Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Craft Festival collection

Collection

Identifier: RG-0000-0161

Staff Only

Content Description

The dates of the Smithville Jamboree Collection range from 1952 to 2021. There are multiple records creators to this collection, including Berry C. Williams, Mickey Driver, Neil Dudney, Nolan Turner, Maureen Jameson, and Roger Estes. The bulk of the collection, however, is composed of materials preserved by the Smithville Jamboree Board. The collection contains event programs, photographs, ephemera, correspondence, and documents pertaining to the Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival event and establishment. The collection provides a general overview of the festival, such as past competitions, contestants, craft booths, and notable events, such as guest speakers and celebrity and political appearances.

The Smithville Jamboree Collection began as a project to amass research materials on the Smithville Jamboree and Crafts Festival in preparation for a semicentennial celebratory book detailing the history of the event. As digitization continued and the collection grew, representatives of the Smithville Jamboree officially donated the materials to Tennessee Technological University's Archives and Special Collections. The collection is formed from the donations of a multitude of parties and individuals. Members of the Smithville Jamboree Board have personally donated artifacts, photographs, negatives, and programs from previous Jamborees. The board also invited the Smithville community to share materials, which resulted in the inclusion of individual donations.

Dates

1952 - 2022

Biographical / Historical

The Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival was established by Berry C. Williams, James G. Driver, and Congressmen Joe L. Evins in Smithville, Tennessee. Commencing on July 1, 1972, the Smithville Jamboree has since become an annual gathering of musicians, dancers, performers, and artists. Incorporating both local and visiting talented individuals, the Smithville Jamboree has amassed widespread fame in the Upper Cumberland region and surrounding areas. Some of the competitions held during the festivities include fiddle, guitar, Appalachian dulcimer, mandolin, singing, country harmonica, banjo, clogging, square dancing, and a Battle of the Bands. The competitions are intended for beginners only, rather than professionals. The event also hosts a multitude of craft booths, in which a plethora of artisan goods are sold. The Smithville Jamboree is held on the Friday and Saturday closest to Independence Day, centered around the historic town square of Smithville, Tennessee. As Joe L. Evins’ hometown, Smithville was included in the Model Cities Program between 1966 and 1974, which resulted in multiple construction and renovation projects. One of these construction projects was the Dekalb County Courthouse, which serves as the backdrop of the Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree stage and center of the festivities.

Extent

13 Cubic Feet

955 Megabytes

Language of Materials

English

Subjects

Awards Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Bowed stringed instruments Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Charters and articles of incorporation Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Clog dancing Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Craft festivals Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
DeKalb County (Tenn.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Evins, Joe L. (Joe Landon), 1910-1984
Fiddlers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Fiddling -- Competitions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Folk art Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Folk dance music Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Folk dancing Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Folk music Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Folk songs, English -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Music -- Performance Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Music festival programs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Musicians Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Performing arts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Photographs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Public architecture Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Smithville (Tenn.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Square dancing Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Textile crafts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Wood-carving Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Woodwork Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
black-and-white photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
minute books Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival collection
Status: In Progress
Author: Gentry, Jacob
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: English
Script of description: Latin
Sponsor: The Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree processing and digitization project was supported by Mickey and Debbie Driver, who dedicated their time and funding to this project and the Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree.