2011 | images-tyler.

com
®
What’s
Online 
Tour the campus
of the University
of Texas at
Tyler.

Tyler, Texas

HAPPILY
EVER AFTER
Quality of life  
attracts retirees

ADDITION AND
ABSTRACTION
Museum expands with
community support

Move It, Move It

Fit City Challenge gets residents healthy

sponsored by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce


 2011 edition | volume 6
®

Tyler, Texas

co nte nt s

F e atu r e s

14 Move it, move it

26
Fit City Challenge gets
residents healthy.

18 HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Quality of life attracts retirees.

22 Beyond the books

Tyler college campuses
offer multiple amenities.

26 ADDITION AND
ABSTRACTION
Museum expands with
community support.

30 big business with an

old-fashioned feel
Brookshire remains Tyler’s
No. 1 food market.

22
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 3
 60

40 58

d e pa r tm e nt s

10 Almanac
40 Biz Briefs
42 Chamber Report
43 Economic Profile
44 Image Gallery
53 Local Flavor
55 Health & Wellness
56 Education
58 Sports & Recreation
60 Arts & Culture
63 Community Profile
66 Through the Lens

on the cover Tyler is home to 25 city

parks, where outdoor sports are ample.
Photo by Antony Boshier

All or part of this magazine is printed

on recycled paper containing 10%
post-consumer waste.
Please recycle this magazine
What’s
images-tyler.comOnline 

Photos 2011 | IMAgES-TYLER.COM

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Tyler.

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Get the inside scoop from HAPPILY

EVER AFTER
our photographers’ blog Quality of life 
attracts retirees 

ADDITION AND
ABSTRACTION
Museum expands with 
community support

Move It, Move It

Facts & Stats Fit City Challenge gets residents healthy 

Dig deeper with in-depth data

on industries, schools and more
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T yler , Tex as

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Audience Development Director Lisa battles
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Jessica Manner, Janine Maryland,
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lance Conzett, Michele Niccore, Marcus Snyder
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Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Antony Boshier
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tylertexas.com
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i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 7

 ®

Digital Edition

On the
Move
TYLER’S FIT CITY CHALLENGE GETS RESIDENTS ACTIVE

STORY BY MELANIE HILL

T
yler is shaping up, thanks to the Fit
City Challenge – an ongoing citywide
health initiative helping residents
shed pounds and save lives.
“Our goal is our mission statement, which
is to make Tyler a fit city one bite, one step and
one health-conscious decision at a time,” says
George Roberts, chief executive officer of the
Northeast Texas Public Health District. “We
feel obesity is one of the greatest threats to
Tyler, and to the United States as a whole.”
Tyler Partnerships Make
Fit City Challenge a Reality
Roberts first proposed the lofty initiative
more than two years ago, and soon gained
media support from the Tyler Morning
Telegraph and KYTX CBS19. Today, the Fit City
Challenge steering committee guides a coalition
of more than 50 partners from Tyler’s education,
ANTONY BOSHIER
communities. In October 2010, the Fit City What’s
Challenge kicked off with a day-long
celebration in Tyler’s Bergfeld Park, Online
where thousands turned out for fitness and For more information
cooking demonstrations, and information about the Fit City
on area health resources. Challenge, visit
“We wanted to have a big event to get www.fitcitytyler.com.
everyone excited,” says Susan Guthrie,
communications director for the City of Tyler
and Fit City Challenge steering committee
member. “There are so many community
resources that focus on health and fitness,
and we wanted to help people find something
they love, whether it be running or organized
sports. There’s not just one answer from the
fitness standpoint.”
Parks, Fitness Centers Ample
In November 2010, Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass
led the first monthly FitWalk at Rose Rudman

business, government, medical and nonprofit Recreational Trail. One of 25 city parks, Rose

The Southside Trail is one of many ways to exercise outdoors in Tyler.

14 TYLER I M AG E S -T Y L E R . C O M 15

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i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 9
 Almanac

Welcome to Tyler
An introduction to the area’s people, places and events

Up and Away
Tyler takes flight at the Historic Aviation
Memorial Museum. The museum, chartered
in 1985, honors the millions of men and
women who have distinguished themselves
in aviation. Inside the museum’s exhibit hall
is a collection of memorabilia, as well as a
multimedia theater room and gift shop.
The hangar stores the aircraft, which
include both permanent and rotating
displays. Permanent displays include an
FJ-4 Fury, a 2-TC Buckeye and an F-105D
Thunderchief. Members of the museum are
also heavily involved in aviation education
in the East Texas area, sponsoring activities
and presentations, as well as educational
outreach.

Smells Like Roses

The rose capital of the world puts on quite a show every fall.
For three days, guests can mingle with rose royalty as they
celebrate Tyler’s most memorable town staple. The rose has
long had special significance in Tyler, and in 1939 the town
organized its first Texas Rose Festival. The festival fast became
legend, and today it’s recognized by many as the state’s most
elegant and beautiful community event. Each year guests enjoy
art shows, floral displays and the crowning of the Rose Queen.
The real stars of the show – the roses – are
on display by the thousands at the Rose
Show in Tyler’s Municipal Rose Garden.

In the Loop
A recent drive down the highway may have thrown a few passengers for a loop. Loop 49,
a toll road, is noticeably missing a toll booth. The booth has been replaced with a high-tech
system that allows travelers to pay tolls electronically. Vehicles can now be equipped with
an electronic toll tag, and drivers without one will have a bill with toll charges mailed to
them. The Loop is part of the plan to give Texas a first-class transportation system, and
what was originally constructed as a simple two-lane roadway now has plans to become a
four-lane divided highway.

10 Tyler
 Fast Facts
n The Cotton Belt
Railroad Depot, built
in 1905, now houses
Tyler Transit and a
railroad memorabilia
museum.

n Heisman Trophy
winner and NFL  
Hall of Famer Earl
Campbell, nicknamed
The Tyler Rose, was
born in Tyler.

n The city’s No. 1

tourist attraction is
the Tyler Municipal
Rose Garden, with
38,000 rose bushes
and more than  
500 varieties.

Play Time n In 1985, the

Discovery Science Place is a hands-on children’s museum for all kids, big and small. International Adopt-
The museum opened in 1993 with the goal of opening kids’ minds to the wonders of a-Highway movement
science, technology and culture by sparking their natural curiosity through exhibits originated in Tyler.
and activities. The museum includes three exhibit halls, a Wet Lab Activity Center The first road
and Discovery Center. The two permanent exhibits include Discovery Landing, which adopted for cleanup
features a Magic School Bus and more than 80 hands-on activities, and Joyce Buford purposes was a
Exhibit Hall, where kids can play in their own child-size community. 2-mile stretch of  
U.S. Highway 69.

n A historical marker
is now in place at the
site of Camp Ford
along U.S. Highway
Take a Hike 271. The camp was
the largest Civil War
Relaxation and recreation in Tyler prisoner of war
center around Tyler State Park. Inside compound west of
the park is a 64-acre lake, perfect for the Mississippi River.
fishing and boating. If you’re looking
to cool off on a hot day, the lake offers n “The Singing
the perfect refuge, and has become a Fisherman,” Johnny
popular swimming spot in the city. In Horton, one of the
addition to the waterways, the park most influential
offers approximately 14 miles of honky tonk and
hiking/biking trails. rockabilly singers  
The fun doesn’t end when the sun of all time, was  
goes down; multiple campsites are raised in Tyler.
scattered throughout the park. Guests
can pitch their own tent or take
advantage of one of the park’s
screened shelters. If fishing is your
style, drop a line at Lake Palestine,
regularly filled with catfish, crappy
and bass.

