobo coach tied the knot, then fed Italy (November 2018)
- R.G. LeTourneau had 'mystic touch' (October 2018)
- Early doctor also healed poor in spirit (September 2018)
- Feisty editor had his share of fights (August 2018)
- Long-ago blaze brought progress, feud (July 2018)
- The Junction could be a scary place (June 2018)
- East Texas stage line owner was a first class male (May 2018)
- Sammy West was war hero, 'fielding gazelle' (April 2018)
- When Ector's Brigade came to Gregg County (March 2018)
- Early Gregg County courthouse had brief history (February 2018)
- Fond memories of early Longview (January 2018)
- East Texas impressed English visitor in 1849 (December 2017)
- Gregg Judge McHaney paved way for good roads (November 2017)
- When 'Lone Wolf' ran for Gregg County sheriff (October 2017)
- New county had boundary, money problems (September 2017)
- 'Dush' Shaw was the dean of East Texas clerks (August 2017)
- Union Strike (July 2017)
- The general restored order in East Texas field (June 2017)
- Early trial attracted future governors (May 2017)
- Big Apple con man hoodwinked the locals (April 2017)
- Civil War vet was done in by drug-store soda (March 2017)
- Klan parade drew curious Gregg County crowd (February 2017)
- The Piney Woods was 'land of milk and honey' (January 2017)
Van Craddock
Van Craddock, a 1970 SFA graduate, has written a column for the Longview News-Journal since 1978. He has published two collections of his News-Journal columns, most recently a book titled "East Texas Tales: A Celebration of Pineywoods People, Places, Facts and Fables." The U.S. Army Vietnam veteran serves on the Gregg County Historical Commission. Van and wife Bettye (a former SFA Pine Log editor) live in Longview.