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Tyler, Texas

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"Tyler Texas" redirects here. For the professional wrestler, see Lorelei Lee.
City of Tyler
City
Tyler skyline, with Plaza Tower at right and Venue Properties office building in center
Tyler skyline, with Plaza Tower at right and Venue Properties office building in center
Official seal of City of Tyler
Seal
Nickname: 
Rose City
Motto: 
A Natural Beauty
Location in Smith County and the state of Texas
Location in Smith County and the state of Texas
CountryUnited States United States
StateTexas Texas
CountySmith
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • City CouncilMayor Barbara Bass
Charles Alworth
Donald Sanders
Ralph Caraway
Nathaniel Moran
Steve Smith
Chris Simons
 • City ManagerMark McDaniel
Area
 • Total54.376 sq mi (140.833 km2)
 • Land54.2 sq mi (140.5 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation
544 ft (165 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total109,000
 • Density1,782.0/sq mi (688.0/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, Texas, in the United States.Template:GR It takes its name from President John Tyler [2]. The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau, though the city is appealing this claim. Tyler is the principal city of the Tyler Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a population of 209,714 in 2010, and the regional center of the Tyler-Jacksonville combined statistical area, with a population of 260,559 in 2010.

Tyler has the nickname "Rose Capital of the Nation"[3]. It gained this name due to the large quantity of rose bushes processed through the area, along with hosting America's largest rose garden [4].

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 and Broadway Square Mall.

New Tyler welcome sign
Goodman House and Museum at 624 N. Broadway is one of the antebellum homes in Tyler
Tyler City Hall

Geography

Tyler
Climate chart (explanation)
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Source: Weather.com / NWS
Metric conversion
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Tyler is located at 32°20′03″N 95°18′00″W / 32.334249°N 95.299927°W / 32.334249; -95.299927 Template:GR Elevation: 544 feet (166 m). Tyler is surrounded by many smaller cities including Whitehouse, Lindale, New Chapel Hill, Bullard, Edom, Brownsboro, and Chandler.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.4 square miles (140.8 Square kilometres), of which, 54.2 square miles (140.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it is water.

Climate

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

The record high for Tyler is 111 °F (44 °C), which occurred on July 31, 1921. The record low for Tyler is −3 °F (−19 °C), which occurred on January 18, 1930.

Demographics

{{USCensusPop |1880= 2423 |1890= 6908 |1900= 8069 |1910= 10400 |1920= 12085 |1930= 17113 |1940= 28279 |1950= 38968 |1960= 51230 |1970= 57770 |1980= 70508 |1990= 75450 |2000= 83650 |2010= 96,000

As of the 2010 censusTemplate:GR, there were 96,900 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,782.0 people per square mile (688.0/km²). There were 41,742 housing units at an average density of 716.7 per square mile (276.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.5% White, 24.8% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 10.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. 21.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Government

Local government

According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $87.7 million in Revenues, $101.7 million in expenditures, $49.2 million in total assets, $12.3 million in total liabilities, and $17.6 million in cash in investments.[1]

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:[2]

City Department Director
City Manager Mark McDaniel
Director of Finance Daniel Crawford
Director of Budget and Human Resources ReNissa M. Wade
Director of Communications and Media Relations Susan Guthrie
Chief Information Officer Benny Yazdanpanahi
Director of Public Works Greg Morgan
Director of Solid Waste Dan Brotton
Fire Chief Neil Franklin
Police Chief Gary Swindle
City Attorney Gary C. Landers
Director of Planning and Zoning Barbara Holly
Director of Vehicle Services Russ Jackson

The Northeast Texas Public Health District[3] is a political subdivision under the State of Texas established by the City of Tyler and Smith County. In place for nearly 70 years, the Health District became a separate entity in 1994, with an administrative Public Health Board. With a stated vision "To be the Healthiest Community in Texas," the district has a full time staff of over 130 employees. The Health District has a broad range of services and responsibilities dedicated to their Mission: "To Protect, Promote, and Provide for the Health of our Community."

State government

Tyler is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Kevin Eltife, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Leo Berman, District 6.

The Texas Twelfth Court of Appeals is located in Tyler.[4]

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Region I Parole Division Office and the Tyler District Parole Office in Tyler.[5]

Federal government

The two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison; Tyler is part of Texas' US Congressional 1st District, which is currently represented by Republican Louie Gohmert.

The United States Postal Service operates several post offices in Tyler, including Tyler,[6] Azalea,[7] Southeast Crossing,[8] and the South Tyler Annex.[9]

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.

Primary and secondary schools

John Tyler High School

Public primary and secondary education for much of the city is provided by the Tyler Independent School District, which includes two high schools, John Tyler and Robert E. Lee; Premier High School of Tyler a public charter school; several Tyler schools offer International Baccalaureate and Advance Placement programs.

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 and Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Middle/High School. There are several other private schools, including Grace Community School, All Saints Episcopal School, Seventh-day Adventist Church School, King's Academy Christian School, Christian Heritage School, East Texas Christian Academy, and Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal School, and the Brook Hill School(Bullard).