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 11

 Almanac

Tyler At A Glance Swing Away

Population (2009 Estimate)
County: 209,714
City: 109,000
Location
Tyler is in northeast Texas, about 90 miles east
of Dallas and 90 miles west of Shreveport, La.
Beginnings
Tyler, named after President John Tyler, was
officially incorporated in 1848. It is the county
seat of Smith County and has the distinction
of being the only city in America named for
the 10th U.S. president.
Golf is good in Tyler. So good, in fact, that the
city was picked by Golf Digest as the No. 1 golf
city in Texas. Willow Brook Country Club is
home to an 18-hole, par-71 golf course. Nearby
Hollytree Country Club also includes 18 holes,
set on a course of tiered greens, waterways and
trees to challenge its members. For another
challenge, golfers should take a swing  
at the Cascades Golf Course, a 300-acre  
course with rolling hills and some of the  
largest pine trees in the country. For something
suitable for everyone, try Arrowhead Golf Club,
designed with every skill level in mind.

For More Information

Tyler Area Chamber
of Commerce
315 N. Broadway
Tyler, TX 75702
Phone: (903) 592-1661 Tyler
Fax: (903) 593-2746
www.tylertexas.com

69

DALLAS
155
Lindale
271
20

SMITH
31
Tyler Feel Free
New Chapel Hill Freedom rings loud and clear at Brooksfield
64
Noonday High School’s newest museum. The American
Freedom Museum is a 15,000-square-foot
Whitehouse collection of artifacts and galleries displaying
155
the nation’s long history. The interior is divided
Bullard into three sections: the Museum Lobby, the Hall
of Presidents and the Hall of Freedom.
The Hall of Presidents includes traditional
relics of our former leaders, as well as a few
unexpected items like a lock of George
What’s Online  Washington’s hair. The Hall of Freedom has
Take a virtual tour of Tyler, courtesy of our award-winning galleries dedicated to each war in which the
photographers, at images-tyler.com. U.S. has participated, including a special section
dedicated to the Holocaust.

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 13

14
Tyler

Antony Boshier


Move
Tyler’s Fit City Challenge gets residents active
Story By Melanie Hill
T
yler is shaping up, thanks to the Fit
City Challenge – an ongoing citywide
health initiative helping residents
shed pounds and save lives.
“Our goal is our mission statement, which
is to make Tyler a fit city one bite, one step and
one health-conscious decision at a time,” says
George Roberts, chief executive officer of the
Northeast Texas Public Health District. “We
feel obesity is one of the greatest threats to
Tyler, and to the United States as a whole.”
Tyler Partnerships Make
Fit City Challenge a Reality
Roberts first proposed the lofty initiative
more than two years ago, and soon gained
media support from the Tyler Morning
Telegraph and KYTX CBS19. Today, the Fit City
Challenge steering committee guides a coalition
of more than 50 partners from Tyler’s education,
business, government, medical and nonprofit
The Southside Trail is one of many ways to exercise outdoors in Tyler.
On the
communities. In October 2010, the Fit City What’s
Challenge kicked off with a day-long
celebration in Tyler’s Bergfeld Park, Online
where thousands turned out for fitness and For more information
cooking demonstrations, and information about the Fit City
on area health resources. Challenge, visit
“We wanted to have a big event to get www.fitcitytyler.com.
everyone excited,” says Susan Guthrie,
communications director for the City of Tyler
and Fit City Challenge steering committee
member. “There are so many community
resources that focus on health and fitness,
and we wanted to help people find something
they love, whether it be running or organized
sports. There’s not just one answer from the
fitness standpoint.”
Parks, Fitness Centers Ample
In November 2010, Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass
led the first monthly FitWalk at Rose Rudman
Recreational Trail. One of 25 city parks, Rose
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 15
 Todd Bennett

“Our goal is … to make Tyler a fit city one bite, one

step and one health-conscious decision at a time.”

Rudman Recreational Trail provides a
scenic backdrop for jogging, walking,
biking and rollerblading. Residents also
enjoy the parks’ 1,000-plus acres of
playgrounds, athletic fields, walking
trails, tennis courts, multipurpose
courts and open spaces.
Indoor facilities include the Glass
Recreation Center, a multiuse fitness
and community center housing
basketball and volleyball courts, an
indoor track, weight room, cardio
equipment and group classes. The
city also is home to numerous private
fitness centers, including Premier
Fitness and Woodcreek Athletic Club.
At the Olympic Center, a comprehensive
medical fitness center operated by East
Texas Medical Center Regional
Healthcare System, services include
personal trainers, group classes and
massage therapy. The center also
provides community education and
periodic screenings and seminars at
no cost.
“I see what we do as the bookends
of the health-care continuum,” says
Jeramie Hinojosa, director of ETMC
Olympic Centers and Fit City Challenge
steering committee member. “People
often get thrust into the health care
system out of necessity, but prevention
is starting to become more prevalent.
Because exercise impacts your everyday
quality of life, we want to get to people
while they’re still healthy.”
Fitness classes, dancing and health
screenings are just a few of the activities
available at the Tyler Senior Citizens
Center, proving that good health knows
no age limit in northeast Texas.
For more, visit the City of Tyler’s
website at www.cityoftyler.org.
Smoking Ban a Part
of the Bigger Picture
Tyler residents also can breathe
easier, thanks to a smoking ordinance
banning smoking in all public
buildings. From restaurants to parks,
there is no question that Tyler is a
picture of health.
“What we want is for people to look
at Tyler as a fit city,” Roberts says. “We
want them to walk in and realize that
this is a community interested in their
citizens being healthy.”

Clockwise from top left: Jogging along the South Tyler Trails; Joe Canal, a member of the Tyler Bicycle Club,
says cycling is growing in popularity in the community; Residents work out at the ETMC Olympic Center.

16 Tyler
Todd Bennett Antony Boshier
 Just Right for

18 Tyler
 Retirement
tyler Amenities, quality of
life attract many retirees
Story By Laura Hill
F
amed for its azaleas and
roses, Tyler is happily
cultivating another valuable
bumper crop: retirees.
Over-55 residents now represent the
fastest-growing segment of the city’s
population. And while to some extent
that reflects the Baby Boom generation
reaching senior citizen status, retirees
leaving the full-time workforce are
flocking to Tyler in increasing numbers,
drawn by its outstanding quality of life,
affordability, amenities and climate.
“There is a lot of growth going on
in this area, period, and we have a lot
of different desirable amenities and
quality of life things that seniors want,”
says the chamber’s Henry Bell. “We
want a good mix of people in Tyler, and
seniors bring with them some very
desirable things. They bring us new
Antony Boshier
dollars, new wealth, pension plans and
Retirees shopping in Tyler
wonderful volunteers, great people we
can certainly use in our very large
nonprofit world.”
Tyler is Certified
Retirement City
Proud of being the first Certified
Retirement City (by the East Texas
Council of Government) in Texas, the
chamber has been making a conscious
effort to recruit seniors, stressing the
“10 major ingredients for the ideal
retirement spot.”
Among the leading attractions:
Tyler’s appealing climate, its ambiance
and its convenient location.
“We have four distinct seasons, but
fairly mild – we’ve got a kind of Old
South feeling here,” says Bell. “It’s
definitely not the Hollywood image of
Texas – no tumbleweed blowing down
the street or horses, though you can
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 19
 20 Tyler

From left: The Hamptons retirement community; There are plenty of cultural,
educational and recreational activities to keep retirees busy in Tyler.
certainly go riding if you’d like. We’re
pretty central, close to Houston, Dallas
and Shreveport, and three hours from
New York or Los Angeles.”
Tyler’s Affordability,
Health Care Rank High
Also leading Tyler’s top 10 is the
favorable cost of living, ranked 16th
in the nation by Places Rated Almanac
(Special Millennium Edition). With
local sales tax restricted to only non-
essential items, low property tax rates
and no state income tax, seniors find
their dollars go farther.
Seniors also are looking for
outstanding medical care, says Bell,
and Tyler meets their needs well.
“Health care hires a little over
a third of all employees in the
community,” says Bell, “We’ve got
three major hospitals, one part of the
UT system that services a research and
residency hospital, and we have one
specialty hospital for spine and joint.
The area attracts a lot of health care
professionals, too.”
Tyler Housing Options
Todd Bennett
Many, Varied
When it comes to housing, Tyler also
offers many options.
Serving Tyler and
East Texas Since 1991
Special Health Resources
is committed to
excellence in programs
serving youth,
adults and families.
Jeff Adkins
We promote positive
family communication;
professional drug and
alcohol prevention,
intervention and
treatment; client-centered
HIV/AIDS education,
outreach, testing,
intervention and
treatment; and
indigent health care.
“We have a great variety of offerings
of retirement facilities here,” says Bell.
“We have all kinds of choices, from
independent living, lots of them, to
assisted living to memory care, all
located throughout the community and
available to different economic levels.”
Lake View Apartment Homes in
North Chase, for example, offers
attractive apartments for lower-income
residents, while the Hamptons provides
independent living, assisted living
and memory care within the same
community.
Like their neighbors, retirees are
discovering all the cultural, educational
and recreational opportunities the
community offers, from Tyler Junior
College’s national championship men’s
soccer team to a full-season symphony,
an art museum, a performing arts
center and much more. Seniors can
avail themselves of educational
opportunities at UT Tyler and
continuing education options at
1308 Clinic Dr.
Tyler Junior College. A variety of
shopping, dining and entertainment Tyler, TX 75701
choices are also available close at (903) 597-7558
hand, and community festivals light
(800) 853-9689 Toll-free
up the calendar.
Who said retirement, especially in (903) 597-9107 Fax
Tyler, is dull?
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 21
 22 Tyler
 Beyond the
Books
Tyler college campuses offer multiple amenities
Story By Joe Morris
Photography By todd bennett
W
hen it comes to Tyler’s
academic residents,
there is no “town vs.
gown” rivalry here –
in fact, quite the opposite.
Home to three college campuses,
Tyler residents benefit not only from
students and faculty who are active
in the community, but also from the
academic, cultural, athletic, even
medical offerings that the schools
provide to the community.
Tyler Junior College
Since 1926, TJC has been providing
local students with two-year degrees,
as well as working with employers and
residents on workforce training and
other enrichment programs. The school
also gets heavily involved in many
community projects, earning it a spot
Tyler Junior College
on the President’s Higher Education
Community Service Honor Roll.
“We work to adapt quickly, be
flexible and to meet the needs of the
local economy,” says Fred Peters,
director of marketing and public
affairs. “And we believe that our
students benefit personally from
learning and exploring about what
their role is in society and how they
can give back while they’re here.”
Texas College
At Texas College, providing a unique
college experience has been the goal for
more than 100 years. The college offers
16 degree programs within four
divisions, as well as two associate of
arts degrees. The school also is seeing
strong community buy-in with its
Alternative Certification Teacher
Education Program, as well as with the
Success Program for adults who wish
to complete their degree or expand on
their existing training.
“We pride ourselves in being an
integral part of the community through
open-enrollment processes that give
both students and adults opportunities
to complete a degree,” says Christie
Howard, director of public relations.
“Success is a growing program for us
because it allows an adult who stopped
work on his or her degree, for whatever
reason, to come and complete it in 15
to 18 months. What Texas College sets
out to do is solidify the success of the
community that surrounds it.”
University of Texas at Tyler
With facilities for everything from
touring Broadway shows to exercise and
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 23
 24 Tyler
 fitness – not to mention top-notch medical care
– the University of Texas at Tyler is a major hub By the
of activity for the entire region. Numbers
Cowan Center
When it comes to arts and culture, there’s no 1926
better local outlet than the R. Don Cowan Fine Year Texas Junior
and Performing Arts Center, which provides College was founded
space for local and touring entertainers and
theatrical productions.
“The [Cowan Center’s] mission is to bring 16
the best national and international touring Number of degree
performers and speakers to East Texas, and programs offered
to draw all walks of life to experience the arts at Texas College
and culture,” says Beverley Golden, director of
marketing and communications for UT Tyler.
138,500
UT Tyler Sports Centers Number of outpatient
The community’s physical needs aren’t visits per year at the UT
forgotten either, as members of the public can Health Science Center
access the Citizens First Bank Perkins Soccer
Complex, Maytee Fisch Convocation Center
in the new Herrington Patriot Center and 6,201
Summers Tennis Center, state-of-the-art Number of students
facilities that also allow the community enrolled at the University
to become engaged in the school’s NCAA/ of Texas at Tyler
American Southwest Conference athletic
programs, Golden says.
UT Health Science Center
At the UT Health Science Center at Tyler,
cutting-edge research is carried out, while more
than 20 outpatient clinics work in tandem with
the hospital and emergency-care center to
handle more than 138,500 outpatient visits
and 3,700 inpatient stays per year.
Academic initiatives at UTHSCT include
residency programs in family and occupational
medicine, as well as an internal-medicine
residency program partnership with Good
Shepherd Medical Center in Longview and
a graduate-level, public-health program via
interactive television with the UT School of
Public Health in Houston.
“The Tyler metropolitan area is a major
provider of health care services in the region,”
said UTHSCT President Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun.
“Having an academic medical center such as
UT Health Science Center here is critical to
the further development of these medical
services. We add the additional elements
of comprehensive education and innovative
research to the delivery of high-quality medical
care. That’s an important contribution.”

Top: R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts

Center Bottom right: Dub and B.J. Riter
Millennium Carillon Tower and Plaza on the
campus of the University of Texas at Tyler

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 25
 Art
of the
Matter

26 Tyler
 i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 27
 Tyler museum expands
with community support
Story By joe morris | Photography By todd bennett
F
or more than 50 years,
artists and art lovers alike
have found a welcoming
home in Tyler.
Tyler Junior League
Launches Museum Project
A walk around the award-winning
Tyler Museum of Art, full of exhibits
and programs both traveling and
permanent, gives very little hint of what
was a pretty bleak arts scene in 1952.
Back then, a group of volunteers
from what would become the Junior
League of Tyler saw the need for a local
arts presence, so they sent “picture
ladies” out to conduct in-school
education programs and began working
toward a local museum. Their efforts
paid off in 1960, when an arts center
was established in the former Jamie T.
Smith home, a first stop on the road to
today’s multicultural center.
“Several of those children who were
visited by the ladies are now leaders in
our community,” says Kimberley
Tomio, the museum’s director. “Over
the years we have seen a sense of a
legacy grow as the museum has really
become a part of life here.”
Tyler Museum Expands
Permanent Collection
The museum has two galleries, as
well as a library, classroom, café and
gift shop. It also has a permanent
collection with more than 1,500
works, including paintings, prints,
photographs and sculpture by artists
such as Al Held, Robert Motherwell,
James Surls, Vernon Fisher, Alexander
Calder, Terry Allen and Charles Umlauf.
The permanent collection also has
received a major donation of Mexican
folk art from Laura and Dan Boeckman
of Dallas. At more than 650 pieces,
the donation is the largest ever for
Tyler Museum of Art
28 Tyler
the museum, and one of the
largest collections of its kind in
the United States.
“We’re very excited about the gift,
because it really puts us on the map,”
Tomio says.
New Museum
Building Planned
The new collection is so vast that it
can’t all be displayed at once. And oddly
enough, the museum’s current cramped
quarters are responsible, in part, for the
Boeckman donation.”
“We have to be a larger institution
to reflect how much the community is
growing,” Tomio says. “Our current
site has been wonderful, but we can’t
expand on it and we need to grow.
When the Boeckmans heard of our
plans, they began to meet with us
about housing the collection.”
A 14-acre property has been
purchased across from the University
of Texas at Tyler campus, and funds
are being raised to build a new
42,000-square-foot facility there –
almost triple the current building’s
size. Fundraising has begun and if
construction can begin in 2011, the new
facility should take between two and
three years to build and get settled into.
In the meantime, however, the
museum is hardly standing still.
Exhibits covering everything from
18th and 19th century British teapots
to Chinese jade have recently graced
the exhibit halls, and a full roster of
education programs for adults and
children continues to be mounted
on an ongoing basis.
“We have the desire to bring as
many diverse programs as possible to
the community,” Tomio says. “We work
with a lot of other organizations to do
so, and we’re very happy to continue
expanding those efforts.”
 i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 29
 Big Business
With an

30 Tyler
 Old-Fashioned Feel

Brookshire’s World of Wildlife

Museum and Country Store

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 31
 Brookshire remains Tyler’s no. 1 food market
Story By jessica mozo | Photography By todd bennett
W
hen customers at his
tiny grocery store on
Tyler’s downtown
square needed help
back in the 1920s, Wood T. Brookshire
was known for jumping over the
counter to assist them. More than
80 years later, that same legendary
customer service is the driving force
behind Brookshire Grocery Co., which
has grown to include 150 stores in
Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.
“If there’s a trademark we’ve built
our reputation on, it’s providing very
good service that is friendly and
helpful,” says Sam Anderson, director
of consumer and community relations
for Brookshire Grocery Co. “One of our
company mottos is to provide a great
32 Tyler
food and shopping experience, and
Brookshire makes a sincere attempt to
provide customers with clean stores
and products they want at a fair price.
We refer to our employees as partners
and treat them fairly with good wages
and benefits, and the opportunity to
share ownership in the company.”
Brookshire History
Brookshire Grocery Co. began
in 1928 with a 25-by-100-foot store,
and by 1939 the founder owned three
stores in Tyler, including the first air-
conditioned grocery store in East Texas.
A warehouse was added in 1953, and
the company continued to grow.
Today, its 150 stores operate under
five banners, most of which are
Brookshire’s Food Stores and Super 1
Foods Stores. There is also one Ole
Foods location in Corsicana, Texas, that
carries Hispanic foods and one ALPS
(Always Low Price Store), a discount
store in Nashville, Ark. The all new
next-generation grocery store concept
FRESH by Brookshire’s opened its very
first location in March 2011.
“We’re primarily known for our
retail outlets, but we also operate
several manufacturing facilities in the
Tyler area, including a water and juice
plant, ice cream plant, dairy plant,
bakery plant and ice plant,” Anderson
says. “We have two distribution
facilities in Tyler, and in the Smith
County area we employ approximately
3,000 people.”

Open-Door Policy
Many of those employees, or
partners, have made a career working
for Brookshire Grocery Co. The
company was listed among the 85
Best Companies to Work for in Texas
by Texas Monthly magazine four years
in a row.
“We have a wall in our office where we
put up pictures of those with 35 or more
years of service, and there are probably
close to 100 in that category,” says
Anderson, who has worked for Brookshire
for 25 years. “They’ve always treated me
fairly and honestly, and they provide
opportunities by promoting from within.”
Partners also value the company’s
open-door policy.
“I feel very blessed because if I need
to talk with the CEO or president, I
simply walk down to their office and
talk,” Anderson says. “If I have to call
or e-mail them, they respond back with
no problem.”
From left: Brookshire’s Food Store, Brookshire’s Country Store
Community Connection
Another one of Brookshire’s
hallmarks is giving back to
communities in which they operate.
The company’s corporate giving
program donates more than $1 million
annually to more than 800 charities.
Every December for the last 29 years,
Brookshire has sponsored a Spirit of
Christmas Food Drive, where the
company collects enough food to feed
16,000 families in Texas, Louisiana
and Arkansas.
“Each store also has a Community
Connection team that is purely
voluntary, and once a quarter they
do some kind of benefit in their
community,” Anderson says. “They
get to decide what is important in
their community – it isn’t corporate-
mandated. Here in Tyler, we have
helped distribute winter coats at a
coat drive and worked at dances for
disabled adults.”
Brookshire’s World of Wildlife
Museum and Country Store are free to
the public as a community service of
Brookshire Grocery Co. The country
store, a life-size replica of a 1920s
grocery store, illustrates the old-
fashioned grocery business. For more,
visit www.brookshires.com/museum.
In 2010, Brookshire kicked off a new
philanthropic effort – Brookshire’s
WWII Heroes Flight. The company
took 75 World War II veterans on all-
expense-paid trips to Washington D.C.
to visit the World War II Memorial,
Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S.
Capitol and other sites. The veterans
were divided into two groups, and trips
were made in May and October.
“The men ranged in age from about
83 to 96, and we had a blast,” Anderson
says. “They were neat, wonderful,
gracious men. They absolutely loved it.”
Brookshire hopes to provide additional
Heroes Flights in 2011.
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 33
 Tyler’s Largest Convention Hotel
Our Hotel Offers:
• 183 finely appointed guest rooms and suites
• Two concierge levels for VIP guests
• Outdoor saltwater pool, sun deck
• Exercise room with nautilus equipment
• Over 9,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
• Full-service restaurant and lounge
with nightly entertainment
• On-site guest laundry facilities
• Complimentary high-speed Internet
• Business center and ATM in lobby

Our Rooms Offer:

• Clean, crisp comfortable bedding
with choice of pillows
• Large work desk with ergonomic chair
• 32” flat-screen TVs with premium movie channels
• In-room iron/board and hair dryers, coffee makers
• Upgraded bathroom amenities
• Complimentary high-speed wireless Internet

Please contact our Sales Department for more

5701 South Broadway Ave. information or group rates.
Tyler, TX 75703 For reservation, please call (800) HOLIDAY
(903) 561-5800 or visit us online at
Fax: (903) 561-9916 www.holidayinn.com/tylertx

34 Tyler
 Calling All
Foodies
FRESH by Brookshire
offers new spin on
grocery shopping

T yler area residents now have

a trendy new place to shop
for groceries and prepared meals.
Brookshire Grocery Co. recently
opened a 58,000-square-foot
“next generation” food store
called FRESH by Brookshire’s.
In addition to a full shop of
traditional grocery items, FRESH
offers a wide range of specialty
grocery items, as well as items that
cater to special dietary needs. The
artisan bakery serves made-from-
scratch breads found nowhere else
in Tyler. The market and seafood
departments bring in the freshest
products from across the globe,
and the farmers market-style
produce department features
local, organic items. Decadent
pastries and desserts are made
fresh daily from only the finest
ingredients.
FRESH also serves up fresh
coffee, gelato, sandwiches, tacos,
sushi and daily prepared meals.
“It’s the first store of its kind,
and we’re making it appealing
for those who love to cook, and
for those who don’t,” says Sam
Anderson, director of consumer
and community relations for
Brookshire Grocery Co. “The
community’s enthusiasm level
about it is very high. We’ve been
getting lots of comments from
people saying they can’t wait for
it to open. Some residents have
been driving to Dallas to get
products they’ll soon be able
to get right here in Tyler.”
Brookshire officials made plans
for the new store after exploring
the best grocery stores across the
nation and improving upon what
they discovered. They hope FRESH
by Brookshire’s appeals to foodies.
The store created more than
jeff adkins

200 new jobs in the area.

 – Jessica Mozo

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 35
 Economic
Boon
working to better the economy
Story By Lynsey Franks
S
ince March 2009, the City
of Tyler has been working
diligently to better the local
economy. For a rapidly
growing community of close to 100,000
diverse residents, community leaders
saw the need for higher-paying, more
abundant job opportunities to increase
the standard of living.
While Tyler has proven itself to be
an attractive location for professionals,
young families and retirees alike,
community leaders understood the
importance of building an increasingly
sustainable and entrepreneurial
economy.
Thus, the 20-year plan for the region
took form.
The Tyler Leadership
Roundtable
Mayor Barbara Bass and Senator
Kevin Eltife are taking the lead,
Tyler Pipe and Target are two major employers in Tyler.
36 Tyler
forming what is known as The Tyler
Leadership Roundtable.
“I was included in the initial
meeting in the winter of 2009 of a group
organized by Mayor Barbara Bass and
State Senator Kevin Eltife,” says Tom
Mullins, president and CEP of the Tyler
Area Chamber of Commerce and the
Tyler Economic Development Council.
“We wanted to find some common
projects various public and private
entities in the community could work
on together and to develop a uniform
marketing strategy.”
The Industry
Growth Initiative
The projects all fell under one
umbrella known as the Industry
Growth Initiative (IGI). The city, Smith
County, Tyler ISD, Tyler Junior College,
the Metro Black Chamber, the Area
Chamber and the Development Council
Todd Bennett
 i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 37
 Tyler Pipe is one company that adds a great deal to the success of Tyler’s economy.
Major adopted the IGI in May 2010 with the goal of
fostering an innovative economy.
Employers Consisting of 10 primary building blocks,
Trinity Mother Frances the IGI pinpoints industries that Mayor Bass
East Texas Medical Center says make the most sense of where to channel
resources. Sectors include graduate education,
Brookshire Grocery Co.
health care, bio-med, tourism, arts and
Wal-Mart entertainment, retirement, infrastructure,
The Trane Co. 21st-century energy and transportation, and
Suddenlink an innovative economy.
CB&I
The Future of Tyler
UT Health Center at Tyler “There is room for growth in all the
Target Distribution Center categories listed above,” says Mullins. “We are
Carrier Corporation fortunate to have two branches of the University
Southside Bank of Texas here, a medical research facility and an
John Soules Foods academic campus with an engineering school.
They can support the knowledge-based jobs of
Tyler Pipe
the future.”
According to the 2010 Milken Institute best-
performing cities index, Tyler ranked seventh
out of 179, and is a city Mullins is confident will
remain in the top 10 nationwide.
38 Tyler
An Attractive Community
With the cost of living being below the
national average and a mild climate with
four distinct seasons, Tyler is an attractive
community with many unique characteristics,
such as “our natural beauty, amazing health
care and higher education opportunities (we
have four colleges),” says Susan Guthrie,
communications director and key leader with
the City of Tyler. “We are a regional destination
for shopping, employment and dining, also the
people are tremendous; we have 26 parks and a
tremendous quality of life.”
Since the implementation of the IGI, Guthrie
says the city’s sales tax revenues are up 3.63
percent, compared to the same period last year.
“Our hotel-motel occupancy tax revenues are
up more than 10 percent,” she adds.
The city’s focus on innovation versus
traditional manufacturing has greatly benefited
the economy. As of March 2009, more than $478
million has been generated in new investment
throughout the region.
 Leading the Pack
HEALTH CARE: TYLER’S TOP EMPLOYER

H ome to three major hospitals – the East Texas Medical Center, Trinity
Mother Frances Hospital and the University of Texas Heath Science
Center at Tyler – health care in Tyler continues to see rapid growth.
“I believe that we are a regional destination. People come from the
entire region to seek health care,” explains Guthrie. “Additionally, the
Health Science Center enhances the element of medical education.”
Reflecting the city’s growing health care community, Tyler is home
to more than 730 physicians, 50 pharmacies, 36 medical clinics and
87 dentists/oral surgeons. As the fastest-growing sector, Mullins says
that Tyler has been a regional center for three decades.
“We have a growing population of retirees who know they will need
more services as they age,” he says.
– Lynsey Franks

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 39
 Biz Briefs
A sampling of businesses – large and small – that helps  
define Tyler’s strong and well-balanced economic climate

Scorecard
Business At
A Glance

$1.93
billion
Annual retail sales

$22,169
Retail sales
per capita

$190
million
Annual hotel
and food sales

9,316
Total number
of firms
Source: U.S. Census
QuickFacts

JANIE’S CAKES COLE AND CO.

Biz: Bakery; cake manufacturer
Buzz: Janie’s Cakes has been making its
specialty pound cakes in Tyler since 1987. The
cakes are all handmade from scratch using all-
natural ingredients, and range in flavors from
lemon and chocolate to the best-selling “Italian
Jane,” made with Italian cream sauce and Texas
pecans. Janie’s Cakes won the 2009 Small
Business of the Year award from the chamber.
www.janiescakes.com
Biz: Jewelry and gifts
Buzz: Cole and Co. purchased the 30-year-old
R.L. Davis Fine Jewelry in Tyler in 2007 and
has since been selling quality gifts, china and
jewelry online and in-store. The company is
committed to providing exceptional customer
service that includes bridal registry, imprinting
services and complimentary gift wrapping. Cole
and Co. opened its new Tyler location in 2008.
www.cole-and-co.com

40 Tyler
 HISPANIC BUSINESS
SERVICE OFFICE
Biz: Business development organization
Buzz: The Hispanic Business Service
Office was established as part of the
chamber’s Hispanic Business Alliance
to promote the development and growth
of Hispanic businesses in Tyler. The
office provides information on starting
businesses, loan programs and more.
www.tylertexas.com/hbso
the ROSE SPA AT
THE CASCADES
Biz: Spa
Buzz: The Rose Spa is the premier spa
and workout facility in East Texas. With
8,500 square feet, the spa includes
workout facilities, whirlpools, saunas,
massage therapy, hairstyling and
makeovers, providing the service and
pampering of a big city all from Tyler.
www.rosespaonline.com
STANLEY’S FAMOUS
PIT BAR-B-Q
Biz: Barbecue restaurant
Buzz: Family-owned and -operated,
Stanley’s is among Tyler’s oldest
operating companies, founded more
than 50 years ago. Celebrated as one
of the best barbecue joints in Texas,
Stanley’s won Best Pork Ribs at the
Texas Monthly BBQ Festival in 2010.
www.stanleyspitbbq.com
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 41
 Chamber Report
downtown headquarters flourishes at long-time location
T he Tyler Area Chamber of
Commerce is 111 years old and has
been headquartered in three different
buildings during its impressive history.
And all three buildings are located
within a block of each other in the
downtown district.
“We have always wanted to help
keep downtown Tyler vibrant, which
is why we’ve always specifically been
42 Tyler
located in the district,” says Henry Bell,
chief operating officer of the Tyler Area
Chamber of Commerce. “Right now,
we are housed in a six-story historical
building about a block off the square
from two courthouses.”
Bell says the chamber promotes
all of the positive aspects of Tyler,
including the fact that Tyler is the
largest city east of Dallas, west of
Shreveport and north of Houston.
“We are centrally located in East
Texas, so we’re a regional destination
in a lot of areas,” he says. “For example,
the health care industry has a
significant economic impact on our
community, making up a 30 percent
employment base in Smith County.
Tyler is also a regional shopping
destination and banking center.
Our community is lucky to have a
diverse economy.”
The city has also become a regional
legal services destination, which in
recent times has made a bigger name
for Tyler thanks to patent law cases and
their fast rulings.
“We have a judge here – Judge
Leonard Davis – who tries cases so
quickly that he has garnered attention
from around the country,” Bell says. “It
has increased our presence as a legal
services area and makes our downtown
district even more bustling throughout
the week.”
The Tyler chamber is made up of 15
employees who oversee a membership
that now numbers more than 2,000.
Bell says that besides acting as a
chamber, the organization also
operates as an economic development
commission, as well as a convention
and visitors bureau.
“The chamber is also a Hispanic
business headquarters, offering help to
those small start-up companies because
they are our fastest growing business
segment,” he says. “We are a busy
chamber these days, and we like it
that way.”
For more about the Tyler Area
Chamber of Commerce, visit the
website at www.tylertexas.com.
 –Kevin Litwin
 economic profile
economic overview
Tyler is considered the advanced manufacturing, health care,
educational and retail center of East Texas. Tyler offers companies
a quality, centrally located, middle-market location with many of
the advantages of a major market. Tyler is part of the Tyler MSA,
which includes all of Smith County, Texas.

major employers education

Trinity Mother Frances

3,652 employees 27%
High School Graduation
Taxes East Texas Medical Center
3,620 employees
24%
1.5% Tyler Independent School
District 2,501 employees
Some College, No Degree
City Sales and Use Tax

8%
Brookshire Grocery Co.
2,213 employees

0.5% Wal-Mart 1,697 employees

Associate Degree

16%
County Sales Tax The Trane Co.
1,520 employees
Bachelor’s Degree
Suddenlink 1,138 employees
6.25%
State Sales Tax
City of Tyler 890 employees
CB&I 853 employees
8%
Graduate or Professional Degree
UT Health Center at Tyler

