Peter Lake is an American businessman who served as chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas from 2021 to 2023, and as chairman of the Texas Water Development Board from 2018 to 2021.
63-729: Originally from Tyler, Texas , Lake attended the University of Chicago and Stanford University . He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and an MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business . Lake began his career in the financial sector, working as a trader on the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as well as director of research at Gambit Trading. He also worked
126-669: A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization , in 1959. The society operates a museum and archives in the former Carnegie Public Library building in downtown Tyler. Permanent museum exhibits include life-size dioramas of Smith County history, with topics ranging from the Caddo Indians to the 20th century. Other items from the society's collections are showcased in revolving, temporary exhibits. The society's archival library contains historical artifacts of Smith County, including newspapers, city directories, school records, photographs, maps, historical papers, and rare books. The archives are open to
189-571: A museum and archives in the old Carnegie Library. The East Texas State Fair is held annually in Tyler. Harvey Convention Center, the largest building at Tyler's fairgrounds is slated for demolition in August 2021. Lake Tyler was the location of the HGTV Dream Home contest in 2005. The 6,500 sq ft (600 m ) house helped to boost tourism and interest in the community and surrounding areas. It
252-496: A public charter school (Cumberland Academy). Several Tyler schools offer international baccalaureate and advanced placement programs. Tyler is also home to the University of Texas at Tyler University Academy at Tyler, a K–12 public charter operated by the University of Texas at Tyler since 2012 that offers university courses to students in grades 9–12. Portions of incorporated Tyler are served by surrounding school districts. These include sections of southeast Tyler, served by
315-510: A 100-acre (40 ha; 0.16 sq mi) tract acquired by Smith County on 6 February 1847. The new town was named for President John Tyler , who advocated for the annexation of Texas by the United States. A log building on the square's north side served as a courthouse and public meeting hall until a brick courthouse displaced it in 1852. The City of Tyler was incorporated on January 29, 1850. Early religious and social institutions included
378-526: A census-tabulated citywide population of 105,995 at the 2020 census, its metropolitan statistical area became the second-largest in the region, behind the Longview metropolitan area . The Tyler metropolitan area had 233,479 residents in 2020, and the Tyler–Longview area had an estimated population of 416,662 in 2022. When the U.S. Census Bureau released population estimates for 2022, Tyler was estimated to have
441-660: A high percentage of its residents voted for secession and many of its men joined the Confederate Army . The town was secure enough for the Confederate States of America to establish the largest ordinance plant in Texas . In 1870, Bonner and Williams established Tyler's first bank. When both the Texas and Pacific Railroad and the International Railroad (Texas) originally eschewed routes through Tyler, townspeople financed
504-486: A kiosk, paved trail, interpretive signage, a cabin reconstruction, and a picnic area. It is on Highway 271, 0.8 mi (1.3 km) north of Loop 323. According to the city's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $ 87.7 million in revenues, $ 101.7 million in expenditures, $ 49.2 million in total assets, $ 12.3 million in total liabilities, and $ 17.6 million in cash in investments. The Northeast Texas Public Health District
567-430: A large plantation on what is today a gated community called Hideaway Lake , began searching for a more convenient way to ship the produce grown on his land. Hubbard convinced railroad officials to lay track between nearby Tyler and Mineola . Hubbard's brother-in-law, Elijah Lindsey, anticipating growth around the new railroad, opened the fledgling community's first general store in 1871, and Lindale had its start; Lindsey
630-498: A market change proposal designed to create an additional way for gas-fueled power plant generators to make money, hoping to spur construction of more power plants". During Lake's tenure, the state experienced no system-wide blackouts despite facing periods of record-breaking electricity demand. Lake resigned from the position in June 2023 but remained on the board as a commissioner through the following month. Tyler, Texas Tyler
693-441: A median cost of $ 164,700, and the median cost with a mortgage was $ 1,408 while houses without a mortgage had a median cost of $ 487; renters paid a median of $ 1,011 a month, and 1,148 rental-units had no rent paid among the population. Overall, the city of Tyler is more affordable than nearby Dallas . A predominantly middle-class community, the city of Tyler had a median income of $ 52,294 and mean income of $ 75,349. Families had
SECTION 10
#1732852128619756-503: A median income of $ 66,579; married-couple families $ 85,181; and non-family households $ 32,263. Down from a poverty rate of 16.7% in 2018, approximately 12.6% of the population lived at or below the poverty line in 2019. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city's ethnic makeup has become increasingly diverse, owing to white flight , immigration and internal migration. In 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup
819-542: A nineteen-year-old white woman. Denied a trial and due process, Hillard was taken from law enforcement personnel by a white mob. Hillard's executioners were never punished. Later, two entrepreneurs combined photographs from the actual lynching with others staged with actors and sold the 16-image production as a stereographic set. One of the original sets sits in the United States Library of Congress . In 1912, Dan Davis, an African-American man suspected of attacking
882-686: A number of private sector jobs which included director of business development at Lake Ronel Oil Co., and special projects director for private investment firm VantageCap Partners. Lake served on the Texas Water Development Board beginning in December 2015, before becoming chairman of the board in 2018. While on the board, he oversaw the implementation of a Senate Bill that established Texas' first flood infrastructure fund and statewide planning following Hurricane Harvey . It also financed billions of dollars in water infrastructure projects through
945-438: A population of 109,286 as of July 1, 2022. Among the city's growing population as of 2019, there were 46,320 households and 43,733 housing units. Of the units at the 2019 American Community Survey, 37,504 were occupied and the majority were single-unit detached homes . Tylerites had a home-ownership rate of 51.7%, and renters occupied 48.3% of the housing units from 2014 to 2019's census estimates. Owner-occupied housing units had
1008-553: A sixteen-year-old white girl named Carrie Johnson, was burned at the stake in the Smith County Courthouse Square. In 1971, the University of Texas system established the University of Texas at Tyler and Broadway Square Mall opened in 1975. By 1980, the population grew to 70,508 and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler and East Texas Islamic Society were established in the following years. During
1071-433: A unit of American Standard Companies , which manufactures air conditioners and heat pumps (this plant was originally built in 1955 by General Electric ); Delek Refining , an Israeli-owned oil refinery formerly La Gloria Oil and Gas Co (a Crown Central Petroleum subsidiary ); PCSFerguson, an operating company of Dover Corporation that specializes in equipment for the measurement and production of natural gas using
1134-567: Is 115 °F (46 °C), which occurred in 2011. The record low for Tyler is −3 °F (−19 °C), which occurred on January 18, 1930, and again on February 16, 2021, during the February 2021 North American cold wave . With a population of 2,423 at the 1880 census , the city of Tyler grew to become the most populous city in Northeast Texas , and 33rd most populous in Texas as of 2020. Having
1197-536: Is The WaterPark @ The Villages, a year-round, indoor water park. There is an "Azalea Trail" in Tyler, which consists of two officially designated routes within the city that showcase homes or other landscaped venues adorned with azalea shrubs. The Azalea Trail also is home to the long-standing tradition of the Azalea Belles. The official greeters of the Azalea Trail are known as the Azalea Belles, young women from
1260-473: Is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas , United States. As of 2020, the population is 105,995. Tyler was the 38th most populous city in Texas (as well as the most populous in Northeast Texas ) and 289th in the United States . It is the principal city of the Tyler metropolitan statistical area , which is the 198th most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and 16th in Texas after Waco and
1323-706: Is a political subdivision under the State of Texas established by the City of Tyler and Smith County. In place for nearly 70 years, the Health District became a separate entity in 1994, with an administrative Public Health Board. With a stated vision "To be the Healthiest Community in Texas", the district has a full-time staff of over 130 employees. The Health District has a broad range of services and responsibilities dedicated to their mission: "To Protect, Promote, and Provide for
SECTION 20
#17328521286191386-809: Is also a member of the Reformed Episcopal Church . Presbyterian and Lutheran bodies operating in the area include the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Presbyterian Church in America , and the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) and North American Lutheran Church . The Eastern Orthodox community is served by the Orthodox Church in America 's Diocese of the South with its headquarters in nearby Dallas . The BestPlaces study found that approximately 0.1% of
1449-533: Is also home to the Caldwell Zoo and Broadway Square Mall , and the seat of Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler and its Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception . Legal recognition of Tyler was initiated by an act of the state legislature on April 11, 1846. The Texas government created Smith County and authorized a county seat. The first plat designated a 28-block town site centered by a main square within
1512-466: Is also home to the annual Texas Rose Festival which attracts thousands of tourists each October. As Northeast Texas and Smith County's major economic, educational, financial, medical and cultural hub, Tyler is host to more than 20,000 higher-education students; the University of Texas at Tyler ; a university health science center; and regional hospital systems. It is the headquarters for Brookshire Grocery Company and many other large employers. Tyler
