Gilmer, TX
Music connected to Gilmer
About Gilmer
- • Don Meredith, Dallas Cowboys quarterback, was born in Gilmer.
- • The unique "East Texas Yamboree" celebration originated here.
- • The East Texas Yamboree put Gilmer on the map as a sweet potato hub.
- • Legend says buried Confederate gold lies hidden near Gilmer.
- • The oil boom of the 1930s significantly boosted Gilmer's economy.
- • It was named for Thomas Gilmer, Secretary of the Navy, established in 1846.
- • With around 5,000 people, Gilmer is smaller than many Texas towns.
- • Gilmer sits 354 feet above sea level, offering gentle rolling hills.
- • Agriculture, particularly sweet potato farming, remains a key industry.
- • Gilmer exudes small-town charm and a strong sense of community.
- • The Dallas Cowboys, located about 130 miles away, are a regional favorite.
- • Gilmer Buckeyes won the 2004, 2009, and 2014 state football championships.
- • The local soils are primarily sandy loams, typical of the East Texas Timberlands region.
- • Lake Gilmer, a reservoir on Big Cypress Creek, provides recreational opportunities.
- • White-tailed deer are commonly observed in the forests surrounding the town.
- • Pine trees dominate the East Texas Timberlands surrounding Gilmer.
- • The Caddo people inhabited the region prior to European settlement.
- • Jim Reeves, a country music singer, died in a plane crash near Gilmer on July 31, 1964.
- • The Upshur County Courthouse, a Classical Revival structure, was built in 1909.
- • U.S. Highway 271 runs north-south through the heart of Gilmer.