8.25% 840 employees

Economic
Total Sales Tax Resources
Transportation
income Tyler Economic  
Tyler Transit System Development Council

$13,570
www.cityoftyler.org/Admin/ 315 N. Broadway Ave.
Tabs/tabid/104/Default.aspx Tyler, TX 75701
Per Capita Income (903) 593-2004
Service hours are Monday
www.tedc.org
through Friday 6:00 a.m. to
Tyler Area Chamber  
$38,830 8:15 p.m. and Saturday 9:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Night service
of Commerce
315 N. Broadway Ave.
Average Annual  
Household Expenditure is available with advanced Tyler, TX 75702
scheduling. Tyler’s fixed route (903) 592-1661
buses are also equipped with (800) 235-5712
workforce racks for bicycle transport. www.tylertexas.com
Texas Engineering  
Tyler Pounds  
63,192 Regional Airport
Extension Service
301 Tarrow
Total Workforce 700 Skyway Blvd. College Station, TX 77840
Tyler, TX 75704 (979) 458-6800
(903) 531-2343 (877) 833-9638
79% www.cityoftyler.org/?TabId=78 www.teex.org
White Collar Jobs Union Pacific Railroad
John Owens, Industrial Industrial Sites
Development
21% (281) 350-7302 Tyler Industrial/Business Park
Blue Collar Jobs www.up.com www.tedc.org

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 43
 Image Gallery

Lake Tyler State Park

Photo by Antony Boshier

44 Tyler
 A sculpture at Tyler’s Children’s Park
Photo by Todd Bennett

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 45
 Image Gallery

Millennium Carillon Tower at UT Tyler

Photo by Antony Boshier

46 Tyler
 Tyler Azalea Trail
Photo by Antony Boshier

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 47
 Image Gallery

Elephant at the Caldwell Zoo

Photo by Antony Boshier

48 Tyler
 Room to relax …

Room to breathe …

A place to call …

Home
Away From Home!

3303 Troup Hwy.

Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 595-5188

www.residenceinntyler.com

582 654 2156 7 25

37 564 98 7125 19
5000 96 525 3 775 20%
of commercial rose bushes produced in the

851 9500 45 2750

u.s. are grown in tyler and smith county

10500 1 65 2000 9 Learn fun and interesting facts about

120 8525 8 465 78

Tyler in the By the Numbers video at
images-tyler.com
Tyler in action

Don’t just take our word for it – see for yourself how great Tyler is in
our quick videos at images-tyler.com, highlighting a little bit of
everything that Tyler has to offer.

images-tyler.com


Here to There
Foodies enjoy local and European dishes
From local Texas favorites to traditional international
cuisine, Tyler has its food covered. There are plenty of
popular restaurants around to satisfy the cravings of all
Tyler residents and visitors.
When you think about typical
Texas fare, the things that usually
come to mind are steaks,
barbecue and Tex-Mex. Such
traditional Lone Star State food is
readily available in Tyler. But the
city also ventures well beyond the
state line with restaurants that
specialize in French, Italian,
Mediterranean and Latin cuisine.
Rick’s On The Square
Since 1992, one of the most
popular restaurants in town has
been Rick’s On The Square. As the
name suggests, Rick’s is located
in the heart of downtown Tyler.
And it has found a place in the
hearts of city residents by
offering something for everybody
in terms of food and atmosphere.
On the plate, Rick’s specializes in
steaks (the chipotle rib eye is a local
fave), seafood, wine and house-
made desserts. Menu items range
from the basic burger to the exotic
Local Flavor
Antony Boshier
Todd Bennett
Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q
barbecue restaurants in the state.
Stanley’s has been family-owned
and -operated since the 1950s. In
addition to the standard pulled pork
sandwich, the restaurant offers
some interesting combinations such
as the Brother-In-Law (grilled hot
link, chopped beef and cheese) and
the Big Swimmer (tilapia on a
jalapeño-cheese sourdough bun,
topped with guacamole).
Mediterranean
and Mexican
barbecued smoked-shark tacos.
For those who want to think
As for the atmosphere, Rick’s is
outside the Texas box, Bernard
upscale enough to resemble a
Mediterranean Restaurant brings
fine-dining experience, yet still
tastes of Italy and France to
casual enough for live music on
Tyler. This cozy eatery has such
the patio.
traditional Europeans dishes as
escargot and lasagna Bolognese,
Kiepersol Estates
as well as a selection of steaks to
Winery and B&B appease the local palate.
One of the city’s true food French pastries can be found at
destinations is Kiepersol Estates, Chez Bazan, which specializes in
which is a combination restaurant, cakes, pies, cookies and breads.
winery, and bed and breakfast. The restaurant also creates some
The business-casual restaurant extravagant wedding cakes.
features high-quality steaks and Don Juan’s Mexican Restaurant
seafood. Tours of the winery and and Cantina has long been a Tyler
vineyard are available, and include staple. The dishes have more of a
a visit to the tasting room. traditional Mexican flavor rather
than the Americanized version
True Texas BBQ Joint of Mexican food. The tacos are
Of course, it wouldn’t be Texas particularly popular, especially on
without a good local barbecue Wednesdays when they are sold
joint, and Tyler’s is Stanley’s for a dollar apiece.
Famous Pit Bar-B-Q. Texas Other Tyler favorites include
Monthly magazine has proclaimed The Potpourri House, Villa Montez
Stanley’s to be one of the 50 best and Breakers. – Cary Estes
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 53

 Health & Wellness

Health Care Closer to Home

East Texas residents choose Tyler for their medical needs

The health care industry has become an integral part of Tyler in recent years.
As the city has grown and the medical options have expanded, an increasing number
of residents in East Texas are choosing Tyler for their health care needs instead of
making the trip to Dallas, approximately 100 miles to the west.

The city’s two primary health
care facilities are East Texas
Medical Center and Trinity Mother
Frances Hospital. As of 2008,
they were the top two employers
in Tyler, with a combined
workforce of more than 7,000.
East Texas
Medical Center
ETMC has 454 beds and a
Level I trauma center. The hospital
has institutes dedicated to cancer,
cardiovascular, neurological,
orthopedic and urology, as well
as a kidney transplant program
and a behavioral health center.
In the 1980s, ETMC began
developing formal referring
relationships with hospitals in
other East Texas communities.
ETMC now has 11 affiliate hospitals
outside of Tyler. All told, the
ETMC Regional Health Care
System sees more than 300,000
patients a year.
addition to centers focusing on
cancer, heart disease and
neurological disorders, Trinity
offers a variety of specialized
services from sports medicine and
reconstructive surgery to long-
term care for the acutely ill.
university of texas
health science
center at tyler
The University of Texas Health
Science Center at Tyler is a
smaller facility (109 beds) with
specialties in such areas as cystic
fibrosis, sleep disorders, infectious
diseases and rheumatology. Since
1977, the facility has been a
component of the University of
Texas System.
A Leader in
Spine Surgery
Tyler has one of the best hospitals
in the nation when it comes to
spine surgery. The Texas Spine and
Joint Hospital ranked in the top 5
percent nationally in spine surgery
from 2006 to 2009, according to
the HealthGrades Hospital Quality
in America study, and was ranked
No. 1 in the state of Texas. The
physician-owned hospital provides
services focused on disease and
injury affecting the spine and
joints. – Cary Estes

Trinity Mother
Frances Hospital
Trinity’s origins in Tyler date to
1937, when the Sisters of The Holy
Family of Nazareth worked with
city leaders and area physicians to
bring a hospital to the community.
The facility opened one day ahead
of schedule when the devastating
New London School explosion,
which killed nearly 300 people and
injured hundreds more, pressed
Todd Bennett

the hospital into immediate action.

Trinity currently has 392 beds and Texas Spine and Joint Hospital
is a Level II trauma center. In

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 55
 Education

Education Is Big in Tyler

Options include the largest junior college in the state

The educational opportunities in Tyler include several options that maintain the
state’s overall theme that everything is bigger in Texas. From a junior college to the
public school district, Tyler has some sizable choices when it comes to education.

