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Reo Palm Isle

Location: Longview, Texas

REO PALM ISLE. Reo Palm Isle is located in Longview, Texas. The establishment can trace its beginnings to Mattie's Ballroom, a dance hall between Longview and Kilgore. Mattie Castleberry established Mattie's Ballroom in the East Texas woods in 1935. Born in oil-boom days, Mattie's Ballroom was an instant success. The boom brought big money to depression-era East Texas towns, leading to the rapid growth of dance halls and clubs such as Mattie's Ballroom, which catered largely to oilfield workers...

Click here for full text of article on the Handbook of Texas Online, courtesy of the Texas State Historical Association.