Yamboree

The East Texas Yamboree, a four-day event held annually during the third weekend of October in Gilmer, Texas, celebrates the sweet potato (called a "yam" in the United States) as a former cash crop, drawing thousands of tourists to the city for the occasion. The event has been held in Gilmer since 1935.^[1][2] Festivities at the event include the Queen’s Coronation and Pageant, a carnival, two parades, a barn dance, livestock shows and a marching contest.

History

To celebrate the Texas Centennial, counties around the state were tasked with having festivals. It was decided that Upshur County would celebrate the yam, once again thriving due to the recent lifting of a quarantine on the former cash crop. The quarantine had been put in place in the late 1920s as the result of a weevil infestation.^[3] The festival proved to be so popular that the committee decided it would take place yearly from then on. It was temporarily suspended in 1941 due to World War II, and resumed in 1946.^[4]

Past Yam Queens and Presidents

• 1935 R. C. Barnwell …………….. Jane Tune
• 1936 J. R. Penn …………….. Marjorie Coe
• 1937 W. C. Barnwell …………….. Ruth Hogg
• 1938 V. E. Todd …………….. Ernestine Dedman
• 1939 Fred Arnold …………….. Bobby Jean Warren
• 1940 Fred Arnold …………….. Clarine Smith
• 1941 Fred Arnold …………….. Genice Graves
• 1942 Fred Arnold …………….. Betty Ann Quiz
• 1946 John Brogoitti …………….. Ann Wilkinson
• 1947 B. D. Futrell …………….. Nell Brison
• 1948 Royce Hogg …………….. Barbara King
• 1949 Ralph Michael …………….. Angela Hogg
• 1950 Don Williams …………….. Lena Margaret Harper
• 1951 Robert E. Parsons …………….. Joyce Isbell
• 1952 Wessel Wilson …………….. Linda Carroll
• 1953 Looney E. Lindsey …………….. Diane Dupree
• 1954 F. L. Garrison …………….. Carol Cox
• 1955 B. L Hogg …………….. Mary Lou Ragland
• 1956 Bill Stevenson …………….. Anna Beth Jones
• 1957 Mason Reardon …………….. Sue Sorrells
• 1958 Leon Presnell …………….. Mary Laschinger
• 1959 Melvin M. Cross …………….. Ann Buie
• 1960 James Croley …………….. Margaret Ingram
• 1961 Gordon Finney …………….. Patricia Aldredge
• 1962 Richard Potter …………….. Kay Floyd
• 1963 Tom Davis …………….. Cathy Kurtz
• 1964 Harlan Thacker …………….. Karen Clark
• 1965 C. E. Elwell …………….. Linda Garrison
• 1966 Phil Wood …………….. Donna Williams
• 1967 Harvey Arnold …………….. Nancy Williams
• 1968 Dr. Bob Glaze …………….. Marl Jo Proctor
• 1969 Kenneth White …………….. Lana Sisson
• 1970 Dewitt Alexander …………….. Laine Potter
• 1971 Fred Odom …………….. Cindy Clark
• 1972 Steve Dean …………….. Laura Potter
• 1973 Bill Beisch …………….. Donna Stracener
• 1974 Frank Breazeale …………….. Mary Jane Ford

1975 Byron Spencer …………….. Stephanie Mayfield 1976 Bill Patterson …………….. Phoebe Phillips 1977 Don Smith …………….. Ellizabeth Ann Patterson 1978 Robert Stracener …………….. Susan Stracener 1979 Bill Taylor …………….. Ann & Nan Poole 1980 Steve Williams …………….. Pam Yocom 1981 Jack Baird …………….. Kim Listenbee 1982 Larry Henson …………….. Darrellene Wilson 1983 Cranfill Cox, Jr/Larry Henson …………….. Peggy Lawler 1984 Dr. Andy Glaze …………….. Teri Smith 1985 Paul David Williams …………….. Fran Traywick 1986 Dr. Randy McDaniel …………….. Victoria Mitchell 1987 Elliott Dean …………….. Amy Dean 1988 Pete Herrmann …………….. Kay White 1989 Tedd Austin …………….. Jennifer Bishop 1990 George Dodd …………….. Christi Seahorn 1991 Gary Patterson …………….. Mary Jane Dean 1992 Dr Jerald Walton …………….. Tracy Diane Williams 1993 Kelly Cox White …………….. Anna McDaniel 1994 Steve Stewart …………….. Sarah Lenora Dean 1995 David McQueen …………….. Natalie Young 1996 A. L. Payne Lesley …………….. Erin Glaze 1997 Randy Hill Abigail …………….. Elaine Stewart 1998 Larry Cowan …………….. Hayley Carol Smithhart 1999 Nat Harrison …………….. Elizabeth Anne Daniels 2000 Dr. Dean Bums …………….. Summer Layne Weisinger 2001 Joe Lynn Tillery …………….. Adrierme Lee Lindsey 2002 W. Dennis Despain …………….. Nancy Marie Warden 2003 F. Wayne Skinner …………….. Courtney De-An Bums 2004 Brian Williams …………….. Ann-Marie Despain 2005 Dr. David Buller …………….. Katie Mannis 2006 Phil Fowler Mary …………….. Carol Despain 2007 Jeff Dodd Leslie …………….. Taylor McQueen 2008 Michael Leon Melton …………….. Stephanie Lynn Henson 2009 Dr. Steve Murry …………….. Lindsey Renee' Donaho 2010 Judge Dean Fowler …………….. Kaitlyn Blair Tackett 2011 Randy Hill …………….. Drew Danielle Henson-Hill 2012 Richard (Ricky) Holloway …………….. Mary Paige Linder

See also

• List of festivals in the United States
• List of museums in East Texas

References

1. Sewell, Ernestine P. (1989). Eats: A Folk History of Texas Foods. TCU Press. p. 169. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
2. "Families celebrate 74th East Texas Yamboree in Gilmer - KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather Sports".
3. Laschinger Kirby, Mary (2009). Gilmer. Arcadia Publishing. p. 68. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
4. "Gilmer, Tex., Warms Up for Harvest at Yamboree Revival". The Billboard. 27 July 1946. Retrieved 25 March 2014.

External links

• Official Yamboree site