UT Tyler
The state’s most expansive
educational component is the
University of Texas System, and
the city of Tyler has been part of
it since 1979, when Texas Eastern
University became the University
of Texas at Tyler. Known locally
as UT Tyler, the college has
approximately 6,200 students
and a 210-acre wooded campus
located on Harvey Lake, just
southeast of downtown.
UT Tyler offers more than
90 graduate and undergraduate
degrees, with a specialty in
nursing. It is the school’s most
popular major, and includes a
Ph.D. program. Other majors
that attract a high level of
interest include education,
management, psychology and
accounting. UT Tyler is also the
home of the Texas Allergy,
Indoor Environment and Energy
Institute research center.
The university opened a
38,000-square-foot, three-story
University Center in 2009,
complete with restaurants,
meeting rooms, a ballroom,
an entertainment area and a
convenience store. The school’s
R. Don Cowan Fine and
Performing Arts Center attracts
more than 26,000 visitors
annually for a variety of shows
and performances.

University of Texas at Tyler

56 Tyler
Texas Junior College
Since its inception in 1926, Texas
Junior College has grown from having
fewer than 200 students to today’s
enrollment of approximately 10,000, with
another 15,000 people taking continuing
education courses at the school.
TJC has approximately 230 full-time
faculty members, keeping the average
class size close to 20 students. The
school has more than 50 degree options,
with a focus on pre-professional offerings
in allied health. TJC also offers advanced
training in information systems, with
concentrations in networking,
programming and Web mastering.
Historic Texas College
The city’s oldest school is Texas
College, which was established in 1894
by a group of Christian Methodist
Episcopal Church ministers who wanted
to provide higher education to African-
Americans. Texas College remains
affiliated with the CME Church.
Among the offerings at Texas College
are 16 baccalaureate degree programs
Brook Hill
and two associate of arts degrees. There
The Brook Hill School
is also a special program for working
is a non-denominational
adults that provides a bachelor of science
Christian school for
degree in business administration.
students in grades
pre-K through twelve.
Public and
An international/domestic
Private Schools
boarding program is
On the public-school level, the offered, and the school
Tyler Independent School District is has hosted students from
the largest district in northeast Texas, all over the world since
encompassing 193 square miles with a its inception in 2003. The
total of 28 schools and an enrollment Brook Hill School’s 2010
of approximately 18,000 students. graduates were accepted
In 2008, TISD began using the 5E into 80 different colleges
Model of teaching: engage, explore, and were awarded
explain, elaborate and evaluate. The goal more than $3 million
is for students to have more interaction in scholarship money.
during the learning process, rather than
simply writing down information and
repeating it at test time.
There also are several church-affiliated
private schools in Tyler, including All
Saints Episcopal, St. Gregory Catholic
and Good Shepherd Christian.
 – Cary Estes
 Sports & Recreation

Antony Boshier
Todd Bennett

58 Tyler
 Great Outdoors
parks, fields, camps offer plenty of fun
There is no shortage of options for outdoor recreation
in Tyler. From ample amateur sporting events to more
relaxed activities, such as fishing or taking a stroll at the
park, outdoor-lovers have plenty to choose from in Tyler.
Tyler is an outdoors kind of
city. With 30 baseball fields,
15 soccer fields, 25 city parks
and 15 campgrounds, there are
numerous opportunities to get
out and about.
The organization SPORTyler
ensures that there are plenty of
activities taking place at all those
fields and parks. SPORTyler was
developed in 1990 to attract
amateur sporting events to
Tyler, and promote recreation.
Under the direction of
SPORTyler, the city has played
host to national junior college
sports championships in baseball,
basketball, soccer and tennis.
Tyler also has held the Texas
State Open golf tournament,
as well as several events put
on by the national Amateur
Softball Association.
Tyler State Park
For those who like their outdoor
activities a bit more secluded,
there is Tyler State Park, spread
across nearly 1,000 acres just
north of the city. The park has a
64-acre lake with a concrete boat
ramp, a 13-mile mountain bike trail,
an amphitheater, a dining hall with
full kitchen and premium campsites.
Summer Camps
Tyler has numerous summer
camps to help keep children
active during their mid-year break
from school. Camp Nation, which
is run by All Saints Episcopal
Clockwise from top: Sky Ranch summer camp; Bergfeld Park in Tyler;
Fishing at Tyler State Park
L arry Lott
InterIors
School, offers programs ranging
from traditional sports activities Fine Furnishings
to “Princess for a Week” for
young girls who like to dress up.
Other popular summer camps
Gifts
in Tyler include Pine Cove
Christian Camp, Sky Ranch and
the Rockin’ C Ranch, which is set
on a real working Texas ranch.
A different type of camp can be
found at Elite Gymnastics. Created
by a former competitive gymnast,
Elite Gymnastics attempts to
improve self-confidence in children
while they learn new skills.
Parks, Lakes
and More
But one does not have to find a
camp or major state park to have
outdoor fun in Tyler. That’s because
the city has 25 smaller parks
that comprise more than 1,000
acres of land. These parks have
playgrounds, athletic fields, walking
trails and tennis courts. There also Accessories
is an amphitheater in Bergfeld Park,
which is the site of the annual Tyler
Azalea Trail and the Texas Rose
Design
Festival arts and craft shows.
And the list goes on. Lake Tyler
is a popular fishing spot, while the
Faulkner Park Nature Trail offers
a 1.25-mile walk through oak and
pine forests. There are golf
courses for the adults and a
skateboard park for children and
teens. In fact, if there is something
to do outdoors, there is a good
chance you can do it in Tyler. BERGFELD CENTER
 – Cary Estes 114 E. 8th St. • Tyler
903.705.1764
www.larrylottinteriors.com
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 59
 Arts & Culture

Goodman-LeGrand House and Museum

Coming Up Roses (and More)

Cultural options range from floral festivals to museums

Cultural opportunities bloom throughout the year in Tyler, especially when it

comes to the city’s flowery celebrations, from the Tyler Azalea Trail held each
March to the annual Texas Rose Festival in October.

The premier event for a city
that touts itself as America’s Rose
Capital is the Texas Rose Festival.
The rose industry has long been
an important part of Tyler’s
economy (more than half of
all rose bushes currently sold
in the United States are grown
or packaged in the area). Even
during the Great Depression,
the city was known for its robust
rose production.
So in 1933, the Tyler Garden
Club helped organize a festival
to showcase the East Texas town
where they said, “Everything is
coming up roses.” It was originally
known as the Tyler Rose Festival,
but as its popularity expanded
and attracted visitors from
throughout the state and beyond,
the name was changed to the
Texas Rose Festival.
Thousands of people attend
the three-day event, which
includes art shows, floral displays
and a flamboyant rose parade
featuring the Rose Queen and her
court. There is also a Queen’s Tea
held in an elaborate rose garden.
Flower Trails and
Rose Gardens
A more subdued – but just as
colorful – floral festival is the Tyler
Azalea Trail, which has been held

60 Tyler

East Texas Symphony Orchestra
Todd Bennett
in Tyler every year since 1960.
Two trails traverse through 8 miles
of residential gardens and historic
homes, attracting more than
100,000 visitors during the annual
two-week run.
Rounding out the flower power
is the city’s year-round attraction,
the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden.
The 14-acre garden is the largest
of its kind in the United States,
and contains numerous varieties
of roses, some dating back to the
mid-1800s.
Museums and More
But there is much more to do in
Tyler than just stop and smell the
flowers. Discovery Science Place
is a hands-on science museum
geared toward children and
teens. Ballet Tyler holds dance
performances and helps provide
scholarship assistance to aspiring
photo courtesy of East Texas Symphony Orchestra staff
Antony Boshier
dancers. The East Texas
Symphony Orchestra has been
performing regularly since the
1950s and plays a series of
popular park concerts each year.
The city features eight different
museums, including the American
Freedom Museum, the Cotton
Belt Depot, Harrold’s Model Train
Museum, the Historic Aviation
Memorial Museum, the Tyler
Museum of Art and the Goodman-
LeGrand House and Museum,
which was built in 1859 and was
the first property in Tyler to be
listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
And for something slightly
different, there is Texas True, a
furniture and memorabilia store
that sells only products made in
Texas. It’s the perfect place to find
that cowboy-theme dog bed.
 – Cary Estes
i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 61
 2104 Grande Blvd., Ste. 100 • (903) 581-4141 • Tyler, TX 75703

