The Legacy of the Tomato Bowl: More Than a Stadium

Photo Courtesy of Explore Jacksonville, Texas

JACKSONVILLE, Texas (TXAN 24) — Standing tall in the heart of Jacksonville, Texas, the Tomato Bowl isn’t just a stadium — it’s a story etched in stone.

Built in 1940 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) — a New Deal initiative designed to create jobs during the Great Depression — the Tomato Bowl was constructed with hand-cut iron ore rock, harvested locally from East Texas soil.

That unique reddish-brown stone didn’t just build a stadium; it built a monument that still stands strong 80+ years later.

The stadium earned its name from Jacksonville’s once-booming tomato industry. During the early 1900s, Jacksonville was known as the “Tomato Capital of the World.” The region shipped millions of pounds of tomatoes by rail, and the crop helped build the town’s economy — and spirit.

Naming the stadium the “Tomato Bowl” was a tribute to that legacy, marrying the town’s agricultural roots with its football passion.

For decades, Friday nights in Jacksonville have meant one thing: Jacksonville Indians Football in the Tomato Bowl. From packed bleachers and roaring student sections to generations of families watching their sons wear the Fightin’ Indians jersey, the stadium has been a rite of passage, all the way down to the burning J.

In 2018, the city undertook a $15 million renovation to preserve this iconic venue.

When the Tomato Bowl reopened in 2019, it did so with new life — upgraded facilities, a modern turf field, improved press box and seating — but the same original iron ore rock exterior.

They didn’t rebuild it; they respected it, blending legacy with the future.

The Tomato Bowl is where high school football feels sacred, or definitely did when I was growing up. It’s where the past shakes hands with the present every single fall.

And in a state full of modern stadiums, none can match the history, heart, and hometown pride of the Tomato Bowl.

So, it’s not just about winning a poll — it’s about honoring a Texas High School Football all landmark that has outlasted eras, industries, and generations.