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.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
East Texas is piney, green country, very different from the dry plains farther west. Around Tyler, the marker points out a lucky combination: sandy soil, rain spread through the year, and a long growing season. Those conditions turned out to be ideal for propagating roses.
In the decades after the Civil War, East Texas farmers tried many crops, and nurseries sold fruit trees and ornamental plants to a growing population. Roses began as one product among many. As the country's cities and suburbs grew and more families planted gardens, demand for ornamental plants grew too.
The twentieth century turned a sideline into an industry. Irrigation, scientific research, organized promotion, and national shipping networks all came together. In the 1930s, even during the hard years of the Great Depression, Tyler put roses at the center of its identity and its economy.
People & events
The first known commercial rose production here began in the 1870s. Pioneers like G. A. McKee and Mathew Shamburger, who lived from 1827 to 1888, sold rose bushes alongside other nursery stock. At first, roses were just part of an ordinary nursery trade.
In the 1920s, business grew as more nurserymen started growing roses. In 1924, A. F. Watkins introduced irrigation, which increased production. In October 1933, the Texas Rose Festival began as a way to publicize the industry, turning a local crop into a public celebration.
Science came next. Starting in the 1930s, J. C. Ratsek, Dr. E. W. Lyle, and others at the Tyler substation of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station studied rose plants, and in 1945 the Texas Rose Foundation, Inc., was organized to carry that work forward. The Tyler Rose Garden, a 22-acre city park, followed in 1952, with nurseries donating the plants and the city caring for them. By the 1970s, according to the marker, local nurseries shipped about nine million dollars' worth of bushes and flowers around the world in a single year, and the Tyler area produced half of all rose bushes grown in the United States.
Its place in the American story
Tyler's rose industry shows how an American region can become world-famous for one specialized product. Just as some places became known for citrus, wine grapes, or peaches, East Texas became a name linked to roses. Soil and climate gave it the chance, but people built the industry.
The story also follows a pattern that remade American farming in the twentieth century. Irrigation, agricultural experiment stations, and grower organizations turned traditional farming into something more scientific and more productive. Public research institutions working with private growers was a common and powerful American model.
Finally, the Rose Festival shows how communities sold themselves. Many American towns created festivals around a local crop, bringing in visitors and building civic pride. Tyler took it further, and the result was a city whose identity and economy are still wrapped up in a flower.
If you visit
The Tyler Rose Garden is the natural centerpiece here: a 22-acre city park planted with the many rose varieties that local nurseries donate. Come when the roses are in bloom for the full effect of color and fragrance, and take your time walking among the beds.
As you walk, remember that you are standing in the display case of a whole industry. The garden is not only beautiful but also a showcase for what the nurseries of this area have grown for generations.
Tyler makes a great stop on an East Texas road trip through the piney woods. If you can, time your trip around the Texas Rose Festival, which has run since 1933. Families will enjoy the open space, and kids may be surprised to learn that a large share of the country's rose bushes came from right here.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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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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