The East Texas Yamboree For a number of years prior to 1935, farmers of Upshur county and the adjoining counties, had turned their attention to the cultivation and improvement of the sweet potato. The yam, so extensively grown and so popular in East Texas, was found to be of superior quality. To further encourage the cultivation of this excellent product, and to further advertise and popularize the modest East Texas yam, the “East Texas Yamboree” was inaugurated. It was not to represent Gilmer and Upshur county only, but all East Texas, hence—“The East Texas Yamboree.” It seems that the idea of the Yamboree originated with J. A. Brogoitti, who was acting manager of the Gilmer Chamber of Commerce at that time, and J. L. Sowell, vocational teacher in the Gilmer high school. They were assisted by W. D. Seals, who was serving as county agent for Upshur county at that time, and Miss Lorene Stephens, then county Home Demonstration agent. The idea was very popular and every public official and individual citizen assisted when they could. W. C. Barnwell and J. R. Penn, two outstanding potato raisers of the county, gave their moral and financial support to the new enterprise. The East Texas Yamboree was organized in the fall of 1935, with W. C. Barnwell president, and J. A. Brogoitti, manager. It was a modest beginning, but it continued to grow until it became quite an extensive Fair, with a number of other exhibits than the yam. About forty counties of East Texas took part in the exhibits, and it continued to grow in interest and popularity, until it became one of the outstanding events of East Texas. It was also a great social event. The schools and other enterprises of the county, and of the surrounding towns and counties, took part in the parades with their brass bands and decorated floats. Traveling shows and carnivals added their attractions to the occasions. Fiddlers’ contests, and the old-time square dance, with its called sets were held on the paved street adjoining the courthouse square, in the evenings. Crowds gathered from all over the state, until it seemed that Gilmer could not hold all the people. Because of the war conditions, the East Texas Yamboree was discontinued in 1941. It is scheduled to be opened up again, however, in the Fall of 1946, in a celebration of unusual importance, to be known as “The East Texas Victory Yamboree.” Transcriber’s Notes —Silently corrected a few typos. —Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication. —In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_. End of Project Gutenberg's A Brief History of Upshur County, by G. H. Baird