**Longtime Tyler Historian Mary Sue Walker Plank Completes Landmark Digital Archive Project**
**TYLER, TX –** After three years of dedicated effort, local historian and beloved community volunteer Mary Sue Walker Plank has officially completed the Smith County Historical Society's ambitious digital archiving project, making thousands of local historical documents, photographs, and artifacts accessible to the public online. The monumental project, celebrated for its scope and meticulous detail, concluded earlier this month, greatly enhancing resources for researchers and history enthusiasts across East Texas and beyond.
Plank, a fixture in Tyler’s historical preservation community for over two decades, spearheaded the initiative to digitize fragile collections housed at the Smith County Historical Society and the Carnegie History Center. Her work involved methodically scanning, cataloging, and creating detailed metadata for items ranging from early settler journals and civic meeting minutes to rare photographs depicting Tyler’s growth throughout the 20th century.
"This has been a labor of love, truly," said Plank from the Carnegie History Center, located at 125 S. College Ave. in downtown Tyler. "Our history is so rich here in Smith County, and it’s vital that these stories and images are preserved not just for current generations, but for future ones. Making them digitally accessible ensures that these invaluable resources can be shared widely without risking damage to the originals."
The project, which began in late 2020, received partial funding through a grant from the Texas Historical Commission and numerous local donations. Plank volunteered an average of 30 hours per week, meticulously overseeing the scanning process and training a small team of volunteers.
"Mary Sue’s dedication to this project has been nothing short of extraordinary," commented Dr. Emily Carter, Executive Director of the Smith County Historical Society. "What she has accomplished will transform how we interact with our past. Researchers, students, and anyone interested in Smith County history now have unparalleled access to materials that were once difficult to reach. It’s a game-changer for local scholarship."
The new digital archive is now integrated into the Smith County Historical Society’s website, providing a searchable database of thousands of entries. Visitors to the site can explore collections related to local businesses, prominent families, significant events, and daily life in Tyler and surrounding communities.
The Smith County Historical Society encourages the public to explore the newly digitized collections online at SmithCountyHistoricalSociety.org. Physical materials can still be viewed by appointment at the Carnegie History Center during regular operating hours.
This story, including additional photos and interviews, can also be found on the Tyler Paper’s website at TylerPaper.com/local-news/mary-sue-plank-archive-project.
