TOWNS OF SMITH COUNTY, TEXAS ***************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net Director of the Computer Interest Group, ETGS 5 April 2002 ***************************************************************** Originally published in the East Texas Family Records, Volume 5, Number 4, Winter 1981, by East Texas Genealogical Society. DESCRIPTION OF SMITH COUNTY AND SOME OF ITS TOWNS (From the Texas Almanac of 1853) TYLER - The county site of Smith county is situated near the centre of said county and is composed of many neat and handsome homes, many of which are brick. There are seven extensive mercantile houses now in operation, and others are being fitted up. Churches, academies, Masonic Hall, Templar1s Hall &c, Mechanic shops of every de­scription, one steam grist mill, grocery houses of all kinds. The citizens of Tyler are generally industrious and enterprising. MOUNT VERNON is situated in the South portion of Smith county, approximately twelve miles due South from Tyler; it is rapidly improving, has one dry good store, a Masonic Hall, and one school, all of which are well sustained. CANTON is situated in the South-East portion of Smith county, fourteen and a quarter miles South-East from Tyler, and is a neat and flourishing village. There are three dry good stores, a Masonic Hall, with churches, academies, a grocery, and a Mechanic shop, &c. Its inhabitants and those of the vicinity are industrious and enterprising. JAMESTOWN is situated in the East portion of Smith county, fifteen and three-quarter miles East from Tyler, and is quite a flourishing little village. There are two dry good stores, one Methodist Church, a Masonic Hall, one academy, Mechanic shops of every description, all of which are liberally sustained. STARRVILLE is situated in the North-East portion of Smith county, fourteen miles from Tyler. It is one of the most flourishing villages in Eastern Texas, with sever­al dry good stores and churches. There are one or two academies, with two high schools and various Mechanic shops. Both in Starrville and Jamestown, the retailing of ardent sspirits is prohibited by the act of incorporation. BELZORA is situated on the Sabine River, fifteen miles North-East from Tyler, but is not a place of any note. FLORA is situated in Smith county, near the Sabine River, fifteen and a quar­ter miles North West from Tyler. There are two dry good stores and one or two groceries.