The World Champion Hopkins County Stew contest was started by Rod Henderson (now deceased), who was active in the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce for a number of years and was later named Manager of the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center.

The year was 1970 and there were 12 cooking teams in that first contest. This year we expect over 130 cooking teams to enter. Hopkins County Stew, however, goes waaaaaay back to the 19^th century---We only made it a contest in 1970. There are several theories of how Hopkins County Stew got started, but the most popular one was that it began with school "closings". In the Fall of the year, each year, county schools (at one time there were over 100 schools in Hopkins County) would close at cotton picking time, for a period of about six weeks, so the students could join their families in harvesting the cotton crop. Dairying replaced cotton as the main agricultural enterprise in the mid-1930's and remains strong today, along with equine, beef and forage crop farming. Anyway, the last day of school, families from across the district would gather at the school and cook a noon meal (a stew) in a cast iron pot and everyone would bring whatever ingredients they had to put in the stew. Most of the meat at that time was probably squirrel. (Note): Hopkins County Stew is akin to what is commonly referred to as "Irish Stew" and may be an offshoot of that brought to this country by early Irish immigrants.

Congratulations to our

2009 World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest Winners!

Third place beef stew winner was the team of Garland Hays & Enola Gay

sponsored by Gary Davis & SS Antique Auction

Their $50 prize money was provided by Alliance Document Shredding

Their third place stew was purchased at auction for $200.00 by _Vista Care________.

Second place beef stew winner was the team of #39 Joe Wallace, Scott Brown & Bryan Allen

sponsored by Morningstar.

Their $_150.00____ prize money was provided by A.K. Gillis and Sons.

Their second place stew was purchased at auction for $ 350.00 by _State Representative Mark Homer and Jordan Health Services.

First place beef stew winner was the team of #105 Cal Clark & James Clark

sponsored by Lou Nell's Fashion & Sulta Manufacturing.

Their $300.00 prize money was provided by N.E.T.B.I.O.Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization.

Their first place stew was purchased at auction for $500.00 byAgriland Farm Credit.

Third place chicken winner was the team of #14 Bryan Barclay & Ellen Mathews sponsored by CPI.

Their prize money of $50.00was provided by Alliance Document Shredding.

Their third place stew was purchased at auction for $200.00by League Street Church of Christ, Aflac: Leanne Oliver and Best Western Trail Dust Inn.

Second place chicken stew winner was the team of #5 Beth Adams & Mary Allensponsored by Songbird Hill Farms

Their prize money of $150.00was provided by Town & Country Cleaners.

Their second place chicken stew was purchased at auction for $575.00 by Century 21 First Group, Century 21 Hometown, Hopkins County Abstract, Professional Land Title Co. Allan Real Estate, Coldwell Banker-Watson Company, Glenn Irvin & Company and ReMax Advanced.

First place chicken stew winner was the team of #30 Steve Littlefield & Sarah Ragsdill_

sponsored by Ben E. Keith.

Their prize money of $300.00 was provided by Audley Moore Construction.

Their first place chicken stew was purchased at auction for $700.00 by Carriage House Manor.

2^nd place Super Stew award was won by #128 Jerry Blount & John Mark McAfee sponsored by Pro Auto Tint..

Their prize money of $250.00 was sponsored by ___We Pack.

The 2^nd place Super Stew was purchased at auction for $400.00 by __Clayton Homes and Advantage Copy Systems.

Super Stew winner was the team of #28 Steve Littlefield & James McMahan

sponsored by ReMax

Their prize money of $500.00 was provided by _Atmos Energy.

Their winning quart of Super Stew was purchased at auction by Carriage House Manor for $1300.

Campsite and costume winner this year was site #57 Kathy Hipkins & Lorell Rainey

sponsored by Jeff's Carpet & Cleaning.

Their $200 prize was provided by Front Porch News Texas.

The John Chester Award for Super Campsite winner was site # 7 Chris & Carolyn Gibbins s

ponsored by _Chris Gibbins

Their $250 prize was provided by Ocean Spray.

Honorable Mention in the Stew Contest were:

Super Campsite # 136 Don Meeks & Bennie Harris sponsored by 1^st Choice Home Health

Campsite/Costume # 118 Darrell Crocker & Billy Cummings sponsored by Cummings Construction

Chicken # #63William Egan & Weldon Watts sponsored by Folmar Drilling Company.

Beef #3 Dan Fronenberger & Amber Norris sponsosred by SS FFA

Super Stew #53 Robin Wells and in memory of Donna Reed, sponsored by Quality Wholesale

We would also like to thank the following sponsors who provided products for the contest:

Furr's & Chili's-- Crackers;

Chicken Express-- Quarts, Lids & Napkins;

Southwest Dairy Museum -- Cheese, Spoons & Bowls

Brookshires-- Trays;

Grocery Supply--Tickets

Alliance Bank & City National Bank --Cheese

Ag Power, Farm Country & Shawn Massey-- Utility Carts

Coca Cola --Water for Judges

Lone Star Dodge --Flags for Tents

Morningstar --Refrigerated Truck

Farmer's Electric Coop --Bottles of Water

Gary Spraggins --Sound

Latson's --Posters & Table Tents

One Stop Sign Shop --Signs

Sulphur Springs Hardware --T-posts & Cedar

Central Baptist Church --Use of Parking Lot

Sulphur Springs ISD --Lights

The Sign Pros --Signs

City of Sulphur Springs -- Making Buford Park the perfect place for a stew contest!