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== Recreation & Tourism ==
== Recreation & Tourism ==


Annually, the [[Texas Rose Festival]] draws thousands of tourists to Tyler.<ref>http://www.texasrosefestival.com/festival/now.htm</ref> The festival, which celebrates the role of the rose-growing industry in the local economy, is held in October and features a parade, the coronation of the Rose Queen, and other civic events. There is also a [[Rose Museum]] featuring the history of the Festival. Tyler is home to [[Caldwell Zoo]], several local museums, Lake Palestine, Lake Tyler, and numerous golf courses and country clubs.<ref>{{cite journal | title = It's Tee Time in Tyler | last = Navarro | first = Edward | journal = Images of Tyler | volume = 1 | pages = 57 | publisher = Journal Communications, Inc. | date = 2006 }} </ref> There is also an "Azalea Trail," which are 2 officially designated routes within the city that showcase homes or other landscaped venues adorned with [[azalea]] shrubs. <ref>http://www.tylerazaleatrail.com/faqs.htm</ref> On the shores of nearby Lake Tyler is the [[2005]] [[HGTV Dream Home]]. The 6,500 square feet (600 m²) house briefly boosted tourism and interest in the community. [[Tyler State Park (Texas)|Tyler State Park]] is a few miles away where visitors can camp, canoe, and paddle boat on the lake. Activities include picnicking; camping; boating (motors allowed - 5 mph speed limit); boat rentals; fishing; birding; hiking; mountain biking and hiking trails; lake swimming (in unsupervised swimming area); and nature study. Nearby Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge is home to currently 39 rescued big cats and 2 bobcats. The Smith County Historical Society operates a museum and archives in the old Carnegie Library. <ref>[http://www.smithcountyhistory.org Smith County Historical Society]</ref>
Annually, the [[Texas Rose Festival]] draws thousands of tourists to Tyler.<ref>http://www.texasrosefestival.com/festival/now.htm</ref> The festival, which celebrates the role of the rose-growing industry in the local economy, is held in October and features a parade, the coronation of the Rose Queen, and other civic events. There is also a [[Rose Museum]] featuring the history of the Festival. Tyler is home to [[Caldwell Zoo]], several local museums, Lake Palestine, Lake Tyler, and numerous golf courses and country clubs.<ref>{{cite journal | title = It's Tee Time in Tyler | last = Navarro | first = Edward | journal = Images of Tyler | volume = 1 | pages = 57 | publisher = Journal Communications, Inc. | date = 2006 }} </ref> There is also an "Azalea Trail," which are 2 officially designated routes within the city that showcase homes or other landscaped venues adorned with [[azalea]] shrubs. <ref>http://www.tylerazaleatrail.com/faqs.htm</ref> On the shores of nearby Lake Tyler is the [[2005]] [[HGTV Dream Home]]. The 6,500 square feet (600 m²) house briefly boosted tourism and interest in the community. [[Tyler State Park (Texas)|Tyler State Park]] is a few miles away where visitors can camp, canoe, and paddle boat on the lake. Activities include picnicking; camping; boating (motors allowed - 5 mph speed limit); boat rentals; fishing; birding; hiking; mountain biking and hiking trails; lake swimming (in unsupervised swimming area); and nature study. Nearby [http://www.tigercreek.org/ Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge]is home to currently 39 rescued big cats and 2 bobcats. The Smith County Historical Society operates a museum and archives in the old Carnegie Library. <ref>[http://www.smithcountyhistory.org Smith County Historical Society]</ref>


=== Historical ===
=== Historical ===

Revision as of 07:07, 5 February 2008

City of Tyler
City
Nickname: 
Rose Capital of America
Location in the state of Texas
Location in the state of Texas
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountySmith
Government
 • MayorJoey Seeber
Area
 • Total49.4 sq mi (128.0 km2)
 • Land49.3 sq mi (127.7 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation
544 ft (165 m)
Population
 (2005)
 • Total106,143
 • Density1,696/sq mi (655.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (Central)
ZIP codes
75700-75799
Area code(s)430, 903
FIPS code48-74144Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1348998Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.cityoftyler.org

Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County in East Texas, United States.Template:GR The city is named for President John Tyler in recognition of his support for Texas's admission to the United States. The 2000 census recorded the city's population to be 83,650, while in 2005 it was estimated to have reached 106,143[1]. Tyler is the principal city of the Tyler Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical Area.

Tyler has been nicknamed the "Rose Capital of America" because of its large role in the rose-growing industry; about 20% of commercial rose bushes produced in the U.S. are grown in Tyler and Smith County and more than half of the rose bushes are packaged and shipped from the area. It boasts the nation's largest municipal rose garden and hosts the Texas Rose Festival each October, which draws more than 100,000 spectators.[2].

In 1985, the international Adopt-a-Highway movement originated in Tyler when, after appeals by local Texas Department of Transportation officials, the local Civitan chapter adopted a 2-mile (3-km) stretch of U.S. Highway 69. Tyler is also home to the Caldwell Zoo.

Since 1877 the Tyler-based T.B. Butler Publishing Company has published the city's main newspaper, Tyler Morning Telegraph.

Geography

Tyler is located at 32°20′3″N 95°17′60″W / 32.33417°N 95.30000°W / 32.33417; -95.30000 Coordinates: longitude seconds >= 60
Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (32.334249, -95.299927)Template:GR Elevation: 544 feet. Tyler is surrounded by many smaller suburbs including: Jacksonville, Whitehouse, Lindale, New Chapel Hill, Bullard, Edom, Brownsboro, Chandler, and Mineola.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.4 square miles (128.0 km²), of which, 49.3 square miles (127.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.22%) is water.


Climate

Tyler enjoys weather typical of East Texas, which is unpredictable. All of East Texas has the humid subtropical climate typical of the Southeast in North America.

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Avg high °C (°F) 14 (58) 16 (62) 19 (67) 24 (76) 28 (83) 32 (91) 34 (94) 35 (95) 31 (88) 26 (80) 18 (66) 15 (60) 25 (77)
Avg low °C (°F) 3 (39) 5 (41) 7 (46) 12 (54) 16 (62) 21 (71) 22 (73) 22 (72) 18 (66) 13 (57) 7 (45) 4 (40) 13 (56)
Avg. # of Rainy days 6 5 5 6 6 3 3 2 3 4 5 5 58
Source: [2]

Culture

Tyler specifically enjoys the rich Culture of the Southern United States, better known as Southern Culture, typical of East Texas. Though modernized due to the information age, as most of the United States, it's roots will ever remain. Most Tylerites still speak in a Southern dialect or Southern American English where words such as "ya'll" are commonplace.

Tyler is also a culturally diverse city, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values shared with most of the United States.[3][4] The culture held in common by the majority of Americans is referred to as "mainstream American culture," a Western culture largely derived from the traditions of Western European migrants, beginning with the early English and Dutch settlers. German, Irish, and Scottish cultures have also been very influential.[3] Certain Native American traditions and many cultural characteristics of enslaved West Africans were absorbed into the Southern American mainstream.[5] Close contact with the culture of Mexico, and large-scale immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries from Southern and Eastern Europe introduced many new cultural elements.

Cuisine

As an important feature of Tyler and it's Southern culture, the cuisine of the South is often described as one of its most distinctive traits[citation needed]. Popular sayings include "Food is Love" and "If it ain't fried it ain't cooked". Southern culture has more readily absorbed Native American influences and this is strongly reflected in the food. Corn meal mush, corn fritters, hominy, cornbread, and Brunswick stew are a few of the more common examples of foods adopted directly from southeastern Indians. Nevertheless, a great many regional varieties have also more recently developed. The variety of cuisines range from Tex-Mex cuisine hybridized from longstanding relations with Mexico, Cajun and Creole from our neighboring state Louisiana, all types of seafood, and TexasBarbecue. Traditional Southern beverages of choice include "iced sweet tea" and various soft drinks, many of which had their origins in the South (e.g. Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Cheerwine, and Dr Pepper). In many parts of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Texas and other parts of the South, the term "soft drink" or "soda" is discarded in favor of "Coke" (though this could be seen as stating a preference for a brand, though the actual soft drink acquired is variable). Some people use the term "co-cola" when ordering a soft drink. In most restaurants, when someone orders "coke" or "co-cola", it is understood to bring whatever brand of cola the establishment offers. Lagers and Pilsners are generally preferred to heavier/darker beers due to the predominance of hot climate. Texas is also the center of a burgeoning wine boom, due to its climate and well drained limestone based soils, particularly in the Texas Hill Country.

Traditional African American Southern food is often called "soul food". While not being spicy as Cajun food, it does tend to use lots of herbs, flour, and "stick-to your ribs" food. Southern specialties, so-called "home cooking" establishments. Some notable "home cooking" meals include: fried chicken, fried okra, "corn on the cob," pot liquor, vegetable stew, chicken and dumplings, and country fried steak also known as "chicken fried steak."

