Gilmer, Texas
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Gilmer is a city in, and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of, Upshur County, Texas, United States. It is best known for being the home of the East Texas Yamboree and the birthplace of popular music singers Don Henley of the
Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
band and
Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...
, as well as blues musician Freddie King. Its population was 4,843 at the 2020 census.


History

Founded in 1846, the city's namesake is former
Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...
Thomas Walker Gilmer. Gilmer is located on the Old Cherokee Trace, a trail used by the Cherokee Indians in their travels. To this day, arrowheads and other Native American artifacts can be found with little to no digging.
Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...
, when he lived with the Cherokee, traveled the trace through here. The location of Gilmer was determined by a flood on Little Cypress Creek. First located near the creek, residents decided to change locations because of frequent floods. In 1919, Chilton Jennings, a 28-year-old African American man, was lynched in Gilmer’s town square by a mob of approximately 1,000 white residents.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of 4.6 mi2 (12.0 km2), all land. Four miles west of Gilmer is Lake Gilmer, which opened September 29, 2001. Gilmer is part of a larger area known as the East Texas Piney Woods.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Gilmer has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, 4,843 people, 1,778 households, and 987 families were residing in the city. As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, 4,799 people, 1,926 households, and 1,300 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 2,214 housing units averaged 479.1 per mi2 (185.0/km). The racial makeup of the city was 75.91% White, 20.23% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.90% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.42% of the population. Of the 1,926 households, 30.1% had children under 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were not families. About 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was distributed as 25.3% under 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 76.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,487, and for a family was $39,688. Males had a median income of $32,437 versus $17,910 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $16,823. About 15.9% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 26.5% of those under the age of 18 and 21.0% of those 65 and older.


Education

Gilmer is served by the Gilmer Independent School District.


Notable people


Music

* Don Henley, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and founding member of the
Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
* Freddie King, guitarist and singer in Blues Hall of Fame and
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
*
Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...
, multiple platinum-selling
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
and standards singer;
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...
* Jason Sellers, country music singer-songwriter * Michelle Shocked, folk singer-songwriter


Sports

* Kris Boyd, football defensive back for the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
* Curtis Brown, former defensive back for the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
* Gus Johnson, former NFL running back * Manuel Johnson, former wide receiver for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
* G. J. Kinne, NFL and
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
quarterback * Kenny Pettway, linebacker for the Edmonton Eskimos * David Snow, offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers * Jeff Traylor, head football coach UTSA * Louis Wright, former four-time first-team All-Pro cornerback for the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...


Other

* Chilton Jennings, lynched in Gilmer, Texas * David Abner, an African-American Republican state representative from 1874 to 1875, he was brought to Upshur County as a
slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
from
Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. Abou ...
. * Charles F. Baird, a former justice of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and former judge, Travis County District Court, he is the only judge in Texas history to preside over the exoneration of a deceased individual; he was longtime criminal-justice reform advocate. * Robert N. McClelland was a
surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...
for John F. Kennedy at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on the day of his assassination. * Harold Moss, the first African-American mayor of
Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
* Thomas F. Proctor, a trainer of
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorses, he won the 1994 edition of the Breeders' Cup Distaff * Robert L. Stephens, record-setting
test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...


In popular culture

* The Michelle Shocked song "Memories of East Texas" recalls her experiences growing up in Gilmer.Michelle Shocked - Memories Of East Texas Lyrics
Retrieved 2022-10-11.


Notes


References

* *


External links


City of Gilmer official website.
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Upshur County, Texas County seats in Texas Longview metropolitan area, Texas