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Marker Title: William Terry Allen Log Cabin
Address: Las Vegas Trail & Rowland Ave.
City: White Settlement
Year Marker Erected: 1978
Marker Location: Corner of Las Vegas Trail & Rowland.
Marker Text: In 1854 young William Allen (1842-1893) came with his family
to Tarrant County from Todd County, Kentucky. By 1857 they had settled
at this location on 360 acres. After serving in the Confederate Army,
Allen married Sarah Fannie Grant (1849-1870). They bought 160 acres
about 1864 and built this 13' x18' cabin on White Settlement Road six
miles west of Tarrant County Courthouse. After his first wife died,
Allen married her sister Theodocia E. Grant (1854-1931). They added
to the cabin several times, including a bedroom, "The Professor's
Room". It was reserved during school months for the local teacher.
The cabin was the family home until 1908, when a frame cottage was built
nearby. In 1933 Allen's heirs sold 22 acres which included the cabin.
The new owner moved the cabin north of the original site and enlarged
it. In 1953 the land was sold to the United States government for runway
additions to Carswell Air Force Base. The cabin was moved to Fort Worth.
The White Settlement Historical Society, organized in 1976, raised funds
to number the logs and move the dismantled cabin to the present site.
It was restored to its original size and opened to groups interested
in local history. (1978)
Marker Title: Site of Bird's Fort (One Mile East)
Address: FM 157
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1980
Marker Location: FM 157, 1 mi north of Trinity River, Arlington.
Marker Text: In an effort to attract settlers to the region and to provide
protection from Indian raids, Gen. Edward H. Tarrant of the Republic
of Texas Militia authorized Jonathan Bird to establish a settlement
and military post in the area. Bird's Fort, built near a crescent-shaped
lake one mile east in 1841, was the first attempt at Anglo-American
colonization in present Tarrant County. The settlers, from the Red River
area, suffered from hunger and Indian problems and soon returned home
or joined other settlements. In August 1843, troops of the Jacob Snively
expedition disbanded at the abandoned fort, which consisted of a few
log structures. Organized to capture Mexican gold wagons on the Santa
Fe Trail in retaliation for raids of San Antonio, the outfit had been
disarmed by United States forces. About the same time, negotiations
began at the fort between Republic of Texas officials Gen. Tarrant and
Gen. George W. Terrell and the leaders of nine Indian tribes. The meetings
ended on September 29, 1843, with the signing of the Bird's Fort Treaty.
Terms of the agreement called for an end to existing conflicts and the
establishment of a line separating Indian lands from territory open
for colonization. (1980)
Marker Title: Site of Bird's Fort
Address: South Main at Silver Lake Gun Club
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: Euless, South Main, at Silver Lake Gun Club. Headquarters,
1 mile south of intersection w/ Calloway Cemetery Rd., Arlington.
Marker Text: Established in 1840 by Jonathan Bird on the Military Rd.
from Red River to Austin. In its vicinity an important Indian treaty,
marking the line between the Indians and the white settlements, was
signed September 29, 1843, by Edward H. Tarrant and George W. Terrell,
representing the Republic of Texas. The ragged remnant of the ill-fated
Snively expedition sought refuge here, August 6, 1843. (1936)
Marker Title: Cable Tool Rig
Address: 2201 Six Flags Rd., Inside Six Flags Over Texas
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1966
Marker Location: Six Flags over Texas, Boom Town, 2201 Road to Six Flags,
Arlington.
Marker Text: Drilled the early deep oil wells in Texas. Derrick here
is exact replica and has same rigging and tools used in 1920 to drill
the Crowley No. 1, a 250-barrel producer at 3500 feet--one of deepest
wells up to the time. It was near Breckenridge, in one of great fields
in oil empire of Texas. (1966)
Marker Title: Cattle Brands
Address: East Exchange St.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1966
Marker Location: East Exchange St., Stockyards, Fort Worth.
Marker Text: Proof of ownership since 600 B.C.; in Texas since 1821.
Registered in counties and burned on hides of cattle. Every owner has
individual brand. In Texas these aggregate several thousand. History
of Texas is displayed here in brands of leaders: patriots, soldiers,
bankers, rangers, industrialists. (1966)
Marker Title: Jesse Chisholm, Founder of World-Famous Cattle Trail (1806-1868)
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1967
Marker Location: SH 360, E side near SH 183
Marker Text: Represented the Republic of Texas and President Sam Houston in many negotiations with Indians. Half Scotsman, half Cherokee; a scout, hunter, trader, and trailblazer. Spoke 40 Indian languages and dialects, and was a respected influence among Southwestern tribes, including the wild Kiowas and Comanches.