Art and Music

  • Orchestra/symphony
  • Local bands

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 83,650 people, 32,525 households, and 21,076 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,696.7 people per square mile (655.1/km²). There were 35,337 housing units at an average density of 716.7/sq mi (276.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.72% White, 26.83% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.46% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. 15.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 32,525 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.12.

The city's population was spread out by age, with 26% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 20% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,163, and the median income for a family was $43,618. Males had a median income of $31,728 versus $22,397 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,184. 16.8% of the population and 13.0% of families were below the poverty line. 23.3% of those under the age of 18 and 12.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Economy

In addition to its role in the rose-growing industry, Tyler is the headquarters for Brookshire Grocery Company, which operates Brookshire's and Super 1 Foods, and Ole! supermarkets in four states. The company's main distribution center is located in south Tyler, while SouthWest Foods, a subsidiary that produces dairy products, is located just north-east of the city.

The manufacturing sector includes:

Also produced in Tyler are John Soules Foods' fajita and other meat products, Distant Lands Coffee Roasters coffee, Tyler Candle Co. jar candles, and a variety of small high-tech businesses including Synthesizers.com, Group M7, CBI , Power-Up, Advance Network Systems, and Arrick Robotics.

Tyler is also a major medical center which serves the city as well as the surrounding East Texas area.

Recreation & Tourism

Annually, the Texas Rose Festival draws thousands of tourists to Tyler.[6] The festival, which celebrates the role of the rose-growing industry in the local economy, is held in October and features a parade, the coronation of the Rose Queen, and other civic events. There is also a Rose Museum featuring the history of the Festival. Tyler is home to Caldwell Zoo, several local museums, Lake Palestine, Lake Tyler, and numerous golf courses and country clubs.[7] There is also an "Azalea Trail," which are 2 officially designated routes within the city that showcase homes or other landscaped venues adorned with azalea shrubs. [8] On the shores of nearby Lake Tyler is the 2005 HGTV Dream Home. The 6,500 square feet (600 m²) house briefly boosted tourism and interest in the community. Tyler State Park is a few miles away where visitors can camp, canoe, and paddle boat on the lake. Activities include picnicking; camping; boating (motors allowed - 5 mph speed limit); boat rentals; fishing; birding; hiking; mountain biking and hiking trails; lake swimming (in unsupervised swimming area); and nature study. Nearby Tiger Creek Wildlife Refugeis home to currently 39 rescued big cats and 2 bobcats. The Smith County Historical Society operates a museum and archives in the old Carnegie Library. [9]

Historical

Camp Ford was the largest Confederate Prisoner of War Camp west of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. The site of the camp is now a public park, managed by the Historical Society. The park features a kiosk with extensive graphics detailing the history of the camp, a walking trail with interpretive signage, a reconstruction of a POW cabin, and picnic facilities. It is open daily from dawn to dusk with free admission. It is located on Highway 271, 0.8 miles north of Loop 323. The East Texas State Fair is held annually in Tyler.[10]


Accommodations

Tyler is a host to multiple hotels and motels common to many American towns. It also boasts multiple RV parks for those traveling long term, or for a change of pace one of the many Bed & Breakfasts in the area. Couchsurfing is also maintained in Tyler for international travelers.

Public & National Parks

Transportation

File:DSC08907 wiki TPF.jpg
Aerial photo of Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in Tyler, Texas, shot by Butler Planning Services on 9/9/2005.

As with much of modern America the automobile is the most common form of transportation. Tyler is a nexus of several major highways. Interstate 20 runs along the north edge of the city going east and west, U.S. Highway 69 runs north-south through the center of town and Texas State Highway 64 runs east-west through the city. Tyler also has access to U.S. Highway 271, Texas State Highway 31, Texas State Highway 155, and Texas State Highway 110. Texas State Highway Loop 323 was established in 1957 and originally encircled the city, which has continued to grow outside of the loop. It still encompasses the majority of the city, though it has grown to extend beyond. This expansion is the reason for the new loop 49 which is currently under construction. Texas State Highway Loop 49, designed to be an "outer loop" around the city, and connect to I20. The first five-mile segment, which connects Highway 155 south with Highway 69 south, opened for use on August 17, 2006.

Public Transportation

The city's Tyler Transit (website) buses run daily, excluding Sundays and holidays. Greyhound Lines bus service is available through a downtown terminal.

Via Air

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (website) offers service to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport via American Eagle and to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport via Colgan Air Continental Connection.

