Tyler High School

Louise Marsh, Frances Prestwood, Lovie Roberts and Ruth Hambrick Portraits 1915

In my previous blog, Alma Woldert Spence Letter dated June 4 1915, I mentioned the portraits found in the 1915 Alcalde school annual. We have identified four out of the five as follows:   Louise Marsh – Her senior picture is on page 35 with a different pose from what is printed in the 1915 Alcalde school annual. She is mentioned in the yearbook on pages 77 and 144. [Object Id: BSF060] F ...[Read More]

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]

Tyler’s Music Man ‘Doc’ Witt Celebrates the Armistice in 1918

Tyler’s Music Man ‘Doc’ Witt Celebrates the Armistice in 1918

John Franklin Witt was known to many as ‘Doc’ Witt, Tyler’s Music Man. Mr. Witt was a trumpet player, band leader, composer and teacher of music. He made a name for himself in Smith County Texas through his extraordinary musical talent. He was Bandmaster for the Tyler Kid Band in 1908, then the Tyler Municipal Band in 1916. It is no wonder that this leader of bands helped lead the Armistice ...[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 2017-10-30 John Henry Herndon

UTA Logo

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]

Letters Home From Soldiers During World War I-19170825

World War I Poster Showing three workers.

Letters Home From Soldiers During World War I is going to be a regular weekly feature in celebration of the centennial of the United States entering World War I. From Tyler Daily Courier-Times, August 25, 1917: Nat Gentry Writes Interesting Letter From California Nat Gentry, son of Mr. and Mrs. N. A. Gentry, writes the home folks about his trip from Tyler to California. He enlisted in the navy and ...[Read More]

Letters Home From Soldiers During World War I-19170817

World War I Poster Showing three workers.

Letters Home From Soldiers During World War I is going to be a regular weekly feature in celebration of the centennial of the United States entering World War I. From Tyler Daily Courier-Times, August 17, 1917:     Former Tyler Boy Steers Ship Through Mine-Strewn Waters – Rescues 67 Submarine Victims   The following letter from Levin Jester, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Jester, former resid ...[Read More]