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]
Robert Lee Falkner and the R.L. Falkner Collection
Egg Art Eggshibit through April 27, 2019
Come see our Egg Art Eggshibit through April 27, 2019! The Fall 2018 through April 27, 2019 newest exhibit at the Smith County Historical Society is of Egg Art! We have approximately 180 hand blown eggs painted and decorated into whimsical characters. The collection was donated to us by Dr. Kerfoot Walker and family, longtime residents of Tyler, TX. The Walker’s and their three children (now adul ...[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]
Tyler Star Safety Books
Do you recognize these books from Tyler, TX? “If it causes just one of you to go through life more thoughtfully, and with more consideration for others, then all the work and cost involved in its publication will have been fully justified. If it saves just one of you from a broken arm, or a smashed leg, or a mutilated hand; then it will have been worthwhile.” This introduction in the ...[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]
“Photo Friday” 4/21/2017
How many of you all have been to a farmer’s market? The photo group here is taken at a location that used to be called the “Old Wagon Yard” and that is exactly what Robert Falkner titled the envelope of negatives. If you haven’t guessed where this is, well it has a couple of different uses in present time. The north west corner of East Elm Street and South Fannin Street ...[Read More]
“Photo Friday” 4/14/2017
You all have a blessed Good Friday for 2017! The little lady, is Miss Frances Marie Ingram. Frances lived in Tyler on her grandfather’s Ingram Farm (out on Old Bullard Road). In 1920 when she would have been about 2 years old and adorably mobile in her special white dress . She was the only child of Manning and Fannie Ingram; so I am sure they had a wonderful Easter Sunday ...[Read More]
Photo Friday! April 7, 2016
O.C. Sharman signing first cooperative agreement on the Duck Creek Project, first conservation plan December 10, 1934. Mr. Sharman contributed 100 acres of land to the project. The Dale Bidwell Collection is about the CCC Company 896 and includes 186 photos that we have cataloged plus additional photos that are in the file that were taken and received at the reunions. Additional material a ...[Read More]