Tyler (Postcard History (Arcadia Publishing))

the long version

In the early 1900s, the golden age of postcards was just beginning. Millions of cards were mailed across America and many still survive today in archives and private collections. Through these snapshots of history, Tyler’s evolution can be traced. While fruit and cotton production was king into the early 20th century, a floral beauty soon brought Tyler new royalty—the Rose Queen. The discovery of oil in the city’s backyard supplied a security blanket during the Great Depression’s uncertain days, and Tyler benefitted with commercial and population growth. This book contains more than 200 vintage postcards that chronicle Tyler’s social, educational, and medical history and its place in the heart of East Texas. Author Robert E. Reed Jr., a lifelong Tyler resident, is a graduate of Tyler Junior College and the University of Texas at Tyler. He is the current president of the Smith County Historical Society and a member of the Tyler Tap Chapter of the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society. His vast Tyler memorabilia collection supplied the majority of the postcard images included in this book. Reed’s previous works include Images of America: Tyler, also by Arcadia Publishing.