Economy

Venue Properties office building in downtown Tyler
Chamber of Commerce office in downtown Tyler

In addition to its role in the rose-growing industry, Tyler is the headquarters for Brookshire Grocery Company, which operates Brookshire's, Fresh 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. Adams Engineering has also made its headquarters in Tyler.

According to the City's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[10] the top ten employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 East Texas Medical Center 3,650
2 Trinity Mother Frances Health System 3,567
3 Tyler Independent School District 2,572
4 Brookshire Grocery Company 2,190
5 Trane Company 1,949
6 Wal-Mart 1,670
7 Carrier Corporation 1,201
8 Suddenlink 1,057
9 Tyler Junior College 998
10 The University of Texas at Tyler 854

The manufacturing sector includes:

  • Tyler Pipe, a subsidiary of McWane Inc. that produces soil and utility pipe products
  • Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand, formerly a unit of American Standard Companies, which manufactures air conditioners and heat pumps (this plant was originally built in 1955 by General Electric)
  • Carrier, which manufactures air conditioners
  • Delek Refining, an Israeli owned oil refinery formerly dba La Gloria Oil and Gas Co (a Crown Central Petroleum subsidiary).
  • Ferguson Beauregard, an operating company of Dover Corporation that specializes in equipment for the measurement and production of natural gas using the plunger lift method.
  • Vesuvius USA, a division of Cookson Group that manufactures refractory ceramics used in the steel industry.
  • Cavender's Boot City, a large regional western wear retailer and manufacture.

Also produced in Tyler are John Soules Foods' fajita and other meat products, Greenberg's Smoked Turkeys, Distant Lands Coffee Roasters coffee, Tyler Candle Co. jar candles, Tyler Products, and a variety of small high-tech businesses including Synthesizers.com, F3 Technology Solutions, Group M7, CBI , Power-Up, and Arrick Robotics.

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

Recreation and tourism

Chamblee Rose Garden in Tyler
Entrance to Caldwell Zoo in Tyler

Annually, the Texas Rose Festival draws thousands of tourists to Tyler.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13] 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. The Smith County Historical Society operates a museum and archives in the old Carnegie Library.[14] The East Texas State Fair is held annually in Tyler.[15] Lake Tyler was the location of the HGTV Dream Home contest in 2005. The 6,500 square feet (600 m²) house briefly boosted tourism and interest in the community. It subsequently was sold at public auction in January, 2008, for 1.325 million dollars.[16]

Historical

Cotton Belt Railroad Depot Museum in Tyler
The Smith County Historical Society building is located across the street from the Tyler Public Library.

Tyler has a Cotton Belt Railroad Depot Museum located near the Chamber of Commerce office.

The Smith County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 1959 by individuals and business firms dedicated to discovering, collecting and preserving data, records and other items relating to the history of Smith County, Texas. The Society operates a museum and archives, which is located in the former Carnegie Public Library building in downtown Tyler. Permanent museum exhibits include life-size dioramas with Smith County history topics ranging from Caddo Indians to the Twentieth Century. Other items from the Society's collections are showcased in revolving, temporary exhibits. The Society's archival library contains historical artifacts of Smith County, including newspapers, city directories, school records, photographs, maps, historical papers, rare books and much more. The archives are open to the public for research on a limited schedule with volunteer staff on duty. The Society is also the official caretaker of Camp Ford Historic Park.

Camp Ford was the largest Confederate Prisoner of War camp west of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. The original site of the camp stockade is a public historic park managed by the Smith County Historical Society. The park contains a kiosk, paved trail, interpretive signage, a cabin reconstruction, and a picnic area. It is located on Highway 271, 0.8 miles (1.3 km) north of Loop 323.

Transportation

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 State Highway 64 runs east-west through the city. Tyler also has access to U.S. Highway 271, State Highway 31, State Highway 155, and State Highway 110. Loop 323 was established in 1957 and originally encircled the city, which has continued to grow outside of the loop. This expansion is the reason for the new loop 49 which is currently under construction. Loop 49, designed to be an "outer loop" around the city, and connect to I20. The first five-mile (8 km) segment, which connects Highway 155 south with Highway 69 south, opened for use on August 17, 2006. A second segment connecting Highway 69 with Paluxy Drive opened in January, 2008.

Public transportation

The city's Tyler Transit buses run daily, excluding Sundays and holidays.[17] Greyhound Lines bus service is available through a downtown terminal.

Via air

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport 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.

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. There are also many clinics including the Direct Care Clinic. Tyler serves as a major medical center for communities throughout East Texas.[citation needed]

First Baptist Church in downtown Tyler
Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler
Family Life Center of West Erwin Church of Christ in Tyler

Place of Worship

Tyler is the home of many churches, including three large ones in the downtown area, the Marvin United Methodist Church, West Erwin Church of Christ, and First Baptist Church and on Troup Hwy Green Acres Baptist Church. It is also the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler. Tyler, too, is home to two Jewish houses of prayer, Ahavath Achim, which associates itself with Conservative Judaism and Beth El which adheres to Reform Judaism.[18]

Media

There are currently 18 media outlets and one newspaper located in Tyler, as well as many more in the surrounding areas.

Newspaper

Television

VHF/UHF Channel
 Cable Channel
 Call Letters
 Network
7 7 KLTV ABC
19 11 KYTX CBS
56 10 KETK NBC
51 12 KFXK FOX

Radio

AM stations

Frequency
 Call Letters
 Format
 Name
600 KTBB News/Talk
690 KZEY Urban Contemporary
1330 KGLD Gospel The Light
1490 KYZS

FM stations

Frequency
 Call Letters
 Format
 Name
89.5 KVNE Christian Contemporary Encouragement FM
91.3 KGLY Religious
92.1 KTBB-FM News/Talk The Light
93.1 KTYL Hot Adult Contemporary Mix 93.1
96.1 KKTX Rock 96X
96.7 KOYE Spanish La Invasora
99.3 KZTK News/Talk/Sports 99.3 Talk FM
101.5 KNUE Country
104.1 KKUS Classic Country The Ranch
106.5 KOOI Adult Contemporary
107.3 KISX Urban Contemporary Hot1073Jamz

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

Notable events

  • Fragments of the Space Shuttle Columbia landed in Tyler on February 1, 2003. (See Space Shuttle Columbia disaster)
  • On May 11, 2003, East Texas housewife Deanna Laney murdered two of her children and maimed another, claiming God told her to do it. She was eventually acquitted by reason of insanity.[19]
  • On February 24, 2005, David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. murdered his ex-wife and wounded his son in front of the Smith County Courthouse in Tyler, Texas. A shootout and escape attempt followed, and Arroyo was killed.[20]
  • The 2007 reality show Anchorwoman was filmed in Tyler, at CBS affiliate KYTX. The show ran for two episodes aired on one night before being canceled by Fox.
  • On the evening of February 2, 2009 a fire engulfed a number of historic buildings located in downtown Tyler. Eight different fire departments responded to the fire.[21]
  • On September 23, 2009, a teacher at John Tyler High School was stabbed and killed by a student.[22]

Notable Tylerites

Actors/actresses

Athletes

Musicians

Others

See also

References

  1. ^ City of Tyler CAFR. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  2. ^ City of Tyler website. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  3. ^ Northeast Texas Public Health District website. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  4. ^ "Contact Information." Twelfth Eleventh Court of Appeals. Retrieved on March 10, 2010.
  5. ^ "Parole Division Region I." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  6. ^ "Post Office Location - TYLER." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  7. ^ "Post Office Location - AZALEA." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  8. ^ "Post Office Location - SOUTHEAST CROSSING." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  9. ^ "Post Office Location - SOUTH TYLER ANNEX." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  10. ^ City of Tyler 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, p. 152. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  11. ^ Until Now
  12. ^ Navarro, Edward (2006). "It's Tee Time in Tyler". Images of Tyler. 1. Journal Communications, Inc.: 57.
  13. ^ Tyler Azalea Trail - Frequently Asked Questions
  14. ^ Smith County Historical Society
  15. ^ East Texas State Fair
  16. ^ KLTV 7 News, Your East Texas News Leader, News, Weather, Sports, Community, Jobs, Cars and Much more. | HGTV Dream Home Sold, $1.325 Million
  17. ^ Tyler Transit
  18. ^ "Tyler, Texas", found in the Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities,
  19. ^ [1] Deanna Laney Acquitted
  20. ^ Smith County Courthouse shooting
  21. ^ Palestine Herald Press. February 3, 2009. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ^ John Tyler Teacher is Fatally Stabbed | KETKnbc.com | The News Station
  23. ^ "An Update From Max". blogs.myspace.com/sayanything. 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2009-05-21.

Further reading

  • Austin, Gladys Peters, Along the Century Trail: Early History of Tyler, Texas (Dallas: Avalon Press, 1946)
  • Burton, Morris Tyler as an Early Railroad Center, Chronicles of Smith County, Spring 1963
  • Betts, Vicki, Smith County, Texas, in the Civil War (Tyler, Texas: Smith County Historical Society, 1978)
  • Everett, Dianna, The Texas Cherokees: A People between Two Fires, 1819–1840 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1990)
  • Glover, ed., Robert W., Tyler and Smith County, Texas (n.p.: Walsworth, 1976)
  • Henderson, Adele, Smith County, Texas: Its Background and History in Ante-Bellum Days (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1926)
  • McDonald, Archie P. Historic Smith County (Historical Publishing Network, 2006).
  • Reed, Robert E. Jr. Postcard History: Tyler (Arcadia Publishing, 2009).
  • Reed, Robert E. Jr. Images of America: Tyler (Arcadia Publishing, 2008).
  • Smith County Historical Society, Historical Atlas of Smith County (Tyler, Texas: Tyler Print Shop, 1965)
  • Whisenhunt, Donald W. comp., Chronological History of Smith County (Tyler, Texas: Smith County Historical Society, 1983)
  • Woldert, Albert, A History of Tyler and Smith County (San Antonio: Naylor, 1948)
Wikisource has the text of The New Student's Reference Work article about "Tyler, Texas".
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