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6720 oak Hill Blvd.

tyler, tX 75703
(903) 561-1002
www.oakhillschooltyler.com

62 Tyler
 Community profile
Community Overview
Tyler’s charming brick streets lead visitors to an array of family
attractions, quaint antique shops and unique specialty stores.
Special events throughout the year include the Texas Rose
Festival, Azalea & Spring Flower Trail, Festival on the Square
and Movies Under the Stars in Bergfeld Park.

cost of living
24%
$43,557 Age 55 and Over

Median Household Income

52%
$108,224 White

Median Home Price

19%
$691 Black

Median Rent for a  

Two-Bedroom Apartment
15%
Hispanic
transportation
Climate
19 minutes 14%
Tyler’s climate is hot during Other
the summer and cold during Median travel time to work
the winter. Rainfall is numbers to know
fairly evenly distributed household
throughout the year. The
information Driver’s License:
wettest month of the year Texas Department  
is October, with an average of Public Safety
rainfall of 5.14 inches.
98,872 4700 University Blvd.
Tyler, TX 75713
Total Population
93.6 F (903) 939-6014
www.txdps.state.tx.us
July Average High
34 Vehicle Registration:
37.7 F
Median Resident Age
County of Smith:  
January Average Low Auto Registration
54% 1517 W. Front St.

45” Married Tyler, TX 75702

(903) 590-2900
Annual Rain Fall (vs. National www.smith-county.com/
Average Annual Rain Fall of 37”)
46% government/electedofficials/
Single taxassessor/VehicleReg.aspx
time zone
Utilities:
Central 29% Tyler Water Utilities
Age 19 and Under P.O. Box 2039
size in square miles Tyler, TX 75710
(903) 531-1234
47% www.cityoftyler.org/
49.4 Age 20-54 Default.aspx?tabid=331

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 63
 visit our
advertisers
Altra Federal Credit Union Residence Inn Marriott
www.altra.org www.residenceinntyler.com
American State Bank Scott & White Health Plan
www.myamericanstatebank.com www.swhp.org
Austin Bank Southside Bank
www.austinbank.com
www.southside.com
Bishop Thomas K. Gorman
Regional Catholic School Special Health Resources
www.bishopgorman.net www.shrt.net
Brookshire’s Grocery Company Swann’s Furniture Gallery
www.brookshires.com www.swanns.com
Cornerstone Brokerage Texas Bank & Trust
www.cornerstonebrokerage.com www.texasbankandtrust.com
East Texas Medical Center
www.etmc.org Texas Spine & Joint Hospital
www.tsjh.com
East Texas Symphony Orchestra
www.etso.org The Brook Hill School
www.brookhill.org
Express Employment Professionals
www.expresspros.com The University of Texas Health Science Center
First Presbyterian Church – Tyler www.uthct.edu
www.fpctyler.com Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals & Clinics
Holiday Inn www.tmfhc.org
www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/tyrsb
Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce
Holiday Inn Express & Suites www.tylertexas.com
www.hietyler.com
Tyler Independent School District
Larry Lott Interiors www.tylerisd.org
www.larrylottinteriors.com
Learning Rx Tyler Junior College
www.learningrx.com/tyler www.tjc.edu
Oak Hill Montessori School United Way
www.oakhillschooltyler.com www.unitedwaytyler.org

64 Tyler
 Voter Registration:
Smith County  
Courthouse Annex
First
200 E. Ferguson Presbyterian
Ste. 500
Tyler, TX 75702
Church
(903) 590-4777 Pastor:
www.smith-county.com/ Rev. Dr. Stuart Baskin
Government/Departments/
Elections/Registration.aspx
Worship
Sun. 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Recycling: Church School
Sun. 9:30 a.m.
Tyler Recycling  
Collection Center Rooted in a compassionate faith Contemplative Communion
418 N. Bois D’ Arc Wed. 5:30 p.m.
(903) 531-1388
www.cityoftyler.org/Admin/ 230 W. Rusk St.
Tabs/tabid/100/Default.aspx Tyler, Texas 75701

Tyler Solid Waste Department In the heart of

Tyler’s Azalea,
414 N. Bois D’ Arc Ave.
Brick Streets
Tyler, Texas 75702 and Charnwood
(903) 531-1388 Historic Districts
test.cityoftyler.org/
?TabId=100 Voice: (903) 597-6317
www.fpctyler.com
The City of Tyler Solid church@fpctyler.com
Waste Department offers
subscription-based curbside
recycling to residential
customers. Residents can sign
up for this optional program
and receive two curbside
recycling pickups per month
for $2.50 plus tax per month.

Telephone:
AT&T
(800) 464-7928

Cable:
Suddenlink
(903) 595-4321

Northland Cable Television

At St. Jude Childrenʼs Research Hospital, we canʼt.
(Flint area) Thatʼs why we are working every day to find cures for life-
(903) 894-8200 threatening diseases that strike children everywhere. Diseases
like cancer, pediatric AIDS, and sickle cell. And we wonʼt
Library: stop until every child is cured and every disease is defeated.
Tyler Public Library
201 S. College Ave. Because we canʼt imagine a world
Tyler, TX 75702 without children … can you?
(903) 593-7323
Call 1-800-996-4100 or log onto www.stjude.org
www.cityoftyler.org/ to learn how you can help.
Library/Library/tabid/542/
Default.aspx Finding cures. Saving children.

i m ag e s -t y l e r . c o m 65
 Through the Lens

Get the Story Behind the Photo

Now that you’ve experienced Tyler through our photos, see it through the eyes of
our photographers. Visit images-tyler.com to view our exclusive photographers’ blog
documenting what all went in to capturing those perfect moments.

From Our Photo Blog:

Tyler, tx
As a photographer who cut
his teeth on nature photography,
I was thrilled to have the
opportunity to shoot at the Tyler
Municipal Rose Garden. As I
started walking through the rose
garden, I could not help noticing
the wind blowing and the swaying
of all but the stoutest rose plants.
I was reminded of an axiom that
was told to me by one of my
mentors: “God created the wind
to keep nature photographers
humble.” Despite the dancing of
my subject, I was able to capture
this image of Tyler’s claim to fame.

Posted by antony boshier

More Online 
See more favorite photos and read
the stories behind the shots at
images-tyler.com.

Barbershop Hudnall Planetarium

in Tyler at Tyler Junior College

66 Tyler
 Ad Index
C3 Altra Federal Credit Union 65 First Presbyterian
Church - Tyler
6 American State Bank
34 Holiday Inn
62 Austin Bank
41 Holiday Inn Express
57 Bishop Thomas K. Gorman and Suites
Regional Catholic School
59 Larry Lott Interiors
52 Brookshire’s
Grocery Company 54 Learning Rx

62 Cornerstone Brokerage 62 Oak Hill Montessori School

C4 East Texas 50 Residence Inn Marriott

Medical Center
8 Scott and White
64 East Texas Health Plan
Symphony Orchestra
42 Southside Bank
64 Express
Employment Professionals 21 Special Health Resources
 Ad Index (cont.)
5 Swann’s Furniture Gallery

12 Texas Bank and Trust

7 Texas Spine & Joint Hospital

17 The Brook Hill School

2 The University of Texas

Health Science Center

C2 Trinity Mother Frances

Hospitals and Clinics

49 Tyler Area Chamber

of Commerce

9 Tyler Independent
School District

4 Tyler Junior College

61 United Way