Smith County Rose Industry and the Tyler Rose Garden
Tyler, Smith County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A combination of sandy soil, year-round rainfall, and a long growing season make the Tyler area ideal for rose propagation. First known commercial production began here in the 1870s when industry pioneers such as G. A. McKee and Mathew Shamburger (1827-88) sold rose bushes along with other nursery stock. Business expanded in the 1920s as more nurserymen began growing roses. Production was increased by new growing methods such as irrigation, introduced in 1924 by A. F. Watkins. The Texas Rose Festival was started in Oct. 1933 to publicize the industry. Scientific plant research, begun in the 1930s by J. C. Ratsek, Dr. E. W. Lyle, and others from the Tyler substation of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, was implemented by organization of the Texas Rose Foundation, Inc., in 1945. The Tyler Rose Garden, a 22-acre municipal park, was created in 1952. Nurseries donate the many varieties of plants, which are cared for by the city. Today the rose industry is vital to the economy of Smith County. In 1973 the value of bushes and flowers shipped around the world by local nurseries totaled $9,000,000. One-half of the rose bushes produced each year in the United States come from the Tyler area.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Sandy soil, steady rain, and a long growing season made the Tyler area ideal for roses, and commercial growers such as G. A. McKee and Mathew Shamburger began selling bushes there in the 1870s. The trade blossomed in the 1920s with new irrigation methods, gained a promotional showcase in the Texas Rose Festival launched in 1933, and drew scientific research that professionalized the field. By the 1970s the Tyler area supplied about half the rose bushes grown in the United States.
Why it matters
It documents how a regional agricultural specialty grew into a nationally dominant industry, blending frontier horticulture with modern science and civic promotion.
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Related people
- · G. A. McKee
- · Mathew Shamburger
- · A. F. Watkins
Related events
- · Texas Rose Festival
Themes & tags
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