In 1843, near here at Bird's Fort on the Trinity, was interpreter for a peace conference; in 1849, he was in negotiations at Grapevine Springs, to the north.
He is best known for marking the Chisholm Trail across Oklahoma and Kansas. Cowboys driving cattle north to seek favorable markets used his direct route which avoided deep rivers and lay in grassy watered land. He thus helped rebuild Texas economy that had been wrecked in 1861-1865 by the Civil War. Cattle had increased greatly in wartime. Texas had no market; drives were necessary, so $5 Longhorns could go to northern markets to bring $30 or more per head. In 1867, the Chisholm Trail was extended to Abilene, Kansas, where cattle loading pens and railroad shipping were provided.
This is the best known of several cattle trails from Texas over which some 10,000,000 beeves were driven from the state during the years 1866-1884.
Marker Title: Coliseum
Address: 123 E. Exchange Ave.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1984
Marker Location: 123 East Exchange Ave., Fort Worth.
Marker Text: Until 1908, The Annual Fort Worth Fat Stock Show was held
in a variety of locations. As interest increased in the event and its
educational and promotional values were realized, livestock exhibitors
sought a permanent home for the show. The coliseum was constructed in
1907-08 to provide such an exhibition hall. Construction costs were
borne by the Swift and Armour Packing Companies, and by the Fort Worth
Stock Yards Company, which owned the property. The stock show was held
here annually for 34 years. This site has been within three separate
cities: North Fort Worth until 1909; Niles City, 1911-23; and in Fort
Worth since 1923. It is the birthplace of the indoor rodeo, and the
first live radio broadcast of a rodeo was transmitted here on WBAP Radio
in 1923. The Coliseum also has served as a place for cultural, educational,
religious, social, and civic events. In 1911, former President Theodore
Roosevelt spoke here. Numerous Texas Governors, performing artists,
grand operas, entertainers and evangelists have appeared here. The great
Italian tenor, Enrico Caruso, performed here in 1920. In 1936, the Stock
Yards Company sold the coliseum to the City of Fort Worth. Historically
it has been an important part of the city and the livestock industry.
(1984)
Marker Title: Cross Timbers
Address: 2602 Mayfield Rd.
City: Grand Prairie
Year Marker Erected: 1979
Marker Location: 2602 Mayfield Rd., Grand Prairie.
Marker Text: This narrow strip of sandy timberland, called "The
Eastern Cross Timbers", separates the Blackland Prairie and the
Grand Prairie. It covers about one million acres. Indians camped here
because the mild climate, good soil, frequent rains and nearby prairies
supported large herds of buffalo and horses. There were salt licks,
fresh water springs, trees for fuel, and good grass. They also found
game for food and hides. West of the Grand Prairie, covering about 2.7
million acres, is "The Western Cross Timbers". During the
18th century Wichita Indians, of Caddoan stock roamed this area. Southern
plains tribes, such as the Kiowa and the Comanche, often wintered here
and traded with them. Cultural exchanges occurred here as trade routes
developed between flint sources in the south and tribes from the north.
By 1720 French traders came. They opened the trading posts and bartered
with the Indians. The Spanish moved through, traveling to their Mission
outposts. Settlement in the 1840s by Anglo-Americans led to clashes.
A turning point came on May 24, 1841, with the battle of Village Creek,
a few miles west of this site. The Indians withdrew to the west, leaving
the land to the white settlers. (1979)
Marker Title: Dido Cemetery
Address: Morris - Dido - Newark Rd.
City: Dido
Year Marker Erected: 1977
Marker Location: From Fort Worth, take Business 287 Northwest about
12 miles. Then go west on Peden Rd. for about 3 mi. Then go North on
Morris-Dido-Newark Rd, and continue about a mi. to Cemetery on west
side of road.
