Timeline of Tyler, Texas

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Tyler, Texas, USA.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

## 19th century

[edit]

Part of a series on the

History of Texas
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Early Spanish explorations|  1519-1543
French Texas|  1684-1689
Spanish Texas|  1690-1821
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Statehood|  1845-1860
Civil War Era|  1861-1865
Reconstruction|  1865-1899
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* 1846 – Tyler founded as seat of newly created Smith County.[1][2]
* 1848
* William Bartlett elected mayor.[3]
* First Baptist Church founded.[4]
* 1850
* Town of Tyler incorporated.[1]
* Population: 1,024 (estimate).[5]
* 1851 – Tyler Telegraph newspaper begins publication.[6]
* 1863 – Camp Ford Confederate-run prisoner of war camp begins operating near town during the American Civil War.[7]
* 1870 – Bonner and Williams Bank in business.[7]
* 1871 – Bowdoin Literary Society founded.[8]
* 1874 – Houston & Great Northern Railroad begins operating.[1]
* 1877 – Tyler Tap Railroad built.[7]
* 1882 – "Public school system" organized.[7]
* 1888 – Tyler Electric Light and Power Co. in operation.[9]
* 1889 – Temple Beth El (synagogue) built.[10]
* 1890 – Population: 6,908.[5][2]
* 1894 – Texas College founded.[7]
* 1895 – Robert Henson Hillard (4 March 1869 – 29 October 1895), accused of raping and murdering 23-year-old Rebecca Bell (née Rebecca Kinsey; 1872–1895), wife of Leonard Bell (1870–1900), was lynched – burned alive for 50 minutes – while 7,000 to 12,000 spectators watched; he was initially identified as Jim King[11]

* 1895 – Colored Methodist Episcopal church established.[2]
* 1898
* Daily Courier newspaper in publication.[6]
* Texas Federation of Women's Literary Clubs conference held in Tyler.[12]
* 1900 – Population: 8,069.[2]

## 20th century

[edit]

* 1904 – Carnegie Public Library of Tyler opens.[13]
* 1907 – City of Tyler incorporated.[1][2]
* 1909 – Smith County Courthouse built.[7]
* 1910 – Population: 10,400.[5][2]
* 1915 – "Manager-commission form of government" adopted.[7]
* 1916 – East Texas Fair begins.[1]
* 1918 – Chamber of Commerce incorporated.[9]
* 1926 – Tyler Junior College founded.[1]
* 1929 – Tyler Morning Telegraph newspaper begins publication.[14]
* 1930
* East Texas Oil Field discovered in vicinity of Tyler; oil boom begins.[7]
* Liberty Theatre in business.[15]
* Population: 17,113.[5]
* 1931 – KGKB radio begins broadcasting.[16]
* 1933 – Texas Rose Festival begins.[1]
* 1935 – Bergfeld Park amphitheater built.[17]
* 1936 – Tyler Symphony Orchestra established.[18]
* 1938 – Tyler City Hall built.
* 1940 – Tyler Theater built (approximate date).[15]
* 1943 – U.S. military Camp Fannin begins operating near city during World War II.
* 1950 – Population: 38,968.[5]
* 1952 – Tyler Municipal Rose Garden opens.[19]
* 1953 – Caldwell Zoo established.[20]
* 1954
* Smith County Courthouse rebuilt.[1]
* KLTV (television) begins broadcasting.[21]
* 1955 – Green Acres Baptist Church (later megachurch) established.[22][23]
* 1959 – Smith County Historical Society founded.[24]
* 1971 – University of Texas at Tyler established.[1]
* 1975 – Broadway Square Mall in business.
* 1980 – Population: 70,508.[5]
* 1986 – Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler established.[25]
* 1988 – East Texas Islamic Society founded.[26]
* 1996 – City website online (approximate date).[27][28]

## 21st century

[edit]

* 2005 – Louie Gohmert becomes U.S. representative for Texas's 1st congressional district.[29]
* 2007 – Sky Vue Drive-In cinema in business.[15]
* 2010 – Population: 96,900.[30]
* 2011 – Liberty Hall opens.
* 2014 – Martin Heines becomes mayor.[31]
* 2016 – Historic preservation city planning begins.[32]

2022- Robert E Lee and John Tyler high school names were changed to Tyler Legacy and Tyler High

## See also

[edit]

* List of mayors of Tyler, Texas
* Smith County history
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Smith County, Texas