Via Train

Tyler was the hub for a series of short-line railroads which later evolved into the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, better known as "The Cotton Belt Route." This line later became part of the Southern Pacific Railroad, which itself merged with the Union Pacific Railroad, which continues to serve the city today.


Education & Healthcare

Colleges and Universities

Tyler's higher education institutions include the University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, both part of the University of Texas System; Tyler Junior College, and Texas College located on the north part of town.

Healthcare

Hospitals located in Tyler include East Texas Medical Center, Trinity Mother Frances Health System, University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, and Texas Spine & Joint Hospital. Tyler serves as a major medical center for communities throughout East Texas.

Education

Colleges and Universities

Tyler's higher education institutions include the University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, both part of the University of Texas System; Tyler Junior College, and Texas College.

Public schools

Public primary and secondary education for much of the city is provided by the Tyler Independent School District (website), which includes two high schools, John Tyler and Robert E. Lee; several Tyler ISD schools offer International Baccalaureate and Advance Placement programmes.

Portions of incorporated Tyler are served by surrounding school districts. These include sections of southeast Tyler by the Whitehouse Independent School District, and some sections in the east which are served by the Chapel Hill Independent School District.

Private schools

The Tyler Catholic School System of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler consists of St. Gregory Elementary (website) and Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Middle/High School.

There are several other private schools, including Grace Community School (website), East Texas Christian Academy (website), All Saints Episcopal School (website), Brook Hill School (website), and Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal School (website).


Media

There are currently 13 media stations and one newspaper located in Tyler, as well as many more in the surrounding areas.

Newspaper

Television

  • KLTV - KLTV Channel 7 (ABC)
  • KETK - KETK NBC 56 (NBC)
  • KYTX - CBS 19 (CBS)

Radio

AM stations

  • KTBB - 600 AM (News/Talk)
  • KZEY - 690 AM (Urban Contemporary)
  • KGLD - The Light 1330 AM (Gospel)
  • KYZS - ESPN 1490 AM (Sports)

FM stations

  • KVNE - Encouragement FM 89.5 (Christian Contemporary)
  • KBJS - 90.3 (Christian Talk)
  • KDOK - The Greatest Oldies of All Time 92.1 (Oldies)
  • KTYL - Mix 93.1 (Adult Contemporary)
  • KKTX - 96X... Rock of East Texas (Classic and New Rock)
  • KAJK - Jack FM (Adult Hits)
  • KNUE - New Country 101.5 (Country)
  • KBLZ - The Blaze 102.7 & 106.9 (Hip-Hop and R&B)
  • KKUS - The Ranch 104.1 (Classic Country)
  • KOOI - Sunny 106.5 (Soft Rock)
  • KISX - Hot JAMZ 107.3 (Old School and Todays R&B)


Utilities

Gas and electric

Water

Sports

Baseball Teams

  • Tyler Elbertas (1912)
  • Tyler Trojans (1924-1929, 1931, 1935-1940, 1946-1950)
  • Tyler Sports (1932)
  • Tyler Governors (1933-1934)
  • Tyler East Texans (1950-1953)
  • Tyler Tigers (1954-1955)
  • Tyler WildCatters (1994-1997)
  • Tyler Roughnecks (2001)

Football

  • East Texas Twisters (2004)

High school sports teams

Football

Water Sports

During the warmer season Lake Tyler and Lake Palestine have a thriving watersports following including :

  • Wakeboarding
  • Water ski
  • Boating/Jet skis
  • SCUBA diving

Alternative Sports

Famous Tylerites

Actors/Actresses

Athletes

Musicians

Others

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. ^ Hilburn, Jacque (2005-01-26). "Tyler population count tops 100,000". Tyler Morning Telegraph.
  2. ^ Mozo, Jessica (2006). "Glamour and Glitter". Images of Tyler. 1. Journal Communications, Inc.: 42–43.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Dealing with Diversity was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Thompson, William, and Joseph Hickey (2005). Society in Focus. Boston: Pearson. ISBN 020541365X.
  5. ^ Queralt, Magaly (2000). The Social Environment and Human Behavior: A Diversity Perspective. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, p. 83. ISBN 0023971916.
  6. ^ http://www.texasrosefestival.com/festival/now.htm
  7. ^ Navarro, Edward (2006). "It's Tee Time in Tyler". Images of Tyler. 1. Journal Communications, Inc.: 57.
  8. ^ http://www.tylerazaleatrail.com/faqs.htm
  9. ^ Smith County Historical Society
  10. ^ East Texas State Fair
  11. ^ [1]

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