As you drive, pay close attention to the old brick streets. They constitute one of the largest collections of brick-surfaced streets in Texas.
Tyler, settled in the l840s, owes its name to President John Tyler. Smith County, of which Tyler has been the only county seat, was created in l846 from part of what is now Nacogdoches County. the county was named for General James Smith, a Texas Revolution leader who was serving in the Republic of Texas Congress when the county was named for him.
Every visit to Tyler should include a tour of the municipal Rose Gardens, the largest garden of its type in the country. Boasting over 38,000 rose bushes with more than 500 varieties, the garden is located adjacent to the East Texas Fair Grounds on West Front St. Nearby is Rose