A Short History of Tyler

Named for President John Tyler, the city was established on April 11, 1846 by the Texas Legislature as it also created Smith County. Tyler was designated the county seat. A site was selected for the new town at the center of the count. The elevation is about 555 feet.

 

The rapidly growing Tyler was later incorporated in 1850, when the county already had a population of over four thousand residents.

 

Farming grew quickly as farms and plantations thrived on the rich soil, and led to Tyler becoming a major commercial center of East Texas. In the late 1800s, the railroad became another key element in the local economy. Banks were formed, and commerce grew, and cotton became the main commercial crop.

 

Tyler became a city in 1907 when it was approaching a census of about 10,000 people. followed by truck farms and fruit orchards. However, a blight decimated much of the fruit industry, and by 1920 the rose growing industry had gained a major foothold in the area, and led to the creation of the world-renown Tyler Rose Festival.

 

Another major economic stimulus arose in the early 1930s with the discovery of oil in the area. Many oil companies opened facilities in Tyler, pushing the population to near 30,000 by the 1940.  World War II saw the creation of Camp Fannin northeast of Tyler.

Post-war Tyler gradually changed, and emerged, into the leading manufacturing, commercial, agricultural, and retail center of East Texas, in addition to its base in the oil, gas, and chemical industries. Tyler also is the home of numerous highly-respected educational institutions, include the University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler Junior College, and Texas College.

 

As it moved into the 21st century, the Tyler MSA has a population of about 185,000.