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Home My WebLink AboutEuless History, Letters, and Notest USIRM=1 �It, 4&4 (U-!-ul T H E C I T Y O F EULESS October 1, 2001 Mr. Weldon Cannon 702 West Nugent Avenue Temple, Texas 76501 Dear Mr. Cannon: Thank you for your revised version of the history of Euless. What perfect timing to receive it, as I will be printing the new books in the next few weeks for our annual board and commission dinner on November 12. I appreciate your talents and interest in the City of Euless. And yes, we will be glad to incorporate any additional updates you send our way, especially more recent developments. I think sometimes that we who work here day in and day out are really too close to see the big picture, and I would welcome your perspective on the modern development of our City. Put November 12 on your calendar and we will send a letter of invitation to all board and commission members in the coming weeks. Thanks again for your continued support. Sincerely, Susan Crim City Secretary 201 N. Ector Drive, Euless, Texas 76039-3595 817/685-1400 • Metro 817/267-4403 • Fax 817/685-1416 702 W. Nugent Ave. Temple, Texas 76501 September 19, 2001 Susan Crim City Secretary City of Euless 201 North Ector Dr. Euless, Texas 76039 Dear Susan, i Tr r!� S E P 24 2001 t im r ,..I . 7 f C11T Enclosed is a slightly revised version of the "History of Euless" that appears in the Boards and Commissions Handbook. The changes are mainly cosmetic in nature, making it flow a little more smoothly, but one or two of them about the early history of Euless are of some significance. If we continue using this, we should think about updating it a bit, incorporating some more important recent developments. And I do hope we will continue to use it. I think it is important to keep our history alive in this way, especially for new people who might not know it. I was in Euless last week and intended dropping this off for you, but with so many other things happening I forgot about it. Keep up the good work. Sincerely, Weldon Cannon HISTORY OF EULESS In 1867, Elisha Adam Euless, along with many of his Tennessee neighbors, migrated to northeast Tarrant County. They established their new homes among farmers who had come earlier with the Peters Colony. The establishment of nearby Bird's Fort and a treaty with local Indians in the 1840s had made Anglo-American settlement possible. In 1879 and 1881, Mr. Euless purchased land in the northwest corner of present North Main Street and West Euless Boulevard, where he farmed. On this property stood a cotton gin that he operated and a multipurpose building that housed a school, a church and a Grange Hall. The community that developed at the site came to be known as Euless, although it had several other names at different times. Mr. Euless served two terms as Tarrant County sheriff in the 1890s. A post office opened in 1886, erroneously named "Enless." In 1888, Euless became a Tarrant County voting precinct. The community declined after 1903, however, when the Rock Island Railroad bypassed it. The settlement even lost its misnamed post office in 1910. Nevertheless, the community of Euless survived. In the 1920s a few new businesses opened, serving local residents, mostly truck and dairy farmers. In the 1930s, a new highway linking Dallas and Fort Worth passed through Euless. After World War II, Fort Worth built its municipal airport nearby. Euless grew slowly, and in 1949 the post office reopened. The following year, residents incorporated the town, then disincorporated it in 1953, but immediately reincorporated. The city adopted a home rule charter with a council-manager form of government in 1962, which, with amendments, is still the city's basic governing document. Euless has expanded and grown rapidly since, becoming a well -established and widely recognized city. By Weldon Cannon EULESS HISTORY The following time line of Euless history is taken primarily from Professor George Green's HURST, EULESS, BEDFORD: HEART OF THE METROPLEX. It is a fine history and for the most part accurate. There are a few minor mistakes and some omissions. The major problem for a person researching Euless history in the book is that the histories of all three cities are intertwined. It is difficult to find only Euless history since it is scattered throughout the text. Based on my research and from my own knowledge I have tried to make corrections and fill in some of the gaps. I have followed Professor Green's outline. I do not necessarily agree with his descriptions of all the periods. -- Weldon Cannon, August 2002 I. EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT, TO 1880 A. FROM PREHISTORY TO THE TEXAS FRONTIER +1841, first attempt at Anglo-American settlement with construction of Bird's Fort [historical marker just south of Euless in Arlington]. +1843, Sam Houston's Bird's Fort Treaty with Indians, making Anglo-American settlement possible. +1 840s-1 850s, earliest settlers in Euless area, such as Isham Crowley, Alexander Dobkins [historical marker in Euless on DFW Airport property], Andrew Huitt, Lee Borah, Joseph Jones; they were all farmers or ranchers. +1 840s-1 850s, earliest churches and schools; 1853, Bear Creek Baptist Church [historical marker for Bear Creek Cemetery in Euless on DFW Airport property]; 1854, Minter's Chapel Methodist Church [historical marker in Grapevine, just outside Euless, on DFW Airport property] . +1855-1858, several members of Trigg family from Bedford County, Tennessee, blazed trail to Euless area, followed by many other migrants from Bedford and adjoining counties. B. FROM FRONTIER TO THE FARM, 1860-1880 +1860s--most area residents enthusiastically supported Confederacy in Civil War, which slowed down migration to area. +1867--Mary Ann Whitson Trigg, well-to-do widow and sister-in-law of earlier Trigg arrivals, settled at present site of City of Euless; she deserves real credit as the "founder" of the community that came to be called Euless, or at least should be known as the "Mother of Euless;" accompanying her were her family, her future son-in-law Elisha Adam Euless, and others from Bedford County; they lived in a log house built in the early 1850s; it is probably the place today known as the Himes Log House, restored and located in Heritage Park. +1870s--more immigrants arrived from Bedford and surrounding counties, especially Coffee County; among them are the Fuller, Huffman, Himes, Blessing, Whitener, Redden, Cannon, Wiser and other families; cattle driven north along trails through the area. +Early 1870s--Mosier Valley, an African -American community, established in present southwestern Euless by Robert and Dilsie Johnson and other former slaves. +Mid-1870s--on Mrs. Trigg's property was built a cotton gin, operated by her son Daniel C. "Tuck" Trigg Jr., and known as Tuck Trigg's Gin. +1877--also on Mrs. Trigg's property was erected a Grange Hall, meeting place of a farmers' organization and community center used as a school and by Presbyterian and Methodist churches; the Methodist congregation had been established in 1876. +ca. 1878--William N. "Mood" Fuller and Thomas W. Fuller, brothers, and John W. Huffman arrived from Coffee County; their families would long be prominent in the civic, business and religious leadership of the community. +1879, 1881--Adam Euless purchased the Grange Hall property and the cotton gin properties. II. VILLAGES AND FARMS, 1880s-1910s A. SETTLING IN, 1880-1900 +1 880s-1 890s--population gradually grew as more farmers occupied the land. +Mid-1880--the community growing around Grange Hall and cotton gin gradually came to be known as Euless, the area have been previously known as Woodlawn. +1886--Post Office established at Euless, but erroneously, named "Enless," probably through a mistake in reading the handwritten application; Cyrus Snow, storekeeper, was first postmaster. +1888--Tarrant County Commissioners Court created new voting precinct, correctly naming it Euless. +1891--Methodists erected building just north of the intersection of present Euless Blvd. and Main St. on the property of John W. Huffman. +1892-1896--Adam Euless served as Tarrant County Sheriff, moving to Fort Worth for his term in office, but returning to Euless when it ended. +1894--new Euless school house built just east of intersection of present Euless Blvd. and Main St. +1897--John W. Calhoun arrived from Coffee County to teach school; he eventually became President of the University of Texas at Austin; Presbyterian Church disbanded, leaving only the Methodist Church in Euless. +1890s--new businesses established in Euless; Thomas W. Fuller, owner of general store, was also postmaster 1889-1892, and 1901-1910; John E. Evans, also general store owner, was postmaster 1892-1901; Dr. August F. Scott, physician, also had a general store and drug store; Arch N. Cannon established the Euless Nursery in 1897. B. THE GOOD YEARS, 1900-1920 +1903--Rock Island railroad built a line from Fort Worth to Dallas, establishing a station at Candon, renamed Tarrant in 1904 (stations were also established at Hurst and Irving); Tarrant had a post office 1905-1923; some Euless businesses and residents moved to Tarrant, which boomed and was soon larger than Euless, which seemed doomed; a school was established at Tarrant, still part of the Euless school district; but Tarrant declined as it was left on a dead end road when a bridge across the Trinity River washed out and the railroad era began to fade in the teens. +1906-1910--Thomas P. Huffman of Euless, son of John W. Huffman, served as Tarrant County Commissioner from precinct #3. +19??