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Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Craft Festival collection

 Collection
Identifier: RG-0000-0161

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

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.

Repository Details

Part of the Tennessee Tech University Special Collections Repository

Contact:
1100 North Peachtree Avenue
PO Box 5066
Cookeville Tennessee 38505 United States