Come see our exhibit “From School Bells to Wedding Bells”.  Part of the William Knox Tate Collection, an exquisite 1890’s wedding dress will be on temporary display September 4 through October 20, 2018. William Knox Tate and Lizzie Jacintha Harris were married 122 years ago on September 9, 1896 at Marvin Methodist Church in Tyler, Texas. Mr. Tate was principal of Tyler High School and Lizzie was a graduate from Tyler High School. We will have the wedding dress, copies of Mr. Tate’s speeches, pictures and more information about this interesting couple.  

As a museum and archives,  the Smith County Historical Society actively accepts donations of objects and documents! In preparation of this meeting, our Archives Manager and Office Manager inventory and prepare all available information on possible donations and then present them to the committee. We may not accept any item into any of our collections until it has been voted on and approved by this committee. Since the Society is the SMITH COUNTY Historical Society, we do ask that all donations have a relationship to our County and its rich history! If you have items that aren’t Smith County related, but would still like to see them donated to an appropriate institution, we would be happy to direct  you to the best of our abilities! Please do note: all items discussed at the meetings must be received PRIOR to the meeting! With a limited amount of time for our members to discuss each object, document, or photo(s) we try and prep as much as possible before hand!   If you have items you would like to donate, please feel free to call or stop by our offices!

Amber Rojas, Main Street Director and Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Tyler, will be our speaker. Amber will discuss Tyler’s Half Mile of History Program. This program has brought awareness and honor to people, places and events since 2008. Come learn more about the process and its honorees. The General Meeting of the Smith County Historical Society will meet the first Tuesday of every month at the Payne Auditorium. From 6:30 to 7 pm is a social time to visit with other members and guests with light refreshments. The Meeting starts at 7 pm with a short business meeting and announcements followed by a program that will usually cover Smith County Historical topics on events, families or locations that should be of great interest to our members. If you have questions, comments, concerns, or even something you would like presented to the board, please contact our Office Manager at (903) 592-5993!

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. This live webinar will be shown on a projection screen in the Smith County Historical Society Payne Auditorium. You may attend as many of the sessions as you wish at no charge. Members of the Smith County Historical Society and East Texas Genealogy Society will be present to assist you and provide other support if needed. Click here for a schedule of the events.

As a museum and archives,  the Smith County Historical Society actively accepts donations of objects and documents! In preparation of this meeting, our Archives Manager and Office Manager inventory and prepare all available information on possible donations and then present them to the committee. We may not accept any item into any of our collections until it has been voted on and approved by this committee. Since the Society is the SMITH COUNTY Historical Society, we do ask that all donations have a relationship to our County and its rich history! If you have items that aren’t Smith County related, but would still like to see them donated to an appropriate institution, we would be happy to direct  you to the best of our abilities! Please do note: all items discussed at the meetings must be received PRIOR to the meeting! With a limited amount of time for our members to discuss each object, document, or photo(s) we try and prep as much as possible before hand!   If you have items you would like to donate, please feel free to call or stop by our offices!