Recently SCHS employee Candis Lively was entering information in our museum software from a donation I made to the Archives of a 1915 Alcalde yearbook of Tyler High School. I had bought it at the antique mall in the Fair Foundation Bldg also know as the old Sears store location. When I bought it I found four portraits and a full length head to toe picture that was photographed by Denison”s S ...[Read More]
Alma Woldert Spence Letter dated June 4 1915
Yearbooks Added
This Is a listing of new acquisitions for our collection of yearbooks. We have been very fortunate to receive the yearbooks listed below through the generosity of our members and others. We have received elementary, junior high, middle school, high school, college and even one military yearbooks. These help us add to our ancestors’ stories. If the year that you are interested in is no ...[Read More]
Robert Lee Falkner and the R.L. Falkner Collection
Robert Lee Falkner was born Nov. 10, 1911, in Garden Valley in Smith County, Texas to Eugene L. Falkner and wife, Eunice Jackson Neill. He attended Tyler Public Schools and lived in Tyler most of his life. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church. He was an award-winning photographer for the Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph for four years. He was owner of R. L. Falkner Photography Shop in Tyler for ...[Read More]
2018 Genealogy Lock-In Program
The 2018 Genealogy Lock-In Program is a cooperative effort to bring genealogical topics and speakers to a wider audience using modern technology through the Genealogy Network of Texas. There will be 8 one hour to one and a half hour sessions featuring some of the nation’s best known genealogical speakers. This live webinar will be shown on a projection screen in the Smith County Historical Society ...[Read More]
Missing Page from African American Life Book
While I was preparing the index for the book African American Life in Tyler, Texas compiled by Rodney Lamar Atkins, I discovered that the edition published in 2007 and the one published in 2008 had a one page difference. The 2008 edition was missing the information from page 159 in the 2007 edition featuring a profile of Pearlie Henderson. I transcribed the 2007 edition page so that the owners of ...[Read More]
Website and Blog Updates – 2018-06-29
If you follow our blog and website, you will have noticed a new office manager, Carla Lacy, who started about several months ago. She replaced the departing Savannah Brantley Cortes, who has moved to the Dallas area. Savannah worked hard on preparing our newest exhibit about World War I and the removal of the old exhibits from the main exhibit space on the first floor. We know that she will do wel ...[Read More]
Tidbits 2017-12-14 Roberta Frances Lavender
From the HISTORICAL CATALOGUE OF THE ALUMNI OF UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 1884-1901. THE UNIVERSITY RECORD VOL. IV.–MAY, 1902.–NOS. 1-2 from page 28 LAVENDER, ROBERTA FRANCES, B.Lit., Tutor of Latin, University of Texas: Austin. Born January 12, 1871, at Tyler, daughter of David Smith and Frances Ann (née Swann) Lavender. Attended Sam Houston Normal Institute, 1887-1888. Entered Univer ...[Read More]
Burnett Cecil Pierce (1894-1977)
Id: 20 Veteran Name: Pierce, Burnette C. Place of Birth: Tyler, Smith County, Texas Birth or age: 25 July 1894 Residence: Tyler, Smith County, Texas Enlistment place: Tyler, Smith County, Texas Ind-Enlist- Service Branch: USA Enl Date: 19 September 1917 Unit Regt: 359th Infantry, Company L Division: 90th Rank: pfc Overseas: ...[Read More]
Tidbits 2017-10-31 Henry Elbert Lasseter
From the HISTORICAL CATALOGUE OF THE ALUMNI OF UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 1884-1901. THE UNIVERSITY RECORD VOL. IV.–MAY, 1902.–NOS. 1-2 LASSETER, HENRY ELBERT, Lawyer: Tyler. Born March 8, 1874, in Navarro county; son of Solomon and Nettie (née Glaze) Lasseter. Prepared for University at Summer Hill Select School, Omen. Entered from Tyler. Student 1897-1898. Married Mabel Teagarden, July 27, ...[Read More]
Tidbits 2017-10-30 John Henry Herndon
From the HISTORICAL CATALOGUE OF THE ALUMNI OF UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 1884-1901. THE UNIVERSITY RECORD VOL. IV.–MAY, 1902.–NOS. 1-2 HERNDON, JOHN HENRY, B.Lit., Lawyer: Tyler. Born July 12, 1867, at Tyler; son of William Smith and Mary Louise (née McKellar) Herndon. Prepared for University at Tyler High School. Entered from Tyler. Student 1883-1888; Business Manager Magazine, 1887; Ass ...[Read More]