Hailey Heseltine
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Jefferson County has been an agricultural community since its beginning. In true southern fashion, its primary crop for decades was cotton. But with the introduction of the exotic watermelon seed, a change began taking root.
William M. Giradeau, a local resident, took great interest in watermelon. In the latter ninteenth century, he founded the Giradeau Seed Company, and his vision for the crop's future proved true—by 1884, Jefferson County was already becoming a major watermelon seed supplier for the entire nation. Other field-owners soon followed suit across the county, including D.H. Gilbert and Frank Sattler near Monticello, Frank Taylor and W.B. Bishop near Lloyd, and W. J. Hatchett near Lamont. Giradeau's efforts, including a unique invention he created to separate seeds from watermelon, brought new awareness and support for the crop as a worthy agricultural endeavor. The production was briefly inhibited by a major freeze in 1895, but it sprang back stronger than ever by the turn of the century, when it overtook cotton as Jefferson County's primary crop. In just a few decades, the watermelon industry had become more impactful than ever imagined.
By the 1940s, Jefferson County produced about 80 percent of the nation's watermelon seeds—a staggering statistic for a seemingly humble community. Because of watermelon's impact on the development of the community, in 1949, the American Legion instituted the annual Watermelon Festival we know and love today. For 72 years, the Watermelon Festival has honored the crop, and most importantly, the people behind it all.
This year, the Watermelon Festival returns with various festivities over the span of two weeks, beginning June 3 and ending June 17. Some of the events, such as the parade and Watermelon Queen Pageants, are traditions held since the very first festival. Be sure not to miss this timeless celebration of our county's past and present!