1575-577: Is divided between adherents of the Episcopal Church in the United States and Anglican Church in North America . The Episcopal Church USA-affiliated Episcopal Diocese of Texas has congregations in Tyler. The Anglican Church in North America also has congregations in Tyler and its metropolitan area. The Diocese of Mid-America is the ACNA's diocese in Tyler, consisting of one church as of 2020. This diocese
1638-520: Is land and 0.52 sq mi (1.3 km ) is covered by water. Tyler is the principal city of the Greater Tyler metropolitan area , and a principal city in the Tyler–Longview area, a conurbation of the Tyler and Longview metropolitan and combined statistical areas. Tyler has a modest skyline and downtown area. Downtown architecture features the Art Deco and neoclassical styles, many dating from
1701-606: Is part of Texas's 1st congressional district , which is currently represented by Republican Nathaniel Moran . Tyler is one of the divisions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas . The United States Postal Service operates several post offices in Tyler, including Tyler, Azalea , Southeast Crossing, and the South Tyler Annex. Tyler's higher education institutions include
1764-677: The 2010 East Texas church burnings , two Tyler churches were destroyed, and historic preservation city planning began in 2016 as the population increased and the city continued development. The city of Tyler is in the Southern United States , in Northeast Texas . It is sometimes considered part of the wider Ark-La-Tex region where Arkansas , Louisiana , and Texas meet. The city is approximately 38 mi (61 km) from Longview ; 61 mi (98 km) from Marshall ; 100 mi (160 km) from Dallas ; 132 mi (212 km) from Texarkana ; 230 mi (370 km) from
1827-646: The College Station–Bryan areas, with a population of 233,479 in 2020. The city is named for John Tyler , the tenth President of the United States . In 1985, the international Adopt-a-Highway movement began in Tyler. After appeals from local Texas Department of Transportation officials, the local Civitan International chapter adopted a two-mile (three kilometer) stretch of U.S. Route 69 to maintain. Drivers and other motorists traveling on this segment of U.S. 69 (between Tyler and nearby Lindale ) will see brown road signs that read "First Adopt-A-Highway in
1890-556: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler . Following, 6.6% of the population were Methodists , mainly affiliated with the United Methodist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church . According to a separate 2020 study by the Association of Religion Data Archives , Baptists, non/inter-denominational Protestants , and Roman Catholics constituted the largest share of Christendom for Tyler metropolitan area. The same study from
1953-592: The Tyler Tap Railroad to link the town to the national rail grid. Ironically, before that 21-mile line to Big Sandy, Texas was completed in 1877, Tyler had already gotten its desired rail connection when the International–Great Northern Railroad built into town in 1874. Regardless, the Tyler Tap became the seed for the 725-mile-long Texas and St. Louis Railway , which in turn formed
Peter Lake - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-654: The United Pentecostal Church , prominent Trinitarian and Oneness Pentecostal denominations. An estimated 1.2% of the religiously affiliated population were Latter-day Saints . Of the Christian population, 0.9% identified as Anglicans or Episcopalians , 0.7% Presbyterian , and 0.6% Lutheran . Roughly 13.6% of Tylerites are of another Christian faith including the Eastern Orthodox Church and Jehovah's Witnesses . The Anglican or Episcopalian community
2079-657: The University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler , both part of the University of Texas System , as well as Texas College , the city's only HBCU, and Tyler Junior College . Public primary and secondary education for much of the city is provided by the Tyler Independent School District , which includes high schools Tyler High School (previously known as John Tyler High School) and Tyler Legacy High School (previously known as Robert E. Lee High School), as well as Tyler ISD Early College High School, Premier High School of Tyler,
2142-633: The Whitehouse Independent School District , and some sections in the east which are served by the chapel Hill Independent School District . Lindale, Texas Lindale ( / ˈ l ɪ n d eɪ l / ) is a city in Smith County, Texas , United States. Located in East Texas, the population was 6,059 as of 2020 census . It is part of the Tyler, Texas, metropolitan statistical area . The area of Smith County where Lindale sits
2205-469: The humid subtropical climate typical of the American South . Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail , damaging winds and tornadoes occur in the area during the spring and summer months. Summer months are hot and humid, with maximum temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 91 days per year, with high to very high relative average humidity. The record high temperature for Tyler
2268-406: The 1900s. The district area is predominantly residential though it sometimes serves as a mix-use district. Brick Streets Historic District has brick-paved streets and stone-lined drainage channels. Nearby, Charnwood is Tyler's first historic district. It comprises 12 blocks of late 19th and early 20th century architecture. Tyler experiences weather typical of East Texas . The region is located in
2331-467: The 19th and early 20th centuries. Modernist - and postmodernist -era structures are also present throughout the cityscape. Central Tyler is anchored by Brick Streets Historic District and Charnwood Residential Historic District, areas characterized by dense retail, restaurants, nightlife, and historic landmarks. Brick Streets Historic District is the largest geographic area of Tyler. It encompasses 29 blocks and primarily consists of buildings constructed in
2394-461: The Ark-La-Tex and parts of Dallas–Fort Worth . The company's main distribution center is in south Tyler, while SouthWest Foods, a subsidiary that processes dairy products, is just northeast of the city. The city and metropolitan area also has a growing manufacturing sector including: Tyler Pipe, a subsidiary of McWane Inc. that produces soil and utility pipe products; Trane Technologies , formerly
2457-643: The Association of Religion Data Archives tabulated 11,161 Methodists divided among the African Methodist Episcopal, Christian Methodist Episcopal , and United Methodist churches. Per Sperling's, Pentecostals formed the fourth-largest Christian group in Tyler (5.2%) and the largest Pentecostal bodies within the area as of 2020 by both separate studies are the Church of God in Christ , Assemblies of God USA and
2520-469: The First Baptist Church and a Methodist church , a Masonic lodge and an Odd Fellows lodge , and Tyler's first newspaper. Though Tyler's early economy from 1847–1873 was based on agriculture, it was also well-diversified during this period. Logging was a second major industry, while complementary manufacturing included metalworking, milling wood, and leather tanning. As the seat of Smith County,
2583-755: The Health of Our Community." Tyler is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bryan Hughes , District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Matt Schaefer, District 6. The Texas Twelfth Court of Appeals is in Tyler. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Region I Parole Division Office and the Tyler District Parole Office in Tyler. The two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz . Tyler
Peter Lake - Misplaced Pages Continue
2646-608: The State Water Implementation Fund for Texas program and State Revolving Funds. This included the construction of the Lower Bois d'Arc Creek Reservoir which was the first reservoir to be built in Texas in 30 years. In April 2021, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Lake as chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, following the resignation of DeAnn Walker from the position. The appointment came in
2709-708: The Tyler area identified as religious or spiritual. Tyler is considered to be located in the Bible Belt , a region dominated by Protestant Christianity . There is also a significant Roman Catholic community. According to this 2020 study, 31.1% of Tylerite Christians identified as Baptist , primarily affiliated with the Texas Baptists , Southern Baptist Convention , National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc , National Baptist Convention of America , and Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship . The Roman Catholic community of Tyler and its metropolitan area have been primarily served by
2772-581: The Tyler area who dress in antebellum gowns . The belles are chosen each year from area high schools or home school families. Tyler State Park , a few miles north of the city limits, attracts visitors with opportunities to camp , canoe , and paddle boat on the lake . Other available pastimes include picnicking , boating ( motors allowed – 5 mph speed limit ), boat rentals , fishing , birding , hiking , mountain biking , hiking trails , lake swimming (in unsupervised swimming area), and nature study . The Smith County Historical Society operates
2835-461: The World". Tyler is known as the "Rose Capital of America" (also the "Rose City" and the "Rose Capital of the World"), a nickname it earned from a long history of rose production, cultivation, and processing. It is home to the largest rose garden in the United States, a 14- acre public garden complex that has over 38,000 rose bushes of at least 500 different varieties. The Tyler Rose Garden Center
2898-475: The aftermath of the 2021 Texas power crisis . As PUC chairman, Lake was tasked with rebuilding stakeholder trust and increasing transparency. He initiated several public work sessions to drive grid reforms and oversaw the creation of the agency's Office of Public Engagement. He also worked closely with the Texas Legislature to implement changes, playing a key role in executing Senate Bill 3, which overhauled
2961-402: The average family size was 3.06. In the city the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males. The median income for a household in the city
3024-487: The city's population identified with Judaism (compared to a state average of 0.2%), while 0.4% considered themselves Muslim . The area's Islamic community is affiliated with the East Texas Islamic Society. In addition to the city's role in the rose-growing industry, Tyler is the headquarters for Brookshire Grocery Company , which operates Brookshire's, Fresh, Super 1 Foods, and Spring Market supermarkets in
3087-399: The city. The population density was 736.2 inhabitants per square mile (284.2/km ). There were 1,186 housing units at an average density of 295.6 per square mile (114.1/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 88.19% White , 6.91% African American , 0.54% Native American , 0.71% Asian , 2.17% from other races , and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.47% of
