A Brief Photographic Tour of Upshur County History
(Continued)
George Washington Birthday Celebration - 1900
The Bon Ton Society
At the turn of the century, when small community societies were the rage,
this group of Gilmer girls put on their white dresses, their black fashionable
hats, bows, and shashes, and had Mr. Hays photograph them for posterity.
Their name, Bon Tons, is no doubt a quaint version of the way the French
term "Bon Temps" (good times) would have sounded.
The Annual Cotton Judging - 1930
Around 1930, when cotton was still king, a competition was held each fall
for the first bale of cotton to be produced. This was apparently such an
occasion, with the winning bale on the truck in the foreground. The crowd
gathered onthe northwest side of the square, with the Crosby-McGaughy-Marshall
dry goods store (soon to be Marshall's), the R. C. Barnwell drug store,
and the Ed C. Stephens grocery store in the background.
The First Yamboree Parade in 1935
The first Yamboree parade was held in 1935. The old courthouse was still
on the square at the time and can be seen in the background festively decorated;
it was torn down the next year. The theme of the float by Gilmer High School
was "Yams Under Six Flags." The state was at the time planning
its Centennial celebration for 1936.
Continue the Tour
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©Jere L.
Jackson, Stephen F. Austin State University, P.O. Box 6134, Nacogdoches,
Texas 75962 USA
E-mail: Center for East Texas Studies@sfasu.edu
URL: http://144.96.211.125/CETS.html
LAST MODIFIED: April 23, 1996