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Records were set in 1972 for both money received and spent for the Yamboree. The Yamboree Association pur chased a pre-fab steel exhibit building for about $19,000. It was erected at the Yamboree grounds in time to house Yamboree exhibits. Miss Potter received another honor earlier in the year when she was chosen from among 114 duchesses all over Texas to become Cotton Queen at the Cotton Pageant at Texas AM. A Yamboree delegation went to San Antonio to par ticipate in the first annual Texas Folklife Festival. W. R. Keel, practioner of the almost lost art of boardmaking, demonstrated his skills at the festival with boards carried to San Antonio from Upshur County. He restored an old slave cabin at the J. C. McDonald place (owned by Mar garet Miracle) east of Gilmer earlier in the year. SH 300 RIGHT-OF-WAY First purchase of right-of-way for Highway 300 im provements was made in 1972. On July 31, a group of county citizens appeared before the State Highway Com mission in Austin asking for $3,357,000 to be spent on im proving the Gilmer-to-Longview route. Paving of streets and sewer extensions in Patterson and Westpark Additions and on Dean Street in the indus trial park in south Gilmer were city jobs during the year. The council also okayed the purchase of Pine Acres water system. Mayor Don McClung and councilman Ralph Byman were returned to office in April city election. City and county governments participated during the year in buying new police radio equipment to tie into a single-frequency county cooperative radio system. It also fiees into a state radio network. The program, to be im plemented in early 1973, was organized through the East Texas Council of Governments. ETEX TELEPHONE STRIKE Fourteen Etex Telephone workers went on strike March 21. The strike by Truck Drivers and Helpers Local 568, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was settled four months later when a three-year contract was signed. Contributing to a record landslide over the nation, Upshur County went 70 per cent to re-elect the president, with 5,000 ballots counted. Sen. John Tower, re-elected for six years, received 52 per cent of the Upshur vote, and governor-elect Dolph Briscoe snared 66 per cent of the county vote. In other elections, the Dist. 2 Senate seat was won by Tyler oilman Peyton McKnight although Mrs. F. R. (Lois) Jackson carried Upshur County in both primary and run off. Doyce Lee of Naples edged Lone Star Attorney Jim Stanley in the county and won in the Dist. 2 state repre sentative runoff race. J. A. (Buzz) Pruitt, a Gilmer senior, and Bobby Berry, a 1971 Gilmer graduate, became the first candidates under 21 years of age in Upshur County history as they entered the race for Gilmer School Board. But the youth vote didn’t carry the day and board members F. L. (Tiny) Garrison, Otis Phillips and Jack Walton won re-election. RESULTS OF ELECTION In county races, Charles Still of Big Sandy defeated in cumbent Prec. 3 commissioner Everett L. Fannin, and other candidates L. B. Anderson, Hulan Warren and James Skinner. Cantrell Loyd, appointed Prec. 2 commissioner upon the death of Bryant Holmes, won the commissioner post in his own right, winning over three opponents, J. W. Meadows, R. W. “Buck” Harris and Paul Henson. Doyle Johnson won sejection as sheriff defeating Robert Anderson and Tulley Reynolds. The weather was in the news from a dry spring to a wet fall, with several windstorms and twisters in between, and finally with one of the most severe early cold snaps in many years coming in December. By late April planting conditions were drastic due to only three inches rainfall during three spring months but rains in May and June saved the day, and peach and melon raisers enjoyed a good July harvest. Another drought in July and August threatened pastures and hay crops but fall rains came just in time. As much rain fell in the last four months of 1972 as occurred in the first 8 months, and for the year, rainfall is approximately the norm of 43 inches. OUTBREAK OF SCREWWORMS The year saw outbreaks of screwworms in Texas and several in Upshur County. The first outbreak came in June at the McVar Farm at Sand Hill and later five cases were found in the Pritchett, Diana, Bettie, Soules Chapel and Indian Rock areas. Sterile male screwworm flies were dropped from the air by state officials to attempt to stop the screwworms from spreading. Cattle prices were at near record high levels, which played a big role in another continuing story of 1972—the rising prosperity in Upshur County’s economy. Banks reported steady increases in assets, loans and deposits; sales tax collections were at record highs; timber prices were constantly on the rise as more companies were beginning to compete for the area’s wood resources. While inflation was cited as having something to do with the rising economic statistics, most businesses were saying by Christmas time it was a good year.
Newspaper Details
Gilmer Mirror
Gilmer, Texas, US
Thu, Dec 28, 1972
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Eric L.
CA 13 May 2026
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Gilmer Mirror