3150-463: The core of the later St. Louis Southwestern Railway , commonly known as the Cotton Belt. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, fruit orchards emerged as an important business in the regional economy. Eighty percent of the county's agricultural revenue derived from cotton as it persisted as the dominant crop in the first decades of the twentieth century . Peaches were the principal fruit crop as
3213-407: The county fruit tree inventory surpassed one million by 1900. Disease struck the peach trees, though, and local farmers moved toward growing roses by the 1920s. Twenty years later, most of the U.S. rose supply originated in the Tyler area. On October 29, 1895, an African American suspect named Robert Henry Hillard was burned at the stake in the Smith County Courthouse Square for the alleged murder of
SECTION 50
#17328521286193276-554: The plunger lift method; DYNAenergetics Tyler Distribution Center, part of DYNAenergetics USA, which manufactures perforating equipment and explosives for the oil and gas industry ; and Vesuvius USA, a manufacturer of refractory ceramics used in the steel industry . According to the city's 2012–2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's top ten employers were: Annually, the Texas Rose Festival draws thousands of tourists to Tyler. The festival, which celebrates
3339-409: The population. There were 1,102 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and
3402-611: The public for research on a limited schedule with volunteer staff on duty. The society is also the official caretaker of Camp Ford Historic Park . Camp Ford was the largest Confederate Prisoner of War camp west of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War . The original site of the camp stockade is a public historic park managed by the Smith County Historical Society. The park contains
3465-669: The role of the rose-growing industry in the local economy, is held in October and features a parade , the coronation of the Rose Queen, and other civic events. The Rose Museum is within the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden and features the history of the festival. Tyler is home to Caldwell Zoo , several local museums, Lake Bellwood , Lake Palestine, Lake Tyler, and numerous golf courses and country clubs. A few miles away in Flint, Texas
3528-477: The state capital of Austin ; and 98 mi (158 km) from Shreveport, Louisiana . Tyler is the seat of government of Smith County , and is surrounded by many suburban communities, including Whitehouse , Lindale , New Chapel Hill , Bullard , Edom , Brownsboro , Kilgore , Flint , and Chandler . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 57.97 sq mi (150.1 km ), of which 57.45 sq mi (148.8 km )
3591-538: The state's power grid. Lake implemented several significant reforms, including new winterization requirements for power plants and fuel sources, and oversaw changes to the grid operations of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to increase reliability. He also led the development of the "performance credit mechanism," a first-of-its-kind proposal designed to incentivize power generators to be available during peak periods. He also "pushed through
3654-574: The town also benefited from government activity. The local agricultural economy relied on slave labor before the Civil War . In 1860, the population of enslaved people in Smith County was 4,982, the 4th most in east Texas. By 1860, Tyler held over 1,000 enslaved persons, which represented 35 percent of the town's population. There was strong support for secession and the Confederacy within Tyler, as
3717-409: The town has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.4 km ), of which 4.0 square miles (10.4 km ) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km ) (0.50%) is water. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 6,059 people, 2,169 households, and 1,688 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,954 people, 1,102 households, and 794 families residing in
3780-400: Was 47.91% non-Hispanic white, 22.76% Black or African American, 22.66% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 2.82% Asian American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, and 3.23% two or more races, with 0.33% of some other race. There were 50,785 non-Hispanic white residents and 24,023 people of Hispanic or Latino ancestry, of any race. A 2020 study by Sperling's BestPlaces found that 73.2% of residents of
3843-416: Was elected the town's first mayor a year later. In 1996, Lindale's school board banned 32 books from its schools, including To Kill a Mockingbird , because they "conflicted with the values of the community." According to school board president John Offutt, a Baptist minister, the board's action was an attempt to make students adhere to Christian beliefs . According to the United States Census Bureau ,
SECTION 60
#17328521286193906-525: Was inhabited long before the town was founded in 1871. In the early 19th century, the Caddo Indians were the area's primary inhabitants; their artifacts can still be found along streams in the area. The area also was home to Cherokee Indians, who were forced out when the Republic of Texas was founded in 1836. After the Civil War , Richard B. Hubbard , a former officer in the Confederate Army and owner of
3969-609: Was subsequently sold at public auction in January 2008, for US$ 1,325,000 (equivalent to $ 1,875,070 in 2023). Tyler is home to the Cotton Belt Railroad Depot Museum, located near the Chamber of Commerce office. Individuals and business firms dedicated to discovering, collecting, and preserving data, records, and other items relating to the history of Smith County, Texas, founded The Smith County Historical Society,
#618381