Marker Text: The earliest marked grave in this cemetery is that of Amanda
Thurmond (1878-1879), granddaughter of Dave Thurmond, who in 1848 first
settled this area. Dempsey S. Holt donated three acres in 1887 for a
school, church and cemetery. Dr. Isaac L. Van Zandt, a pioneer physician
and Confederate veteran, deeded additional land in 1894. The Village
of Dido was named for the mythological Queen of Carthage. A thriving
community with a Post Office and stores, Dido declined after the railroad
bypassed it in the 1890s. Among the 1,000 graves here are those of many
pioneer families. (1977)
Marker Title: Eastern Cattle Trail
Address: Heritage Park, 100 N. Commerce
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1964
Marker Location: Heritage Park, 100 N. Commerce, Fort Worth.
Marker Text: This native stone, dug from the Trinity River Valley, marks
the route of the Eastern Cattle Trail, where cattle were driven north
on Rusk Street, now Commerce Street, through the City of Fort Worth,
Texas, to the bluff and then across the Trinity River to the broad valley
below, where they rested before continuing their long drive north. From
the end of the Civil War to the bringing of the railroad in 1876, great
herds of cattle passed this way to Abilene, Kansas. The Eastern Trail,
also called the McCoy Trail, became the Chisholm Trail when it reached
the Red River. Fort Worth, the last place for provisions before Indian
Country, received its name, 'Cow Town', and it first major industry,
from this period.
Marker Title: Fort Worth "Where the West Begins"
Address: 200 W. Belknap
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1969
Marker Location: 200 W. Belknap, Fort Worth; Northwest corner of Houston
& W. Belknap Streets (Northwest of County Courthouse), Fort Worth.
Marker Text: Founded June 6, 1849, as frontier post of Co. F., 2nd Dragoons,
8th Dept., U.S. Army. The commander, Maj. Ripley Arnold, named camp
for his former superior officer, Maj. Gen William Jenkins Worth. In
4 years of operations, the post had but one serious Indian encounter.
A town grew up alongside the fort, as center for supply stores and stagecoach
routes. In 1856 Fort Worth became county seat of Tarrant County. A boom
started after 1867 when millions of longhorns were driven through town
en route to Red River Crossing and Chisholm Trial. Herds forded the
Trinity below Courthouse Bluff, one block north of this site. Cowboys
got supplies for the long uptrail drive and caroused in taverns and
dance halls. After railroad arrived in 1876, increased cattle traffic
won city the nickname of "Cowtown". By 1900, Fort Worth was
one of world's largest cattle markets. Population tripled between 1900
and 1910. Growth continued, based on varied multimillion-dollar industries
of meat packing, flour milling, grain storage, oil, aircraft plants
and military bases. Fort Worth also has developed as a center of culture,
with universities, museums, art galleries, theatres and a botanic garden.
Marker Title: Fort Worth Livestock Exchange
Address: 201 E. Exchange St.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1967
Marker Location: 201 E. Exchange St., Fort Worth.
Marker Text: Headquarters, one of greatest cattle markets in the world.
In late 1860s Fort Worth was stop on cattle trails. Market for West
Texas organized 1870s. First trader, T. B. Saunders, Sr., soon was joined
by others. First small packing houses were followed (early 1900s) by
multi-million dollar plants. By 1910 trading almost doubled. This structure
was erected in 1902-03 to house the Stockyards Company, Livestock Commission,
and buyers officers, surrounded by lawns (now parking lots). In 1944,
was purchased by United Stockyards Corporation.
Marker Title: Grapevine Springs Park
City: Coppell
Year Marker Erected: 2003
Marker Location: 700 S Park Rd
Marker Text: The Grapevine Springs, which flow into the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, have attracted visitors for more than 2,000 years. In 1843, Republic of Texas President Sam Houston camped here during treaty negotiations with Native Americans. The treaty was later signed at Bird's Fort. In 1936, Dallas County accepted the donation of Houston's campsite as park land, and the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) built rock walls, picnic facilities, footbridges and other features. During World War II, ownership reverted to prior owners. The Baptist Foundation of Texas later obtained the land and donated it to the county in 1991. Today, the City of Coppell maintains it, and efforts to restore WPA features are ongoing.
Marker Title: Hell's Half Acre
Address: 12th & Houston
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1993
Marker Location: 12th & Houston, Fort Worth.
