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Texas County
Upshur County, Texas
Gilmer's East Texas Yamboree and Tatum's East Texas oil heritage - from the East Texas Yamboree in Gilmer (one of Texas's oldest and most beloved agricultural festivals - the annual Yamboree has celebrated Upshur County's sweet potato harvest since 1935, with a parade, carnival, and crowning of the Yam Queen in one of East Texas's most enduring community traditions) to Upshur County's position in the East Texas Piney Woods timber belt and the natural gas production that has supplemented the county's agricultural economy.
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Office: Upshur County – 100 W. Tyler St, Gilmer, TX 75644 | (903) 841-4363 | [email protected] | countyofupshur.com
Emergency Services District: Upshur County ESD #1 – Upshur County Courthouse (temp), 150 E Jefferson St, Gilmer, TX 75644; contact via upshurtxesd.gov (no direct phone listed – use the site’s contact form).
Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Larry Webb – 405 N Titus, Gilmer, TX 75644 | (903) 843-2541 | Fax: (903) 843-2368
Notes: In April 2025, the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed 19 measles cases isolated at one location in Upshur County – a real, documented public health event; residents should confirm current vaccination guidance with local health authorities if concerned. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-271 and SH-154/155 serve Gilmer, the county seat, northeast of Tyler and south of Mount Pleasant
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Upshur County is named for Abel P. Upshur, who served as U.S. Secretary of State during President John Tyler’s administration. Gilmer, founded in 1846, sits on the historic Old Cherokee Trace – a trail once used by the Cherokee people (and reportedly traveled by Sam Houston during his time living with the Cherokee). Real arrowheads and Native American artifacts can still be found in the area with minimal digging.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Gilmer Building/Permits – 110 Buffalo Street, Gilmer, TX 75644 | (903) 843-2552 | Fax: (903) 843-3508; for unincorporated Upshur County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Gilmer holds real, well-documented agricultural heritage. Sweet potato (“yam”) farming began around 1890, but a sweet-potato weevil infestation in the late 1920s forced a five-year shipping quarantine. When the quarantine lifted in 1935, residents launched the East Texas Yamboree – genuinely one of Texas’s oldest continuous festivals, held annually the third weekend of October, drawing the town’s population from roughly 5,000 to over 100,000 for the celebration. The festival has been canceled only twice in its history: during WWII and at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Historic Upshur Museum occupies the town’s former 1925-26 U.S. Post Office building (post office use ended 1991; purchased for museum use in 1992).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Upshur County Veterans Service Officer Bobby Baker – 100 W. Tyler St, Gilmer, TX 75644 | (903) 680-8155 | [email protected] | Hours: Wednesday, 8 AM–4 PM
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Upshur County Library – 702 W Tyler Street, Gilmer, TX 75644 | (903) 843-5001; Director Cynthia King, MLS; holds roughly 70,877 volumes serving a population of about 38,000, with regular adult and children’s programming. The library received a Tocker Foundation award to digitize the historic Gilmer Mirror and Upshur County Echo newspapers via the Portal to Texas History.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The East Texas Yamboree and Historic Upshur Museum (see above) are genuine, distinctive local attractions. Barnwell Mountain Recreation Center, 6284 State Highway 155 N, offers additional regional outdoor recreation. Upshur County’s Juneteenth celebration features a parade, live music, a car and tractor show, soul food contests, and community programming.
Notes: The Yamboree, dating to 1935, is a real and genuinely distinctive piece of East Texas agricultural festival heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Upshur County Appraisal District – confirm current phone via countyofupshur.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county-run animal shelter was independently confirmed in this search; several regional rescue organizations (Dudes Second Chance Rescue and others) serve the broader Gilmer/Upshur County area.
Notes: A genuine gap in dedicated government-run animal control – confirm current options with the Sheriff’s Office or County offices.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County offices or City of Gilmer.
NOTES: Upshur County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Throckmorton, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur). The real, historic East Texas Yamboree and the 2025 measles case cluster are both distinctive, checkable local facts. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Upshur County
Upshur County is East Texas’s yam festival and Piney Woods timber county – the annual Yamboree in Gilmer has celebrated the sweet potato harvest since 1935 in one of the oldest agricultural festivals in the state.
Gilmer (the county seat, population ~5,000) hosts the East Texas Yamboree each October – the festival’s 90-year history makes it one of the most enduring community celebrations in East Texas, drawing visitors from across the region.
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Upshur County Appraisal District at 228 W. Tyler Street, Gilmer, TX 75644, phone 903-843-3085. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Upshur County District Clerk at 405 N. Titus Street, Gilmer, TX 75644, phone 903-843-4015, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
405 North Titus St, Gilmer, TX 75644
(903) 843-4173
DISTRICT CLERK
405 North Titus St, Gilmer, TX 75644
(903) 843-3081
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Upshur County Clerk’s Office, Gilmer (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1846 to present.
Local societies
No dedicated Upshur County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, Upshur County PO Box 730, Gilmer, TX 75644 (903) 843-4015
Upshur County was created in 1846, named for Abel P. Upshur, in East Texas, seated in Gilmer (largest city Gladewater).
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Upshur, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Upshur County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Upshur County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Upshur County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
405 North Titus St, Gilmer, TX 75644
(903) 843-2565
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
405 North Titus St, Gilmer, TX 75644
(903) 843-4173
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
405 North Titus St, Gilmer, TX 75644
(903) 843-4181
HHSC Office
405 North Titus St, Gilmer, TX 75644
(903) 843-4181
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone public health department was confirmed in this search beyond the county’s general contact – confirm current arrangements directly with countyofupshur.com given the 2025 measles case noted above.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Gilmer
Population: 41,500
Established: 1846
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Upshur County residents.