--first automobiles appeared on dirt roads. +1910--natural gas pipeline laid between Fort Worth and Dallas along what came to be known as Pipeline Road. +1912--first telephones installed in a few homes. +1913--Euless and Evatt (Crossroads) school districts consolidated and a fine two-story red brick school building was built on present South Main Street in Euless on land donated by the Joe Whitener family. +1914--Tarrant Baptist Church moved to Euless, locating on west side of North Main Street on site of Grange Hall, which had been torn down, facing the Methodist Church. +1917-1918--Euless people enthusiastically supported World War I effort. +1919--Methodist Church erected new church building; prohibition approved in Texas. III. THE HARD YEARS, 1920s-1940s +1920s--farmers suffered from declining prices for produce; several farmers turned to dairying; the Ku Klux Klan was active in Euless; several families became whiskey bootleggers. +1922--Baptist Church erected new building. +1925--Euless Common School District became the Euless Independent School District. +1926--Homer Fuller, grandson of Mood Fuller, opened general store at the intersection of present Euless Blvd. and Main Street and was soon joined in business by his brother, Warren Fuller; Fuller Brothers Grocery and Feed Store quickly became the commercial center of Euless and remained such for many years; it was called simply "The Store." +1927--Tennessee Dairies built a milk receiving and cooling plant at Euless. +1929--electric serviced was extended to Euless. +1930--a new auditorium was built at the Euless School; it became a meeting place and a social and entertainment center for the community. +1931--state highway department began planning a new highway on a northerly route between Fort Worth and Dallas through Euless and began acquiring land; division in Baptist Church, with Fundamentalist Baptist Church established.. +1932--first brick house in Euless constructed by store keeper Homer Fuller; airline beacon tower built in Euless, half way between Fort Worth Meacham Field and Dallas Love Field. +1933--Euless High School had six graduates. +1935--the second story removed from the 1913 Euless School and a new high school building built. +1937--highway (now Industrial Blvd.) built connecting Arlington and Grapevine, passing one mile west of Euless. +1939--Dallas-Fort Worth highway, northern route, built through Euless and Hurst; more people from Dallas, Fort Worth and elsewhere moved to Euless area as it became easy to commute to the cities to work, shop, etc. +1941--Euless school added 12th grade to the 11 grade system. +1941-1945--several Euless men served in armed forces during World War II; at least one, Marrion W. Eden, was killed in action; many people found employment in area defense plants. +1940-1948--Ross Cannon, owner of Euless Nursery after death of his father, constructed buildings for five businesses in southwest quadrant of Euless, including Weaver Birch's Gulf Service Station, Raymond and Lorena Fuller's Hamburger Cafe, Fred Gray's Barber Shop and Berry's Cafe; Berry's Cafe building was later home to the Euless Public Library and then incorporated into present Fire Station ?#2?. +1941--American Airlines DC-3 SkySleeper plane crashed 1 1/2 miles east of Euless resulting in no injuries but creating much excitement in Euless. +1942--Midway Airport built 1 1 /2 miles east of Euless, resulting in great influx of construction workers; during World War II it was used as a training field air force and private airline fliers. +1944--David Hawes built Euless Lumber Company that furnished building supplies for much construction in Euless; Bill Byers, grandson of Thomas P. Huffman and great-grandson of Thomas W. Fuller, later owned the company. +1947--Euless School added classrooms, a gym and indoor plumbing; first subdivision platted in Euless, north of present Euless Blvd. and east of present Main St.. +1948-1953--City of Fort Worth, which had acquired Midway Airport, built its new municipal airport at the site, Greater Southwest International Airport, Amon Carter Field. +1948--Fort Worth annexed the airport site and Pipeline Road, one mile south of Euless, blocking future Euless expansion in that direction; Alexander and Cullum subdivision platted south of Euless Blvd. and east of Main St. +1949--Post Office reestablished, this time under the correct name Euless, in Fuller Brothers and Nail Grocery; Robert Nail, who joined Fuller Brothers in 1942, was Postmaster; Mosier Valley Elementary School closed and students transferred to Fort Worth "colored" schools where black high school students had always been transferred; some parents filed suit to prevent transfer and force Euless to provide a school in the community; Ross Cannon subdivision platted south of Euless Blvd. and west of Main St. IV. YEARS OF BOOM AND TUMULT, 1950s-1960s +1950s--rapid population growth; subdivisions developed; "suburbanization" intensified as increasing numbers of people lived in Euless but worked elsewhere. +1950--Village, Town, City (all three terms are used in official public records) of Euless incorporated in order to provide municipal water and other city amenities and Warren Fuller elected mayor; population was about 250; ?present Euless Blvd. made a four -lane divided highway?; U.S. District Judge ordered Euless School District to reopen Mosier Valley School but voters rejected a bond issue to refurbish school; Euless became the center of national attention when black students attempted to enroll in the all -white school, an action unheard of then in the South; black students attended a private school in the community; Whitener Estates subdvision platted east of Main St. and north of Pipeline Rd.. +1951--Homer Fuller elected mayor; volunteer fire department organized. +1952--municipal turmoil developed in Euless over taxation policies; disincorporation election called in response to petition; Euless Chamber of Commerce established; Arnett subdivision platted south of Euless Blvd. and west of Main St.; Sheppard subdivision platted north of present Airport Fwy. and between Main St. and Industrial Blvd. +1953--City of Euless abolished, then immediately reincorporated as the Village (term used in official public records) of Euless, Joe Umphress being elected mayor; Bell helicopter plant at neighboring Hurst and Fort Worth's municipal airport, Amon Carter Field, open; new Mosier Valley School built and opened; Amon Carter Field, Fort Worth Airport, opened; Cedar Hills Estates subdivision platted west of Main St. and north of Pipeline Rd.. +1954--last graduating class of Euless High School. +1955--Jimmy C. Payton, great-grandson of Mood Fuller, elected mayor; Euless and Hurst school districts merged to form Hurst -Euless School District; all high school students attended school in Hurst; Hurst and Euless Chambers of Commerce merged; St. Vincent's Episcopal Church established. +1956--First Assembly of God established. +1957--Ernest Millican, Jr., great-grandson of Mood Fuller, elected mayor; police department established, W. M. "Blackie" Sustaire becoming chief of police; new L. D. Bell High School opened in Euless; Western Hills Inn built at intersection of present Euless Blvd. and Industrial Blvd.; American Airlines Stewardess College opened between Euless and Amon Carter Field; Euless (now Airport Freeway) Church of Christ established. +1958--Midway Park subdivision began, ushering in rapid city growth. +Mid and late 1950s--vigorous annexation policy pursued, north and east to Glade Road and the Dallas County line and southwest to present Morrisdale Estates. +1960--Euless population reached 4,263; First Methodist Church built new sanctuary. +Early 1960s--Euless fastest growing city in Texas for three straight years. +1961--J. S. Anderson elected mayor; city library established. +1962--Home rule city charter adopted. +1963--William G. Fuller (no relation to other Fullers) elected mayor; W. F. Condron appointed City Manager. +1964--first city bond election for $3,000,000 for improvements such as streets, drainage, parks and a city hall/community center; Lee Cowell appointed City Manager; ?Airport Freeway opened?; professional fire department established; Church of Christ relocated to new facilities on Airport Freeway. +1965--bond election for $5,500,000 to purchase Euless -Bedford water system; First Baptist Church relocated to new facilities on Airport Freeway; Dallas and Fort Worth agreed to build a new airport between Euless and Grapevine and Euless and Irving; much of the airport would be in the City of Euless. +1966--City Hall and community center, including library, completed; petition to abolish City of Bedford and annex it to Euless. +1967--Euless approved annexation of Bedford; Bedford rejected it; C. J. Griggs appointed City Manager. +1969--Albert C. Krause elected mayor; Trinity High School opened in Euless; Euless, Bedford and Hurst agreed to establish a hospital district. V. THE MATURING TOWNS, 1970s-1990s +1970--Euless population was 19, 316. +Early 1970s--land prices soared as speculators purchased land in anticipation of building the new Dallas and Fort Worth airport, almost bringing development to a halt. +197?