Everett Taylor: Taylor's Yarns

BY EVERETT TAYLOR

Come September, the summer doldrums give way rapidly under the pressure of a new school year, football and hunting seasons kicking off and other seasonal events that create special excitement for many people.

In Tyler it also means another East Texas State Fair soon will be underway, followed by the Texas Rose Festival a couple of weeks later, and often this is the season a circus or two might be making the rounds.

Looking through an article in a 2002 edition of "Chronicles of Smith County, Texas," published by the Smith County Historical Society, it became apparent that many of these same activities were furnishing excitement for residents almost a century ago, in 1913.

Entitled "The Fitzgerald Diary" the article reproduced the "Good Times Record," a diary of Lois Fitzgerald that was transcribed by Gretchen F. Leath. The original diary is housed in the Smith County Historical Society Archives.

School started on Sept. 15 that year, Lois Fitzgerald wrote, and her topics also included visits to the Fair and arrival of the Ringling Brothers circus in town, plus Tyler High School football games.

Perhaps the most exciting new development for Tyler that year was "street car service" provided when Tyler Traction Co. opened its electric trolley line on Sept. 29, 1913, running west from downtown to the fairgrounds. Within several months, lines were completed in three other directions.

One line went from downtown out North Bois d'Arc to the old Riviere Bottling Plant that was a popular topic in this column earlier this year. Another went south on Broadway, Mary Street and College Avenue to a hospital and a park. The fourth route went east from downtown out Erwin Street, turning south on Horace and Clayton to Hill's Natatorium.

A message from the company said: "Street car tickets for sale at street car office in rear of R.A. Dean's Grocery Store. 22 5-cent tickets for one dollar. Children under 12 years old half fare; 30 tickets for fifty cents or 10 tickets for twenty-five cents."

With school opening in mid-September, the Fair also came a little later during that period. The Fitzgerald diary entry listed Oct. 9 as the date "Papa took Richard, James, and I out to the Fair ground on the street car. We took Mr. Dean's bill to him and he gave James some candy and Richard and I some milk chocolate. We got our tickets at the back of Dean's store, got in the car and rode out North Bois d'Arc and back and then on out to the Fair grounds."

"We didn't have any accident going out but had to wait a good while for the work car to move so we could get to the side track. The Fair grounds are pretty. You feel very high at the top of the grand stand. We stayed a good little while and then went to the car to go home. The top piece of our car got off the cable once going home."

Included with the Chronicles article was a reproduction of a letter from the East Texas Fair to Miss Lois Fitzgerald signed by J.L. McBride, assistant secretary: "I take pleasure in handing you herewith two checks for $1 each in payment of prizes awarded you for best plain sewing by child and best embroidery by child. I want to assure you that the management very greatly appreciates your interest in the fair by having exhibits on display."

That was before the Texas Rose Festival was started, but an October 18 entry in the diary mentioned "the Wild West Show's parade" and another ride out to the fair where "We looked at the exhibits then went up in the Grand Stand and watched the races."

Other activities the writer mentioned having seen at the Fair included a volleyball game, a basketball game and a football game between Palestine and Tyler. "It was a tie of 7 to 7."

Street car service apparently wasn't totally trouble free. Miss Fitzgerald mentions such mishaps as having "the street car rails spread," cars not being able to "get up enough electricity to start" and the "north line not running."

The East Texas Fair not only has survived, but has thrived through the years and is now preparing for its 2007 run.

Tyler Traction Co. wasn't quite as successful, closing down in 1917 after an adventurous but somewhat short four years.

(Everett Taylor)