The Cut was the title of the Smith County Historical Society program at our Annual meeting on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. We are happy to say the Payne Auditorium was full of members and visitors! The highlight of the evening was our Board member Larry Wade’s presentation!
The Cut was a booming African American business district in north Tyler. Larry spoke of his memories of growing up and living about a block from this area. He also played the You Tube video titled “The Cuts – a look at North Tyler history through Councilman Moore’s eyes”. This video is Councilman Moore’s memories of growing up in The Cuts (some people refer to the area as The Cuts and others as The Cut).
The Cut had a beauty salon, barber shop, restaurants (sit down and drive through), service station, grocery store, dry cleaners, and many other businesses owned and operated by African American residents of the area. This business district allowed the community to be self-sufficient and thrive.
Many of the visitors at the meeting remembered growing up in this community, or hearing their family stories of the area. Those that grew up here remember having the feeling of extended family with their neighbors and the business owners; where people helped each other and kept an eye out for each other. The program was informative and kept the crowd focused and interested!
We would like to invite you to our Monthly Programs about Smith County, Texas, History on the 1st Tuesday of each month. See our EVENTS section on our website for more information.