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hellmann 2006.
2. ^ a b c d e f Britannica 1910.
3. ^ Glover 1976.
4. ^ "Texas Historic Sites Atlas". Austin: Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
5. ^ a b c d e f "City Population History from 1850–2000: Tyler", Texas Almanac, Texas State Historical Association
6. ^ a b "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Christopher Long. "Tyler, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
8. ^ Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
9. ^ a b "Tyler History". Cityoftyler.org. City of Tyler. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
10. ^ "Texas: Northeast Texas: Tyler". Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. Jackson, Mississippi: Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
11. ^ "Slowly Roasted – a Negro Tortured to Death at the Stake – Swallowed Flames – in a Vain Effort to End His Agony and Escape in Death His Persecutors – His Crime Was Fiendish – How the Murder and Outrage Was Committed—Thousands Watched the Execution Which Took Place at Tyler," Galveston Daily News, Vol. 54, No. 220, October 30, 1895, front page, col. 3 (accessible via Portal to Texas History)
12. ^ Stella L. Christian, ed. (1919). History of the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs. Houston: Dealy-Adey-Elgin Co. OCLC 1689884.
13. ^ "Historical Sketches of Texas Libraries: Tyler", Handbook of Texas Libraries, Houston: Texas Library Association, 1908, hdl:2027/uc1.b4221835 - via HathiTrust
14. ^ "About Us". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Tyler Paper. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
15. ^ a b c "Movie Theaters in Tyler, TX". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
16. ^ Jack Alicoate, ed. (1939), "Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States: Texas", Radio Annual, New York: Radio Daily, OCLC 2459636
17. ^ "Construction contract awarded to update Bergfeld Park's amphitheater", Tyler Morning Telegraph, December 14, 2016
18. ^ "History". Tyler: East Texas Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
19. ^ "Directory of City Parks". City of Tyler. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
20. ^ Vernon N. Kisling, Jr., ed. (2001). "Zoological Gardens of the United States (chronological list)". Zoo and Aquarium History. USA: CRC Press. pp. 375+. ISBN 978-1-4200-3924-5.
21. ^ "United States TV Stations: Texas", Yearbook of Radio and Television, New York: Radio Television Daily, 1964, OCLC 7469377 - via Internet Archive
22. ^ "Green Acres Baptist Church to celebrate 60 years of ministry", Tyler Morning Telegraph, May 1, 2015
23. ^ Scott Thumma (ed.). "Database of Megachurches in the U.S." Connecticut: Hartford Seminary. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
24. ^ "About Us". Tyler, TX: Smith County Historical Society. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
25. ^ "Chronology of Catholic Dioceses: USA". Norway: Roman Catholic Diocese of Oslo. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
26. ^ "Tyler Islamic community members to build mosque", Tyler Morning Telegraph, October 22, 2016
27. ^ "City of Tyler Government Home Page". Archived from the original on February 27, 1997 - via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
28. ^ Kevin Hyde; Tamie Hyde (eds.). "United States of America: Texas". Official City Sites. Utah. OCLC 40169021. Archived from the original on August 24, 2000.
29. ^ "Texas". Official Congressional Directory. 1991/1992- : S. Pub. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 2005. hdl:2027/mdp.49015002997139 - via HathiTrust.
30. ^ "Tyler city, Texas". QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
31. ^ "Mayor". Cityoftyler.org. City of Tyler. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
32. ^ City of Tyler (24 July 2016). "Tyler Strategic Historic Preservation Plan". Retrieved April 15, 2017 - via WordPress.

## Bibliography

[edit]

1. "Tyler". Texas State Gazetteer and Business Directory. St. Louis: R.L. Polk & Co. 1884.
2. "Tyler". Texas State Gazetteer and Business Directory. Detroit: R.L. Polk & Co. 1890.
3. "Tyler" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). 1910. p. 496.
4. "Tyler". Texas State Gazetteer and Business Directory. Detroit: R.L. Polk & Co. 1914.
5. Federal Writers' Project (1940), "Tyler", Texas: a Guide to the Lone Star State, American Guide Series, New York: Hastings House, pp. 404–405, hdl:2027/mdp.39015002677667 - via HathiTrust404-405&rft.pub=Hastings+House&rft.date=1940&rft_id=info:hdl/2027/mdp.39015002677667?urlappend=%3Bseq=508&rft.au=Federal+Writers'+Project&rft_id=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015002677667?urlappend=%3Bseq=508&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Timeline+of+Tyler,+Texas" class="Z3988">`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
6. Gladys Peters Austin, Along the Century Trail: Early History of Tyler, Texas (Dallas: Avalon Press, 1946).
7. Albert Woldert (1948). History of Tyler and Smith County. San Antonio: Naylor - via University of North Texas Libraries.
8. Chronicles Of Smith County, Texas, Tyler: Smith County Historical Society. 1962- (Index)
9. Robert W. Glover; Linda Brown Cross, eds. (1976). Tyler & Smith County, Texas: An Historical Survey. American Bicentennial Committee of Tyler-Smith County - via University of North Texas Libraries.
10. Donald W. Whisenhunt, comp., Chronological History of Smith County (Tyler, Texas: Smith County Historical Society, 1983).
11. Paul T. Hellmann (2006). "Texas: Tyler". Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 1-135-94859-3.
12. Archie P. McDonald (2006). Historic Smith County: An Illustrated History of Tyler & Smith County. San Antonio: Historical Publishing Network. ISBN 978-1-893619-66-1.
13. Robert E. Reed Jr. (2008). Tyler. Images of America. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 9780738548418.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to History of Tyler, Texas.

* "United States - Texas - Smith County - Tyler". Portal to Texas History. Denton: University of North Texas Libraries. 20 July 2023.
* "Tyler". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin.
* Items related to Tyler, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)

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