Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Trojan B.B. Palmer has Georgia on his mind.

No, he’s not a Georgia Bulldog fan; he has a cowboy frame of mind and is a Will James partisan.

Palmer is serving his second term as president of the Will James Society, a national organization with the mission to promote the legacy, literature and art of the cowboy author and artist.

The Will James Society’s 2022 Annual Gather, “Georgia on My Mind,” will be in Cartersville, Georgia, October 20-23 at sites including the Booth Western Art Museum.

“In and around Pike County, we have a lot of ‘cowboys,’ and many that enjoy knowing about and learning about the Old West,” Palmer said. “And, those who are, know about and appreciate Will James, as a cowboy, as a writer and as an artist.

“The Will James Society promotes Will James’ legacy through different ways including giving copies of his books to schools, libraries, hospitals and senior centers. The society has given lots of books right here in Pike County and they have been well received.”

Palmer said he and other locals are looking forward to the 2022 Annual Gather of the Will James Society.

“Oh, we have a good time getting together and sharing a like interest in Will James and his art and his writing,” Palmer said. “I’ve seen the artwork of lots of Western artists, including Charles Russell and Fredrick Remington. They are all very good, but not one of them ever painted a ridin’ and ropin; cowboy like Will James and nobody writes stories about the Old West that equal his.”

Palmer said his membership in the Will James Society has opened a world of opportunities for him and his late wife Nita.

“We first went to Colorado Springs to see the Cowboy Hall of Fame,” Palmer said. “We then went to 13 Gathers in a row. And, I want others who appreciate the cowboy way of life and those who preserve in through their writings and art, to know about the Gather in Cartersville. It’s a great opportunity and an experience well worth the drive.”

The Cowboy Festival is on the grounds of the Booth Western Art Museum. The 1,000 square-foot museum which offers an opportunity to “See the West without Leaving the South.”

Palmer said there is no better time or place to experience the Old West than during the Will James Society’s 2022 Annual Gather, “Georgia on My Mind,” in Cartersville, Georgia, October 20-23.

“Anyone who has an interest in the Old West, as seen through the eyes of Western artists and writers and being with others who also do, would enjoy ‘the Gather’ in Cartersville,” Palmer said. “It will be a great opportunity and I can guarantee a good time.”