During the City Council Meeting held July 23, Senator Tomas Glover Pollard was selected as the City’s third Half-Mile of History honoree.
Pollard, who was raised in Edom and who moved to Tyler in 1922, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1919 at the age of 26. He would go on to be elected to a second term in the House and then on to 10 years in the Texas Senate.
While in the State Senate, Pollard was elected President Pro Tempore of the 40th Legislature and then served as chairman of the Finance Committee when he was only 33 years old. As part of his enduring legacy, Pollard sponsored a bill that appropriated funding for education in rural communities and led to the creation of Texas Technological College.
Pollard also contributed greatly to his own community. Seeing a need for a local state bank, he obtained a charter and helped open Tyler’s first state bank, Tyler Guarantee Bank. He also led the effort for the passage of a bill for road paving as this was a need in Tyler. Among Pollards lasting contributions is his involvement in the oil and gas industry. He authored the Oil and Gas Pipeline Bill and the Gas and Market Demand Conservation Statutes. These bills aided the small oil and gas companies that were struggling to survive against the larger companies.
The Half-Mile of History program was launched in Feb. 2008 as a result of a recommendation from the Tyler 21 Plan to promote and display diverse aspects of Tyler’s history to enhance resident and visitor awareness of its importance. The Half-Mile of History is a permanent, outdoor, half-mile heritage trail that surrounds the square in the heart of downtown Tyler. Stone monuments are imbedded into the sidewalk along the Half-Mile of History in recognition of people, places or events significant to Tyler’s history.
To make a nomination to the Half-Mile of History program, please visit the www.CityofTyler.org and go to the Planning and Zoning Department’s page or call (903) 531-1175.