Smithville Heritage Society

The Smithville Heritage Society, established in 1975 and located at 602 Main Street, is known locally as the headquarters for Smithville's history. The Society sponsors programs open to the public each year that focus on our area history. In addition, the Museum is open by appointment to visitors including vacationing guests, researchers, historians, and school children—both home-schooled and public school students. The Society enjoys holding open houses at the Museum for civic events and occasionally hosts local organization meetings.

Behind the Heritage Society Museum is a small metal building housing the "Archives." Residing within this climate-controlled structure are archival-safe boxes that hold a treasury of historic documents, photographs, and other historic items. Visitors or residents may obtain research assistance and information about their historic home or business, a family member who lived here and/or worked for the railroad, or a historic event which happened in the Smithville area. The Archives contain early Smithville newspapers, files about citizens, residences, businesses, and organizations such as churches, schools, and clubs. Files are kept not only about Smithville, but also for surrounding towns such as Kovar, Cistern, West Point, Pin Oak, and several other communities.

Although we are not able to keep the museum or the Archives open regularly, we are happy to arrange an appointment—whether you want a tour of the house/museum or you'd like to research a family member or a home. Please call Carol Snyder at 214-673-2223 for details. We also accept research requests via mail at Smithville Heritage Society, PO Box 332, Smithville, TX 78957, or via email at smithvilleHeritageSociety@gmail.com and will be delighted to mail the copies of information we may find in our files.

Legacy Stories from the Americans All Heritage Honor Roll

We are pleased to host and share these legacy stories created by honorees’ family, friends and associates. They, like us, appreciate that heritage and culture are an integral part of our nation's social fabric and want to help students participate effectively in our nation's economy, workforce and democracy.

Language
State
Last Name of Individual
First Name of Individual
Group name

Smithville, Texas Texas (c.1827 - ?) American Town, Bastrop County, Railroad

Smithville, just off State Highway 71 and ten miles a of Bastrop in southeastern Bastrop County, was established by Thomas Gazeley, who in 1827 settled near the present site. Gazeley operated a store there until his death in 1853, and the community that sprang up around the store was named Smithville, after William Smith and his family. J. P. Jones and Frank Smith opened a store in the community in 1867 . . .  

Cox-Hyson Home, Smithville, TX Texas (c.1908 - ?) Historic Building, Smithville, Heritage Society, American Town

As a Bicentennial gift and through the generosity of Floyd R. "Skip" Hyson and his wife, Lucille, the newly-organized Smithville Heritage Society received the Cox-Hyson house as a permanent home for the Society in 1976. Built in 1908 for John Cox and his wife, Irene Wilkes Cox, the house was the family home of the John Cox family.

Smithville Public Library, TX Texas (September 1929 - ?) Public Library

At a meeting of the Woman's Club in September of 1929, the germ of an idea to establish a public library was proposed; followed by the search for a location. City officials granted space in the Council Chamber and Court Room for storage of books until a better site was determined. The original donation of books came from the private library of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rodgers of the Upton community.