Marker Text: A notorious red light district known as Hell's Half Acre
developed in this section of Fort Worth after the arrival of the Texas
and Pacific Railway in 1876 launched a local economic boom. Fort Worth
was soon the favorite destination for hundreds of cowboys, buffalo hunters,
railroad workers, and freighters eager to wash off the trail dust and
enjoy themselves. To meet the demand, a large number of saloons, dance
halls, gambling houses, and bordellos opened between the Courthouse
Square and the railroad depot. Illegal activities in Hell's Half Acre
were tolerated by city officials because of their importance to the
town's economy. The district prospered in the 1880s and added to Fort
Worth's growing reputation as a rowdy frontier town. Famous gamblers
Luke Short, Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp and outlaws Sam Bass, Eugene
Bunch, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are known to have spent time
in Hell's Half Acre. A 1906 newspaper headline calling the district
Fort Worth's den of sin and refuge of criminals was representative of
periodic efforts to clean up the district. These efforts proved unsuccessful
until Army officials at Camp Bowie, established here during World War
I, helped local officials shut the district down. (1993)
Marker Title: The 1865 Indian Creek Raid
Address: On Morris - Dido - Newark Rd.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1983
Marker Location: From Fort Worth take US 81/287 northwest about 12 miles.
Head northwest on FM 718 about 3.3 miles to Morris-Dido-Newark Road.
Head South about 1.7 miles to marker.
Marker Text: During the late 1850s Indians on the north Texas frontier
became increasingly restive about continued white settlement on their
lands. As a result, numerous attacks on Anglos occurred during the years
form 1859 to 1875. One such incident took place in Sept. 1865 near this
site when 15 mounted Indians attacked two Denton County residents by
the names of Smith and Wright. Wright was killed, and Smith, wounded
by an arrow, rode to Denton for help. Within a short time, Smith died
from blood poisoning caused by his wound. (1983)
Marker Title: Johnson Station Cemetery
Address: 1100 block of W. Mayfield
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1986
Marker Location: 1100 block W. Mayfield and S. Cooper (FM 157), Arlington.
Marker Text: Now part of Arlington, this area was established in the
1840s as a ranger station and trading post known as Johnson Station.
This cemetery serves as a reminder of that early settlement. The oldest
marked grave in the cemetery is that of Elizabeth Robinson, who died
November 15, 1863. A number of unmarked graves may date from an earlier
time period. A variety of gravestone styles may be found here, marking
the burial sites of pioneer settlers, veterans of the Civil War, and
charter members of an early Masonic Lodge. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986 More
Marker Title: Jopling-Melear Log Cabin
Address: 621 W. Arkansas Lane
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1980
Marker Location: 621 W. Arkansas Lane, Arlington; Middleton Tate Johnson
Plantation Cemetery.
Marker Text: George Washington Jopling (1833-1903) erected this log
cabin in 1863 in the Johnson Station Community for his wife Catherine
(Thomas) (1837-1882) and their large family. A farmer, cattleman, and
cotton gin owner, Jopling also served as a community leader, helping
organizing the Johnson Station Masonic Lodge. After Catherine died he
remarried and deeded the cabin, which had been enlarged, to his daughter
Jane Catherine (1854-1940) and her husband Z.T. Melear 1850-1931). Melear,
a farmer and blacksmith, owned a livery stable and cotton gin. In 1970
the cabin was moved to this site. (1980)
Marker Title: Kiowa Raid on Walnut Creek
Address: FM 730 & SH 199 intersection
City: Azle
Year Marker Erected: 1983
Marker Location: FM 730 R.O.W. East side, about .75 W. of intersection
of FM 730 & SH 199, Azle.
Marker Text: In April 1867 a band of about sixty Kiowa Indians, led
by Chiefs Satank and Satanta, raided the home of William Hamleton on
Walnut Creek. Hamleton was away when the Kiowas killed his wife, Sally,
and captured two children, Lavina and Mary. Lavina was released from
captivity after six months, but Mary was given to an Indian family and
grew to adulthood among the Kiowas. Called To-Goam-Gat-Ty, she became
an accepted tribal member and married another captive, Calisay. The
site of the 1867 Kiowa Raid is now under the waters of Eagle Mountain
Reservior (1.4 mi. E) (1983)
Marker Title: Marrow Bone Spring
Address: Matlock and Arkansas St.
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1979
Marker Location: Founders Park, corner of Matlock & Arkansas Sts.,
(On trail).
