Welcome!

Born and raised in Tyler, I'm still a resident of the city known to many as "The Rose Capital of America". I've collected Tyler memorabilia for years and decided to share some of my collection through a series of websites. This feat will take quite a while, so please be patient. The feedback I've been getting has been very good, and I encourage you to please write with your comments and share your memories of Tyler.

Come back often and see Tyler's history unfold!


Announcements

An article appeared in the Tyler Morning Telegraph on September 27, 2004, about my Tyler memorabilia collection. While my collection includes anything from Tyler, the staff writer focused more on my postcards and did a great job. You can still view the article online at the newpaper's website by clicking here. The online copy only includes one of the five photographs that were included in the newspaper run. I do not know how long the article will be accessible online, so if the link no longer works, please let me know for I can remove it.

I was visited at my home by David Allgood from Tyler's KLSB, Channel 19 (CBS), on October 8, 2004, for an "Allgood News" segment on their news. He called the interview a "timeless story", meaning that it did not need to be aired within a specific upcoming time frame. It finally aired during the 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm news on November 15, and during the 6:00 am news on November 16. The story turned out very well, and it showed a good cross section of the various types of items in my collection.

I was the speaker for the March 1, 2005, meeting of the Smith County Historical Society, of which I am a member. I displayed a cross section of my collection and gave a presentation on my website. I heard quite a few good Tyler stories afterwards from members.

I displayed a portion of my collection at the ribbon cutting for the restored Cotton Belt depot, back in July, 2003. The depot celebrated it's 100th anniversary on June 4, 2005, and I was asked to setup a display again for this event. The whole affair was great fun, and I was able to meet some "locals" who visit by website regularly.

Speaking again about the Smith County Historical Society, the Vice President of the Museum/Archives (in other words, the museum director) resigned in mid-2005, and I was elected to fill the position. I still hold this position and plan to continue to make improvements to the Society's museum as long as they can stand me! To learn more about the Society or the museum, please visit the Smith County Historical Society link at the bottom of this webpage!

On September 29, 2006, I had an enjoyable visit at my home with Randy Mallory, a freelance writer and photographer. Part of that interview, plus a photograph, are included in the article 'Wish You Were Here!' about Texas postcards that appeared in the January, 2007, edition of Texas Highways magazine.

The Smith County Historical Society held its annual officer elections at the November 2007 meeting. I will serve as President effective January 2008, leaving my previous office as Vice President of Museum/Archives. To learn more about the Society, please visit their website via the link at the bottom of this page!

On November 20, 2007, I was interviewed by Shane Payne for an article concerning my book that appears in the Winter edition of Tyler Today magazine.

I was interviewed by Jacque Hilburn from the Tyler Morning Telegraph on February 7, 2008, followed by a photo session with Mark Roberts on the 12th. The article about me and the new book appeared on the first page of the 'Discover' section in the Sunday, February 17, newspaper. You can still view the article online at the newpaper's website by clicking here. The online copy does not include the image of the cover and three photographs from the book that were included in the newspaper run. I do not know how long the article will be accessible online, so if the link no longer works, please let me know for I can remove it.

My sales manager with Arcadia Publishing e-mailed me on the one-month anniversary of my book's release date to let me know that the first printing of my book had already sold out! She said that was very unusual, for the first printing is anticipated to last the entire first year! A priority second printing has been ordered and is expected to be delivered to them around April 21.

I'll be creating a separate webpage for my book soon and move a lot of this information over to it. There is additional stuff to share regarding the book, but I'll wait and put it on the new page.

Due to my book project, website updates will be somewhat sporadic. I'll post more images as time permits. Always check the "Memories" page, for I try to keep that relatively up to date.


About My Book


Title: Tyler
Author: Robert E. Reed Jr.
ISBN: 0738548413
# of Pages: 128
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
On Sale Date: February 18, 2008
List Price: $19.99


Excerpt from Back Cover: Nestled in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas, Tyler is known as the “Rose Capital of America.” While the moniker is well-deserved given the local rose industry, the Rose Festival, and its claim to America’s largest municipal rose garden, Tyler’s history is just as colorful as any rose. From the days when it hosted the largest Confederate prisoner-of-war camp west of the Mississippi River, through the years when cotton, fruit trees, and then roses became the local cash crops, to the time when the East Texas oil field was discovered and launched a new economy, Tyler boasts a fascinating past.

Author Robert E. Reed Jr. is a lifelong resident of Tyler and a graduate of Tyler Junior College and the University of Texas at Tyler. His interest in local history has led to a large personal collection of Tyler memorabilia as well as his Web site, Past Glimpses of Tyler, Texas. He is a member of the Smith County Historical Society and the Tyler Tap Chapter of the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society. While the sources for the photographs in this work are numerous, the Smith County Historical Society provided a majority of the intriguing images.

Personal Comments: This has really been a fun project for me. The staff of Arcadia Publishing have been great to work with, and I would definitely consider doing another project with them.

Books in the Images of America series are photographic histories. My book contains 230 vintage images covering the time range from Tyler's founding through the decade of the 1960s, presented in chronological order. These images, including some of the earliest known photographs of Tyler, cover topics from the Civil War to the Texas Rose Festival, giving an overview of the events, places, and people that make up Tyler's past. I'm selling copies on this website, but you are also able to get one from a variety of retailers. It's truly an interesting collection of historic images!




Scheduled Public Book Signings:

My sincere apologies to anyone who attempted to attend the book signing that was scheduled on Tuesday, February 19, and Friday, February 22, at the Noonday Community Library. Those dates had to be cancelled at the last minute by the library, and it was totally out of my control. Loretta, the Noonday librarian, also expresses her deepest apologies. Please come to one of my other scheduled signings listed above.


To Purchase a Copy From This Website:

Due to a contract stipulation, I must sell my copies at the cover price of $19.99. Texas sales tax of 6.75% applies, which makes the total $21.34/copy, plus shipping costs. If desired, I'm more than glad to autograph any copy.

Please e-mail me for further details!

Other Locations You Can Purchase a Copy

These are locations I know are selling copies. I'll try to keep the list up to date. I understand that sales are brisk at many places, so some locations may be out of stock.


Besides this website, the book can also be ordered from many on-line retailers. Here is a partial list:


Index of Collection Websites


Visit the Tyler of days past through vintage postcards!


Click Here to Visit This Website!



Relive the Tyler of long ago through postal covers!


Click Here to Visit This Website!



A sneak preview of this upcoming website!


Click Here to Visit This Website!



Other websites to be added in the future will cover more memorabilia, such as old match covers, as well as items from Camp Fannin!


Index of Special Interest Websites




Read and share memories of Tyler!

Click Here to Visit This Website!



A sneak preview of this upcoming website!


Click Here to Visit This Website!

Related Links
City of Tyler, Texas

Smith County Historical Society

East Texas Genealogical Society

Smith County TXGenWeb Project

Tyler, Texas Baseball Minor League History

Texas Escapes - A Texas Travel, History & Architecture Magazine

Tyler Weather & Forecast




Send me your comments & memories of Tyler!

Don't bother me! I'm busy programming!!!This webpage last updated on April 24, 2008, by R Reed

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