Gladewater Bears

The Gladewater Bears were a minor league team that played in the East Texas and Lone Star leagues in the 1930s and 40s. The franchise began as the Shreveport (Louisiana) Sports and was purchased by oil man Richard Wesley Burnett and moved to Gladewater. The Bears won the league pennant in their first season, 1938, but ceased to exist after that year. The team was brought back in 1948 for a couple of seasons and went an amazing 92-45 in 1950, but didn't win the league title.

Both the league and the team folded after 1950. Bear Park, where the Bears played, is still used today as a Little League field by the Gladewater Youth Baseball Association, and the Bears remain the only pro team to call Gladewater home.