--Euless Industrial Park created. +1971--James Robison Evangelistic Association established in Euless. +1972--construction began on new Dallas -Fort Worth Airport. +1975--Harold D. Samuels elected mayor; W. M. "Blackie" Sustaire appointed City Manager. +1980--Euless population was 24,002; Euless Town Centre shopping area opened. +Early 1980s--Softball World opened. +1980s--growth of non-Anglo population, especially African -American, Hispanic, Asian, Tonganese and American Indian. +1981--Beautify Euless Everyday Committee formed. +1982--James T. Draper, Jr., Pastor of First Baptist Church of Euless, elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention; Trinity Trojans football team played in state quarterfinals; Euless gained notoriety as a disk jockey promoted the notion that "Riney Wine" was made in Euless. +1982 and 1986--City won governor's "Keep Texas Beautiful" Award. +1983--City adopted future land use plan. +1988--State Highway Department approved extension of Highway 360 north of Airport Freeway; Dallas -Fort Worth Airport altered master plan to provide for construction of west runway that would establish landings and takeoffs over Euless. +1989--Tom Hart appointed City Manager; annual Leisure Faire celebration began. +1990--Euless population was 38,149; widening of Euless Blvd. began. +1991--Euless filed suit to halt expansion of DFW Airport; district judge ruled in favor of Euless. +1992--Leisure Faire renamed Arbor Daze; Trinity Trojans football team played in state finals; Euless Historical Preservation Committee established to preserve historical documents and promote city history.. +1993--Mary Lib Saleh elected mayor; State Legislature passed law giving DFW Airport control of land use of its property. +1994--historic Fuller House moved to Heritage Park, restored, and opened to the public as a museum in 1998. +199?--Joe Hennig appointed City Manager. +199?/2000?--Euless and DFW Airport reach agreement on sharing tax revenues from properties within Euless city limits but on airport property. +2000--Euless population was 46,005; Himes Log House moved to Heritage Park and restored. 702 W. Nugent Ave. Temple, TX 76501 Aug. 13, 1998 Mary Lib Saleh, Mayor City of Euless 201 No. Ector Dr. Euless, TX 76039 Dear Mary Lib, pl_ �C�4�� AUG 17 1998 ('ITY n� E�.1�ESS Enclosed is a copy of a proposed program for a session at the annual meeting of the Texas State Historical Association on March 4-6, 1999, at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas. We have just received notice that our proposal has been accepted, and we want you to be among the first to know. We have been working on this for about a year but could not say anything about it until it was accepted. Also enclosed are brief summary statements of our presentations. We intend putting Euless on the map, historically speaking, as well as Bird's Fort and Bedford. I have been wanting to develop the presentation that I have outlined for a long time. Then I thought that the Old Bedford School project was a natural topic to go along with it, so we invited Libby Buuck, who enthusiastically joined us. But we still needed a third presentation. While I was thinking about several possibilities, my dear wife, Patty, suggested that the Treetops School/Bird's Fort presentation would be fit in nicely. I immediately agreed, and checked with Chris, who said she would like to join us. Of course, we have you to thank for our introduction to Chris and the Treetops School. The TSHA is the premier historical organization in Texas. The annual meeting attracts hundreds of historians and interested people from all over Texas and many other parts of the nation each March and receives widespread media coverage. It is really an honor to be invited to make a presentation. I am a life member, and Patty and I have been actively involved in the association's affairs for many years. Anyone may attend the meeting, and we hope you and many other people from Euless will be able to attend. It is all right to share this great news with other people, but we must wait until the meeting approaches before publicizing it. The official programs come out about the first of the year, and we will send you one as soon as they are available. Sincerely, Weldon Cannon �Ae �'epaa c9tate o7i6inical cQ&zoeiation 2/306 RICHARDSON HALL UNIVERSITY STATION AUSTIN, TEXAS 78712 (512) 471-1525 FAX 471-1551 Session #RS27 DATA SHEET Please review and return with your signature to Evelyn Stehling by August 15, 1998 Joint Session With: Session Title: A Search For Historical Identity in Suburban Texas: Bird's Fort, Bedford and Euless Chairman: Patricia K. Benoit Address: 7 0 a— Te1�k,— ifrs68� ?G m P L-& -7 Phone: 254/724-5424 (W) 254/ 778-6068 (H) Institutional Affiliation: Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Clinic Paper #1 Title: Off the Freeway and Out of the Mall: Finding the Real Community Presenter: Weldon G. Cannon Address: 702 West Nugent Avenue Temple, TX 76501 Phone: 254/778-6068 Institutional Affiliation: Temple College Paper #2 Title: Bird's fort: A Suburban Child's Access to Identity Presenter: Christine Kallstrom Address: 809 East Coral Way Grand Prairie, TX 75051 Phone: 972/262-2816 H 817/283-1771 W Institutional Affiliation: Paper #3 Title: The Old Bedford School: From the Ashes, Through the Archway Presenter: Libby Buuck Address: 2400 School Lane Bedford, TX 76021 Phone: 817/952-2290 (W) 817/354-0985 Institutional Affiliation: The Old Bedford School Commentator's Name (On Two -Paper Sessions Only): Name: Address: Phone: Institutional Affiliation: OFF THE FREEWAY AND OUT OF THE MALL: Finding the Real Community by Weldon G. Cannon On February 11, 1997, the editor of the Northeast Tarrant County Edition of the Fort Worth Star -Telegram observed that the rise of freeways, chain restaurants and glass -and -steel office buildings tended to make all suburbs look alike. He noted that even the residents often thought they lived in newly created bedroom communities. To remedy this problem, he challenged suburban communities to re-establish their links with the past. He suggested that one of the best ways to differentiate between so-called bedroom communities was to highlight their origins, especially by honoring the original settlers. This editorial was printed following dedication of a historical marker honoring Elisha Adam Euless (1848-1911), founder of the city of Euless in 1886 and Tarrant County Sheriff, 1892-1896. Some examples from the history of suburban Northeastern Tarrant County, located in the middle of the Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex, will illustrate this point. The earliest effort by Anglo-Americans to settle in present Tarrant County, even before the establishment of Dallas or Fort Worth, was construction of Bird's Fort, a short-lived project that ended in disaster. Nevertheless, Bird's Fort left its mark on the region. The fort site was part of Bedford for some time, then was considered to be in Euless until the recent past. Tarrant County was originally part of the Peter's Colony, which brought in many settlers from the Midwest. But Bedford's and Euless' real character, plus several geographical designations and even the names of the cities themselves, was determined by immigrants from Bedford and Coffee Counties, Tennessee. A few of these newer settlers came before the Civil War, but most came after. This migration lasted until about 1900, peaking at about 1880. The identity of Bedford dates from 1877, when a post office opened with that name at the suggestion of Weldon Wiles Bobo, a native of Bedford County, Tennessee. Euless as an identifiable place dates from 1886, when its new post office was named in honor of Adam Euless, another Bedford County native and a nephew of Mr. Bobo. A large number of the local farmers, plus many of the political, business, educational and religious leaders in these communities, came from Bedford County and adjoining Coffee County in Tennessee, forever leaving an imprint on their new Tarrant County homeland. At the Euless marker dedication ceremony, Mayor Mary Lib Saleh's statement proudly stated: "Yes, we do have a history!" Local history gives a community its true identity and makes it stand out from the shadows of neighboring skyscrapers. SUMMARY: BIRD'S FORT: A SUBURBAN CHILD'S ACCESS TO IDENTITY by Christine Kallstrom For a great many children trapped between the shadows of metroplex towers, there is little sense or valuing of the past. Freeways move too fast and development covers what might have been there before. Yet, each community, however small, has its unique treasures and beginnings to share with its new generations through oral history, hands-on projects, historical research, awakening in each child an awareness of times past, building a life- long connection for the future. Bird's Fort has provided this ideal identity for hundreds of the Pk -%II students of our small school for over 25 years. Located on twenty acres near the actual 1841 site of Bird's Fort,students have built a model of the fort, traveled to Austin to gather research, made films and brochures and presented festivals to share the significance of the site with the entire community, time and again. At a time when technology and its highways are dominating dollars for education, the critical importance of sharing the historical treasures of each community, however small, must be recognized and nurtured if our children are to incorporate and to ponder the past in their own identities. The Old Bedford School: From the Ashes, Through the Archway by Libby Buuck The Old Bedford School stands today as a remarkable example of community initiative to save a structure ravaged by neglect and fire. It has become a joyous gathering place for the Bedford community and a living repository of local history. Taxpaying citizens of the Bedford Common School District voted overwhelmingly in 1914 to issue bonds to finance a new school on the site of the former Bedford College, which operated successfully for about 12 years until 1892 or 1893,when fire destroyed the building. A sense of optimism surely prevailed since highways and railroads built in the early 1900s bypassed Bedford and did very little to stimulate growth in the community. The local post office closed in 1909, and Bedford's population dwindled to an estimated 50 residents. Milton Moore conveyed a four -acre tract of land formerly owned by the Bedford College to the County for the new school site. Charles Carmichael Estill and his son, Frank Thomas Estill, are noted as contractors on the dedication stone of the Bedford School and their names are listed along with the trustees H. C. Spencer, W. R. Fitch, and H. E. Valentine. The community undertook minor expansions of the school during the 1920s, when C. E. Holden conveyed a two -acre parcel to expand the playground. Most new construction occurred following the explosion of Bedford's population after World War II. A number of bond elections passed during the 1950s resulted in remodeling and the construction of three additions to the school. On November 1, 1958, Bedford citizens voted 212-189 to allow the the Bedford Common School District to be annexed by the Hurst -Euless Independent School District, creating the Hurst -Euless -Bedford ISD. In 1969, the H-E-B ISD closed the Bedford School, believing it too small. The school district used the building as a garage and warehouse until 1973, when the school was sold to the City of Bedford for a maintenance warehouse. Fire ravaged the building in January 1991. Beginning in 1993, the schoolhouse underwent extensive and sensitive restoration to its original 1915 appearance. The two-story brick building is significant as one of the last surviving traces of the early Bedford community and indicative of the early 20th century efforts by small, unincorporated communities to improve public educational opportunities within their settlement. The Bedford School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in August 1997. TEXAS STATE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. The Texas State Historical Association, a nonprofit organization with offices on the University of Texas at Austin campus, developed from an interest in the history of the state shared by ten individuals who met on the cam- pus of the University of Texas on February 13, 1897. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the founding of an organization to pro- mote the discovery, collection, preservation, and publication of his- torical material pertaining to Texas. The assemblage included aca- demic and lay historians, a blend of membership that has been preserved until the present. George P. Garrison,q, Eugene Digges, and Charles Corner drafted a constitution for the organization and invited 250 persons to attend a general organizational meeting held in Austin on March z, 1897. Former governors Oran M. Roberts and Francis R. Lubbock,q, former congressman and railroad commis- sioner John H. Reagan, George T. Winston, A. J. Rose,gq' and Garri- son signed the letter of invitation. Approximately twenty-five persons attended the first formal meeting in the office of the Commissioner of Agriculture, Insurance, Statistics, and History in the Capitol.q" Rob- erts was elected president, and Dudley G. Wooten, Julia Lee Sinks, Guy M. Bryan,gq' and Corner were elected vice presidents. Garrison was elected secretary and librarian, and Lester G. Bugbeeq° was named treasurer and corresponding secretary. The meeting was con- ducted by the light of two lanterns, since the lighting system failed; lanterns lighting the path of historical discovery have served as the symbol of the association ever since. Because those attending in- cluded Dora Fowler Arthur, Julia Lee Sinks, and Bride Neill Taylor,q`' a spirited discussion over female membership developed. John S. Fordq' wanted to call the women "lady members" in the constitu- tion, rather than just "members," and he grew especially concerned over the term Fellow, which he maintained could not apply to a woman. Garrison and the women were unable to change his mind, and Ford stormed from the meeting. The officers met at the University of Texas on May 23,1897, to plan the first official annual meeting, which was held in Austin on June 17, 1897. In an address entitled "The Proper Work of the Association," Roberts observed that many of the members had been important figures in the making of Texas history and that their role was "not so much ... the writing of a connected and complete history as to fur- nish the facts for that object in the future." In accord with this pre- cept, the early issues of the Quarterly of the Texas State Historical As- sociation, which began publication in July 1897, contained numerous letters, diaries, journals, and memoirs. The title of the publication be- came Southwestern Historical Quarterlyq° in the volume for 1912-13, and it is now the oldest continuously published learned journal in the state. Garrison's original title, secretary of the association, in time be- came executive director as duties of the office multiplied. The execu- tive director must be a faculty member of the University of "Texas and is also director of the Center for Studies in Texas History, a university department. The university provides financial support for several staff positions; other positions are funded by the association. The as- sociation continued to host annual meetings, where members shared the results of research during the first week of March in Austin until 1968, when the meeting was held in San Antonio in conjunction with HemisFair '68.q' During the 1970s semi-annual meetings also were held in other Texas cities during the fall to give members in each sec- tion of the state a greater opportunity to participate. Since 197o an- nual meetings have been held in Austin in even -numbered years and in other cities in alternate years. An important event at the annual meeting is an auction of donated books, artifacts, and works of art to raise funds for the association's activities. In addition to publishing the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, the association began publish- ing books of interest to Texas historians in 1918. The publication pro- gram proceeded on a case -by -case basis until 1940, when a formal en- dowment to support this activity was established. The association's members collected books and documents to im- prove the Texana collection in the library of the University of Texas, supported local and regional historical societies and associations, and in 1941 began the Junior Historians of Texas`1° program m encourage an interest in the history of '['exits among students in secondary schools. By 198o this activity had become the Educational Division of the association, which publishes the "Texas Historian, it forum for stu- dent writers, as well as educational materials for teachers of Texas his- tory. The division also administers the Walter Prescott Webb Society for college -level students of 'Texas history. The most significant publi- cation of the association has been The Handbook of Texas, edited by Walter P. Webb and H. Bailey Carrollq` and published in two vol- umes in 1952; a supplementary volume edited by Eldon S. Branda ap- peared in 1976. The original volumes were the first encyclopedia of a single state to appear, and contained over 16,5oo articles on persons, places, and events of importance in many aspects of Texas history and life. The present revision of the Handbook began in 1982 and ap- peared in 1996. The association was quartered initially in the Depart- ment of History at the University of Texas. It moved in 1950 to the Barker Texas History Centerq` and in 1971 to Sid Richardson Hall, where it shares quarters with the Center for American History.'F The association had more than 3,500 members in 1995. Its high -standard publications and educational activities continued. The association's claim to be the "Oldest Learned Society in Texas" is a testimony to its endurance and successful service. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Dorman Winfrey, Seventy-five Years of Texas His- tory: The Texas State Historical Association, 1897-1972 (Austin: Jenk- ins, 1975)• ;lrchic P McDonald CITY OF THE COLONY 9`126242�9U f . b1 Office of the City secrdwy CITY OF nM COLONY, TEXM 5151 N. Colony Blvd. The Colony, Tw= 75056 972.625-17S6 972-624-2298 fax Susan 17-685-1416 Patti 1-iic ate: 08/19/98 Pages:1 Please Plena 0 PleWm' Comment Reply • ='717-Ad I ['-A • :• _ • •• ' T• t` _ • • LambertLanny • Watts,Mary • 13111 • •• Counclimember There may be some • our Board, ParksStaffand one of our fs boards attend. will letyou •soon• 1br sum. � } Hamm • • • e o e e o . • o • e e • • • e • o v ® •