Marker Text: An Indian habitat in the 1700s or earlier, Marrow Bone
Spring in 1843 was visited by President Sam Houston's envoys seeking
peace. A trading post licensed by the Texas Republic opened in 1845
near the Spring. Hiram Blackwell of the Peters Colony pioneered here
before 1848. Soldier-statesman Middleton Tate Johnson (1810-1866) posted
troops nearby in the late 1840s. The first Post Office in Tarrant County
opened on Oct. 31, 1851, at Johnson's Station. In 1852 Blackwell sold
Johnson his rights to land surrounding the spring. The Village of Johnson's
Station flourished for many years. (1979)
Marker Title: Morgan Hood Survey Pioneer Cemetery
Address: SH 26, NE of Grapevine
City: Grapevine
Year Marker Erected: 1983
Marker Location: From Grapevine take SH 26 about 2 miles northeast.
Marker is on SH 26 right-of-way (south side) about .25 mile south of
Bethel Road intersection.
Marker Text: Originally part of the Morgan Hood Survey, this small cemetery
(75 ft. SE) has been abandoned for over a century. Its one visible grave
is marked with portions of a sandstone burial cairn, a common method
of marking graves in this area in the 1850s-1870s. The subject of speculation
since no written records remain, the graves may be those of members
of the Peters Colony, early pioneers who entered the Grapevine area
in 1844. Although nearly all traces of the cemetery are gone, it serves
as a reminder of Tarrant County's early days of settlement. (1983)
Marker Title: Quanah Parker
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 2007
Marker Location: 131 E. Exchange
Marker Text: Comanche chief Quanah Parker was a son of two cultures. He was born about 1845 along Elk Creek, Indian Territory (Oklahoma). His Anglo mother was Cynthia Ann Parker, taken captive in a May 1836 raid and adopted by Qua-Ha-Di (Antelope) Comanches, and his father was Comanche chief Peta Nocona. Texas Rangers reclaimed Cynthia Ann in an 1860 fight at the Pease River. Nocona died soon after, and Cynthia Ann lived with relatives near Birdville in Tarrant County before dying with no further contact with her Comanche family.
Becoming chief upon his father's death, Quanah refused to sign the 1867 Medicine Lodge Treaty that sent many Plains Indians to reservations. Instead, he led raids in Texas and Mexico for another seven years, likely including the last foray into Tarrant County in June 1871. That winter, Quanah's band eluded Col. Ranald Mackenzie's Fourth U.S. Cavalry across the Texas panhandle. Comanche losses during the 1874 Panhandle Battle of Adobe Walls, in which Quanah was wounded, followed by a harsh winter, finally brought him and fewer than 100 remaining Qua-Ha-Di to the reservation at Fort Sill, Indian Territory in May 1875.
Quanah served as liaison between his people and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He proved to be a pragmatic leader, encouraging the Comanches to take up ranching and farming, and to educate their children in government schools. Quanah prospered through his investments and built his spacious "Star House" near Cache, OK. He traveled widely, giving speeches and interviews and participating in wild west shows, the Texas State Fair, Texas Cattle Raisers Association gathering and the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. Quanah visited Fort Worth and the Stockyards on many occasions. He died in 1911 and is buried at Fort Sill.
Marker Title: Pioneer's Rest Cemetery
Address: 600 block Samuels Ave.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1979
Marker Location: 600 block Samuels Ave., Pioneer's Rest Cemetery, Fort
Worth.
Marker Text: This burial ground was started in the summer of 1850 upon
the deaths of Sophie and Willis Arnold, children of Major Ripley A.
Arnold (1817-1853), commander of the troops at Fort Worth. Arnold's
friend, Doctor Adolphus Gouhenant, set aside a three-acre burial site
at that time. In 1871, after a cemetery association was begun, Baldwin
Samuels gave three adjoining acres. Many early Fort Worth settlers,
including 75 Civil War veterans, are buried here. This site also contains
the graves of Major Arnold and General Edward H. Tarrant (1799-1858),
for whom Tarrant County was named.
Marker Title: William M. Rice
Address: 310 S. Stewart St.
City: Azle
Year Marker Erected: 1984
Marker Location: 310 S. Stewart St., Azle.
Marker Text: William M. Rice first came to Texas in 1834 and settled
in what is now Nacogdoches County, where he was involved in frontier
defense and served as an Alcalde in the Mexican Government. He served
in the Texas Revolution and was wounded in the Battle at San Jacinto.
He and his wife, Mariah, later lived in Harris County, in Kansas, and
in Dallas County, where he was a farmer and merchant. During the Civil
War, he was active on the home front, making soldiers' hats and hauling
supplies. About 1874, Rice moved to Tarrant County, where he lived until
his death.
Marker Title: Thomas B. Saunders Family
Address: 100 block of E. Exchange St.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1981
Marker Location: 100 block of E. Exchange St., Fort Worth (Saunders
Park).
Marker Text: A native of North Carolina, Thomas Bailey Saunders (1816-1902)
migrated to Texas in 1850 and started a cattle ranch near Gonzales.
After the Civil War he completed cattle drives to markets in New Orleans
and Kansas before settling in Bexar County. Two of Saunders' twelve
children were also involved in the cattle industry. William David Harris
Saunders (1845-1922) helped supply beef for Confederate forces during
the Civil War and later became a successful Goliad merchant and rancher.
Another son, George Washington Saunders (1854-1933), became a noted
trail driver of the 1870s. He later opened a livestock commission in
San Antonio. Thomas B. Saunders, II (1872-1929), the son of William,
owned a livestock firm in Houston. He later moved here and in 1902 became
the first cattle dealer on the Fort Worth Stockyards. He was a pioneer
in the transporting of cattle by truck. His son Thomas B. Saunders,
III (1906-1974), was involved in extensive ranching operations throughout
the Southwest. During the 1930s economic depression, he started a cattle
clearinghouse for traders, order buyers, and commission companies. Since
the 1850s, Saunders family members have been actively involved in the
Texas cattle industry.
Marker Title: Sloan-Journey Expedition of 1838
Address: Mosier Valley Rd. & FM 157
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1984
Marker Location: Mosier Valley Rd. at intersection of Mosier Valley
& FM 157, Arlington.
Marker Text: In the spring of 1838, Captains Robert Sloan and Nathaniel
T. Journey led a group of about 90 northeast Texas frontiersmen on a
punitive expedition against the Indians who had raided their homes in
present-day Fannin County. The trail led them to the vicinity of present-day
Euless and Arlington, where they attacked a small Indian village, killed
several Indians, and recovered a few horses. The Sloan-Journey expedition
is among the first known Anglo-American activities in what is now Tarrant
County that helped to open North Texas to white settlement. More
About a year and a half later, a second Texas army conducted a punitive expedition in the area. Colonel John Neill's Comanche Campaign
This historical marker is set back on what seems to be private property, belonging to the house just west of the road. You can see the marker if you venture west on Verna to the driveway. But take caution, there is a bad dip at the entrance that needs to be taken very slowly. The stage line turned back west at Azle and headed to Jacksboro where it connected with the Butterfield Stage Line. Notice the flag on the edge of Eagle Mountain Lake where Satank's Kiowas murdered the Hamleton Family.
Marker Title: Tannahill Homestead
Address: 9741 Verna Drive
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1979
Marker Location: 9741 Verna Drive, Fort Worth (Corner of Silver Creek
and Verna Roads).
Marker Text: In 1853 Scottish-born Robert Watt Tannahill (1821-1885)
and his wife Mary Catherine (Smallwood) came here from Mississippi.
In 1856 Tannahill patented this 320-acre tract on the Fort Worth-Azle
Road. He used rocks from a nearby creek bank to construct this house
in 1874. He served as a Tarrant County Judge and used the front room
of this home for a Post Office from 1878 to 1885. This was also a stagecoach
station for the first stop west of Fort Worth. The house was sold in
1894 to early pioneer William Thomas Tinsley (1858-1909) and in 1945
to Mrs. Verna Burns Stubbs.
Marker Title: Tarrant County Courthouse
Address: Main & Weatherford Streets
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1969
Marker Location: Main at Weatherford Streets, Fort Worth.
Marker Text: Designed by firm of Gunn & Curtis and built by the
Probst Construction Company of Chicago, 1893-1895. This red Texas granite
building, in Renaissance Revival style, closely resembles the Texas
State Capital with the exception of the clock tower. The cost was $408,840
and citizens considered it such a public extravagance that a new County
Commissioners' Court was elected in 1894.
Marker Title: General Edward H. Tarrant
Address: 626 Samuels Ave.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1986
Marker Location: 626 Samuels Avenue, Fort Worth; Pioneer Rest Cemetery.
Marker Text: South Carolina native Edward H. Tarrant enlisted in the
Kentucky Militia in 1814 and served under Gen. Andrew Jackson in the
Battle of New Orleans. Moving to Tennessee after 1816, he was elected
Colonel of the Henry County Militia and served as County Sheriff. Tarrant
arrived in Texas in November 1835, settling in Red River County. He
served in the Republic of Texas Congress and became a Brigadier General
in the Texas Militia in 1839. He commanded the Texas Rangers at the
Battle of Village Creek in present Tarrant County in 1841 and, with
George W. Terrell, negotiated treaties with many of the Texas Indian
tribes at Bird's Fort in 1843. Tarrant represented Bowie County at the
Annexation Convention of 1845. By February 1846, he had moved to Navarro
County, where he became Chief Justice and was elected to the 3rd and
4th Texas Legislatures. In the 1850s, Tarrant commanded a force of Texas
Rangers defending the frontier at Fort Belknap. He died in Parker County
in 1858 and was buried there. The next year, his remains were moved
to his farm in Ellis County. In 1928, his body was reinterred here by
the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Tarrant County, created in 1849,
was named in his honor.
Marker Title: General Edward H. Tarrant
Address: Spur 303
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: Spur 303, Arlington ( NW side of road, 1/10 mi west
of Green Oaks).
Marker Text: In this vicinity May 24, 1841 General Edward H. Tarrant
with 70 men attacked several Indian villages situated along a creek
(now called Village Creek) and recovered many horses and much stolen
plunder. 12 Indians were killed and many wounded. Of the Texans Captain
John B. Denton was killed. Captains Henry Stout and Griffin were wounded.
Marker Title: Texas Log Cabins
Address: University & Colonial Parkway
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1967
Marker Location: University and Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth; West side
of Intersection at Log Cabin Village.
Marker Text: These authentic log cabins, built by pioneers 100 years
ago, recall a way of life in early Texas when great courage was required
to meet the hardships of frontier existence. Constant threats from Indians,
poor crops, adverse weather, primitive living conditions did not stop
these ingenious people from developing a wilderness into a land of opportunity.
The log cabin, a familiar sight in Cross Timbers country of North Texas,
was most readily available type of construction to the pioneer and his
family. He was too far from a mill to obtain "box lumber."
Skill, stamina were needed when preparing logs with such tools at the
axe, broad and adze. Styles of fitting corners included "quarter
notch" and "dovetail." Oak, cedar and heart pine woods
were used. The cabin was a welcome sight to neighbors and saddle-sore
travelers. Each told a personal story of frontier life and the family
that lived within. The Tomkins cabin was a landmark on Ft. Worth-Belknap
Road; visitors were welcome. Isaac Parker cabin was the last home of
Cynthia Ann Parker after she was taken from her Comanche family in 1860.
This Log Cabin Village was created so that part of the spirit of the
Texas frontier would survive.
Marker Title: Thistle Hill, The Cattle Baron's Mansion
Address: 1509 Pennsylvania Ave.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1977
Marker Location: 1509 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Worth.
Marker Text: Designed by Sanguinet & Staats, this Georgian Revival
structure was built in 1903 for A.B. Wharton (1878-1963) and his bride
Electra (1882-1925), daughter of rancher W.T. Waggoner (1852-1934).
Electra named the mansion "Thistle Hill". Cattlemen-investor
Winfield Scott (1849-1911) bought the home in 1910 but died before he
moved in. His wife Elizabeth (1861-1935) lived her until her death.
Occupied by the Girls' Service League, 1940-1968, the house was purchased
in 1976 by "Save the Scott Home!" Inc.
Marker Title: Top O' Hill Terrace
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 2003
Marker Location: Arlington, 3001 W. Division
Marker Text: Top O' Hill Terrace Beulah Adams Marshall bought land here along the Bankhead Highway in the early 1920s and opened a tea room, hosting teas and serving dinners to Dallas and Fort Worth patrons. In 1926, Fred and Mary Browning purchased the property and shortly began converting the facilities into a casino, adding an escape tunnel and secret room for hiding the gambling paraphernalia during raids. Known as Top O' Hill Terrace, the popular spot attracted gamblers as well as visitors who were often unaware of the gaming activities. The restaurant, along with the tea garden that exists today, was a legitimate business, operating alongside a brothel as well as the casino, which benefited from the nearby Arlington Downs racetrack. Top O' Hill Terrace facilities included a horse barn and a private stable for Browning's prized stud, Royal Ford, purchased from oilman and Arlington Downs owner W.T. Waggoner. Contemporary to the Top O' Hill heyday was the outspoken Dr. J. Frank Norris (d. 1952), longtime pastor of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth. The conservative Norris, co-founder of fundamental Baptist Bible Institute, later known as Bible Baptist Seminary and later as the Arlington Baptist College, was an ardent proponent of Prohibition and gambling reform. One of his targets was Top O' Hill Terrace, which he reportedly vowed one day to own. In 1947, Texas Ranger Captain M.T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas led a raid on Top O' Hill, catching the gambling operation in full swing. In late 1956, under the leadership of Earl K. Oldham, the Bible Baptist Seminary bought the property and relocated here, fulfilling Norris' promise, although neither he nor Browning (d. 1953) had lived to see it. Today, the Arlington Baptist College continues to use the site, which retains many of its original structures and features a statue of Norris by noted sculptor Pompeo Coppini.
Marker Title: Torian Log Cabin
Address: 205 Main St.
City: Grapevine
Year Marker Erected: 1978
Marker Location: 205 Main St. Grapevine.
Marker Text: This cabin of hand-hewn logs was built along a creek at
the edge of the cross timbers near the pioneer community of Dove. It
originally stood on a headright settled in 1845 by Francis Throop, a
Peters colonist from Missouri. J.C.Wiley bought the property in 1868.
He sold it in 1886 to John R. Torian (1836-1909), a farmer from Kentucky.
Torian family members occupied the structure until the 1940s. The cabin
was moved about four miles to this site in 1976.
Marker Title: Van Zandt Cottage
Address: 2900 Crestline Rd.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1962
Marker Location: 2900 Crestline Rd., Ft Worth; Trinity Park
Marker Text: Built in 1860s on stage road to Weatherford, and for generations
a haven to travelers during Trinity River Floods, this was the country
home of Khleber Miller Van Zandt (1836-1930), who was know as "Mr.
Fort Worth." A Confederate veteran, Major Van Zandt was a merchant,
lawyer, banker, railroad builder, State Legislator (1873), opener of
frontier lands to settlement, and leader in many civic activities. Structure
was restored by the State during Texas Centennial, 1936.
Marker Title: Khleber Miller Van Zandt (1836-1930)
Address: 700 Grand Ave.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1986
Marker Location: 700 Grand Ave., Fort Worth; Oakwood Cemetery, Section
29.
Marker Text: Tennessee native Khleber Miller Van Zandt moved to East
Texas as a child. After serving as a Major in the 7th Texas Infantry
Regiment, C.S.A., he came to Fort Worth in 1865. A merchant, banker,
and rancher, he was instrumental in making the city a major rail center
and helped establish early newspaper, the public schools, public transportation,
and the First Christian Church. He served in the 13th Texas Legislature
of 1875. A member of the United Confederate Veterans, he held the office
of National Commander-in-Chief (1918-1921). Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.
Marker Title: Village Creek
Address: Lakewood Dr. at Arlington Golf Course
City: Arlington
Year Marker Erected: 1980
Marker Location: Lakewood Dr., Arlington; Arlington Golf Course, 7th
Tee.
Marker Text: Archeological excavations along the course of this Trinity
River tributary have unearthed evidence of several prehistoric villages.
Artifacts from the area date back almost 9,000 years and represent a
culture of food-gatherers and hunters. In the 1830s the creek served
as a sanctuary for several Indian tribes who made frequent raids on
frontier settlements. The conflict grew worse in 1841 when major attacks
were reported in Fannin and Red River Counties. Brigadier General Edward
H. Tarrant (1796-1858) of the Republic of Texas Militia led a company
of volunteers in a punitive expedition against Indian villages in this
area. On May 24, 1841, following brief skirmishes at several encampments,
two scouting patrols were attacked near the mouth of the creek and retreated
to the main camp. Reportedly twelve Indians and one soldier, Captain
John B. Denton, were killed. As result of the Battle of Village Creek,
many tribes began moving west. Others were later removed under terms
of the 1843 Treaty signed at Bird's Fort (10 mi. NE) which opened the
area to colonization. Much of the battle site is now located beneath
the waters of Lake Arlington.
Marker Title: P.A. Watson Log House
Year Marker Erected: 1979
Marker Location: 621 W. