1616 W. Abram St.
(at the Historic Fielder House)
Arlington, TX 76013
817-460-4001
Geraldine Mills, Director
[email protected]
www.historicalarlington.org
Hours: Fielder House: Tues. through
Sat. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or by appointment)
Knapp Heritage Park: Sat. & Sun. 1-4 p.m.
Newsletter Editor—Tom Dodson at [email protected]
In this Issue
Newsletter — FEB/MAR 2013
Stories from the
Arlington Archives !
The Location of Arlington
By Tom Cogdell,
Arlington Historical Society Board Member
After years of wanting a railroad through North
Texas, speculating about such a railroad, and receiving
promises that were soon broken, the Texas and Pacific
Railway Company was in a position to build a railroad in
1872. Thomas A. Scott became its president and was actively securing financing and traveling extensively to promote it to all its constituencies. He had secured the services of Grenville M. Dodge as chief engineer in charge of
construction. Dodge's preceding job had been to build the
Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha to Promontory Point,
Utah, completing the eastern part of the first transcontinental railroad, while overcoming financial, political and
engineering problems all along the line.
As was his practice on the UP, Dodge had surveyors out working far ahead of the end of track during the
fall and winter of 1872. Their responsibility was to find
the best line possible, considering criteria such as shortest
distance, best stream crossings with firm bottoms, and
especially to find the gentlest grade. Beginning in East
Texas near Longview, the surveyors reached Weatherford
by Christmas. Surveyor William Patrick Doty was not impressed with facilities along the line, describing Dallas as a
"struggling village of a few hundred people" and Fort
Worth as a "fringe of buildings around the public square."1
Between those towns there was only Dechman,
whose name changed to Grand Prairie in 1877, based on a
description of its surroundings by a railroad passenger.
The rest was open grassland prairie and post oak woodland of the Eastern Cross Timbers sparsely populated by
farmers and cattlemen.2 Some of these families were clustered in a small community called Johnson Station three
miles south of the railroad survey. It was named for
(continued on page 2)
Arlington Archives – The location of the
original Arlington
1
How well do you know your Arlington History?
1
Star-Telegram article features upcoming
repair and restoration work on the Fielder
House
4
Fielder Exhibit now showing at the Fielder
House— “Bankhead Highway through Arlington”
4
Recent Happenings at the Fielder House
4
New Book on Arlington by O.K. Carter is
available
4
Arlington—1920s (photos)
5
Bad Konigshofen, Bavaria, Germany and
Arlington have been sister cities since 1951!
6
Old Timers and Garden Club schedules for
2013
6
How well do you know your
Arlington History?
1. What was the name of Arlington’s first newspaper?
2. Which was the first service club in Arlington,
and when was it chartered?
3. Who is the largest employer in Arlington?
4. What is now Hurricane Harbor opened in
1982, but under a different name. What
was that name?
5. Where was the first school within what is
now the current-day city limits of Arlington?
(answers on page 6)
News from Arlington Historical Society FEB/MAR 2013
P. 2
The Location of Arlington (continued from page 1)
Middleton Tate Johnson, prosperous planter, politician and extensive land owner. He had died May 15, 1866, but prior to
that he and his wife Vienna were well known for hospitality to visitors in the region. 3
North of the railroad survey and farther east almost to the Dallas County line was a smaller community called Watson named for a prominent farmer. It had a Presbyterian Church organized in 1870 under the leadership of a remarkable
preacher named Andrew Shannon Hayter. The West Fork Presbyterian Church building was also used for a school. Hayter
(pronounced Hyter) was also a professional surveyor and an engaging host. A small community called Hayterville developed near the railroad line, having a general store and a post office. When the railroad surveyors were working in the vicinity they camped there and had the opportunity to share information with Hayter and others about the lay of the land, easy
stream fords and availability of materials for the road bed.4
The end of track remained at Eagle Ford west of Dallas from 1873 to 1875 because of a national financial crisis, but
in 1876 the Texas legislature threatened to strip the T&P of its land awards if it did not complete the track to Fort Worth by
the time the legislature adjourned its session in July of that year. The railroad builders responded with an urgent program
of construction.
Using current landmarks to describe the route, the new track came west out of Grand Prairie and crossed into Tarrant County at an elevation of 560 feet above sea level, made a sweeping curve to the north to get around the hill now at
East Abram Street and New York Avenue, which tops out at 625 feet, and returned to a path near the north side of Abram
Street. It crossed Johnson Creek at 560 feet and followed a gradually rising line oriented at about 2° north of true west
through the town site which the railroad had selected. Passing 614 feet at Center Street in downtown Arlington, it soon
began a gradual descent toward the crossings of Rush
Creek and Village Creek at their elevation of about 480 feet.
The route avoids the steep bluffs in west Arlington such as
that near Top O' Hill (now Arlington Baptist College) and
the steep ridge that includes the hill (648 feet) on Park Row
descending into Pantego. On the contrary, it follows the
gentle valley west that passes between the Fielder House
Museum and the Masonic Home.5
This advantageous route had been selected earlier,
but it is clear that acquiring land for the right of way had
lagged. Now, in the rush of construction before the legislative deadline, that was done as soon as possible, but the
railroad used its muscle, or perhaps general consent of the
people nearby, to go through wherever it wished. Acquiring
land for the right of way was in the hands of William H.
Abrams, who had just been given the job of land commissioner for the T&P.
Andrew S. and Maria L. Hayter owned land in the
Mahala Harris patent, east of the town site. The length of
the right of way in their Mahala Harris tract was about one
mile. Following is the text of the deed for the conveyance of
that tract to Texas and Pacific Railway:
Deed: A. S. Hayter et ux to Texas and Pacific RR,
State of Texas, Tarrant County. Know all men by these presents that we, A. S. Hayter and my wife M. L. Hayter of Tarrant County in consideration of the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars to us paid in hand by the Texas and Pacific Railway,
the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged and further consideration that said Company has built its road over our land situated in the Mahala Harris survey in Tarrant County Texas, we do hereby convey and relinquish and bargain and sell unto said
Company the right of way over said lands, the same to extend fifty feet in width on each side of the Center of the trunk of said
road together with the use of the stone, lumber, gravel, water etc pertaining to the land so granted and conveyed. To have and
to hold the same for the use and purposes aforesaid unto said Company and its Successors forever and we hereby further empower said Company to enter upon and survey and appropriate said land and its appurtenances without further consent or
contract on our part, and we hereby relinquish all damages that may have occurred to us by reason of the construction of said
road over our said land.
(continued on page 3)
News from Arlington Historical Society FEB/MAR 2013
P. 3
The Location of Arlington (continued from page 2)
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set out hands this the 7 th day of April AD 1877. (signed) A. S. Hayter, M. L. Hayter]
Note that this date is nearly a year later than completion of the railroad through the property. The deed was filed
by County Clerk J. P. Woods on April 21, 1877.6
Martin V. Thomas owned a small tract in the southwest quadrant of the Solomon Davis patent. The land that he
sold to the T&P for right of way was immediately west of the original Arlington town site and about 0.18 mile in length. It
was similar to the Hayter deed except that it said "will build its railroad over my lands," was dated June 17, 1876 and was
for $35.7 This part of the railroad had just been completed, in that the first train reached the Fort Worth Station on July 19,
1876, part of the way on temporary track. Arista Joyner
reports that people in the area of the track were told on
July 18 that old work engine No. 20 and a caboose
would come through on the next day from where it was
stopped near the water tank by the Hayter place. Many
people were lined up early the next day to see the train
come by and hear the whistle blow.8
T. B. Katner and wife deeded right of way
through their land in the Eleazar Daggett headright
immediately west of the Solomon Davis patent for sixty
dollars "and the further consideration that said company has built its railroad over our lands," signed by
Thomas B. Ketner and Martha J. Ketner on November 4,
1876.9
Railroads such as the Union Pacific had established towns at points of their choosing all the way
across the west. The Texas and Pacific Railway Company while deciding where to put their rails in Tarrant
County ignored Johnson Station in favor of a route with
better engineering characteristics. For Arlington they
had a station with a long level stretch on the divide
between Johnson Creek and Village Creek where it was
easy for a train to stop and stand and reached a gentle
downhill grade after it started in motion in either direction.
Besides right of way, the railroad bought land for two town sites, Arlington and Handley. By the latter part of 1876
they were busy selling lots in the 160 acre plat now called Old Arlington.
Sources
1. Julia Kathryn Garrett, Fort Worth, A Frontier Triumph, TCU Press, 1966, p. 326.
2. Lisa C. Maxwell, Grand Prairie, Texas, Handbook of Texas Online, s. v. "Grand Prairie."
3. Garrett, op. cit., pp. 58-61.
4. Edna Christman, “History of Arlington, “Arlington Journal, October 16, 1925; “Mrs. F. V. Lawrence, Arlington Pioneer
Writes of Early Days, “Arlington Journal, May 19, 1935; Abstracts of these news articles may be found in “Will E. Keller,
Death Notices and Miscellaneous News Items Abstracted from the Arlington Journal,” available at the George W. Hawkes
Arlington Central Library Genealogy Collection, or accessed online at its web site. Also Eliza Ann Hayter, “Dallas Woman in
Reminiscent Vein Tells of Early History of Hayterville and Arlington, “Arlington Journal, July 30, 1948. Microfilm of the full
article is available.
5. Arlington, Texas Quadrangle Map, U. S. Geological Survey, 1959.
6. Tarrant County Deed Book G, p. 123.
7. Ibid., Book B, pp. 197-8.
8. Arista Joyner, Arlington, Texas, Birthplace of the Metroplex, Arlington Citizen-Journal, 1976, pp. 80-81.
9. Tarrant County Deed Book A, pp. 572-3.
News from Arlington Historical Society FEB/MAR 2013
P. 4
Happenings at the Fielder House
We were proud to provide the venue for the Monday Lunch Bunch’s Christmas Celebration. Among those in
attendance were James Ditto, Fred Cook, Zeke Wilemon, George Mills, Jim Meier, David Nation, Art Bird, John
Paul Weddle, Bobby Moore, and others. This group has been meeting each Monday for over a decade. Glory
Days!
The Arlington Garden Club met Sunday, January 6, for a membership meeting. Nominations were presented
for officers: President, Cathy Alexander; Vice-President, Geraldine Mills; Secretary, Becky Tucker; Treasurer, La Vine Horton. Installation of officers will be in May. A committee was appointed to plan an April
Tea honoring past Presidents and early members. The Club is one of the oldest Clubs in Texas, and the oldest in Arlington—organized 87 years ago! The Club welcomed new member Martha May Martin. Martha’s aunt,
Berta Brown, served as president in the early years. If you were a past member or have a relative who
served, please contact the Club at [email protected] or 817-460-4001.
Star-Telegram Article Features
Repair and Restoration of the
Fielder House in time for
the100th Anniversary in 2014
Did you see the article, “Fielder House Set for
Face-lift,” in the Wednesday, January 30 issue
of the Star-Telegram (in the Arlington CitizenJournal section)?
Basically the Star-Telegram article covered
the same things mentioned in the front-page
article of the last (Dec/Jan) issue of the Historical Society’s Newsletter. The muchneeded repair and restoration work is still ontrack, and will begin soon.






Author O.K. Carter
says this book "is
an attempt to reflect a profile of a
place I've been covering ... for more
than three decades.
It had its origins in
a promise made to
Arista Joyner
(author of Arlington, Texas: Birthplace of the
Metroplex) in the final days of her remarkable life."
The price is $20.00, and a portion of the proceeds goes
to the Arlington Historical Society.
The excitement continues!
Current Special Exhibit “Bankhead Highway in Arlington”
At the Fielder House - NOW!
News from Arlington Historical Society FEB/MAR 2013
P. 5
Arlington—1920s
1921
First Methodist Church
members 1923
Interurban car—W. Abram - 1921
Moore Funeral Home Ambulance Fleet 1928
Arlington Historical Society Membership Dues
Class of Membership
Amount
Individual Lifetime
$250 once
Family Lifetime
$500 once
Individual
$25 per year
Family
$50 per year
Membership dues are a vital part of our income
for preserving and presenting Arlington’s history.
Become a supporting member now! Please send your check to
Arlington Historical Society, 1616 W. Abram St., Arlington, TX 76013. Thanks!!
News from Arlington Historical Society FEB/MAR 2013
GARDEN CLUB
The Arlington Garden Club, the oldest garden club in Arlington,
founded in 1926, and "Federated" in 1930, is “shaking things up" for
its 87th year!
Our mission is to stimulate a love of gardening, share horticulture
knowledge with our community, aid in the protection of natural
resources, and encourage civic beautification.
In the future, all meetings will be at the Historic Fielder House at
2pm, on Sundays. The 2013 Calendar is as follows:
Sunday, February 3 – Grace Darling, “How to Volunteer”
Sunday, March 3 – Kevin Donovan & Bob Ressl
“History of O.S. Gray Park”
Sunday, April 7 - Fielder Festival
Sunday, May 5 – Julia Burgen “ Monarch Butterflies”
Everyone interested in gardening (not just
Garden Club members) is invited to come
and enjoy the experiences of 87 years.
P. 6
OLD TIMERS SPEAKERS
Old Timers meets
at the Fielder House on the
3rd Thursday each month at 2 p.m.
February 21 —Julette Hiett
March 21 —Mary Jones Jackson
April 18 —The Ross Brothers—Albert,
Hugh, and Martin
May 16 —John Murchinson
June 20 —UTA authors Evelyn Barker &
Lea Worcester
July 18 —Tom Cogdell, “The Mystery
Woman in Arlington”
August 15—O. K. Carter, his new book—see page 4
Sept. 19—David R. Stokes, author, “The Shooting Salvationist,” (J. Frank Norris and the 1920s Murder Trial)
October 17 —Jane Santere, “The Santere Family”
Bad Konigshofen, Germany, and Arlington, Texas, have been sister cities since 1951, when then Mayor Tom
Vandergriff initiated the relationship. The photo below is the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Bad Konigshofen. It is a small spa town of
about 7,000 people in Bavaria. In 1951 Arlington was a town of about 7,000 and Bad Konigshofen about 3,000. Of course Arlington has grown to over 360,000 since then. In 1954, Bad Konigshofen renamed one of its parks “Arlington Park.” In 2006, Arlington
opened a family water park and named it in honor of its sister city in Germany.
As a spa town, Bad Konigshofen has a mineral well, as Arlington did (at Main
and Center Streets) up until it was covered in 1951. It has been reported that
Bad Konigshofen has added Arlington Historical Society and Arlington’s historic mineral well to its webpage. I went on their webpage,
www.badkoenigshofen.de/stadt, and could not find either of these, but I did
find several very interesting articles about the relationship with Arlington,
which to this day is alive and active. The web pages can be translated into English with the click of a “Translate” button at the top of the page. Go to the bottom of the home page and, under “More Articles,” click on “60 years twinning
Arlington-”Friendship—Solid as a Rock.” Note that this article is one of several on page 1, and you will find other articles about Arlington and visits by the
citizens of both cities to their sister city by clicking on “2” “3” etc. at the bottom of the page. You will probably have to click the “Translate” button more
than once. Interesting reading and a wonderful part of Arlington’s history!
More can be found at www.arlingtontx.gov/sistercity.
Answers to “How well do you know your Arlington history?”
1. O.K. Carter reports in his fine brand-new comprehensive history of Arlington, Caddos, Cotton and Cowboys (available at the Fielder House), “Arlington’s first newspaper came into being in 1877, though The
Arlington Banner quickly disappeared. The first newspaper with staying power showed up in 1883...Its
name was The World, a grandiose title for a single broadsheet of paper printed on a Washington flat press
in a shed near the railroad station, the paper serving a growing village of perhaps 500 people...Lumber
yard owner Col. Thomas Spruance and Willis Timmerman established the paper, printed once
weekly.” (Actually, all of this issues’ answers are from O.K. Carter’s new book.)
2. The Rotary Club was Arlington’s first service club, chartered in 1923.
3. The Arlington Independent School District is Arlington’s largest employer, with some 8,000 employees.
4. When opened, what is now Hurricane Harbor was called Wet’ n’ Wild Park.
5. The first school in what is now Arlington, probably the first in Tarrant County, was a one-room log cabin
school at Johnson Station, near the present-day Cooper Street and Mayfield Road. Johnson Station existed before the town of Arlington was platted by the T&P Railway in 1876 .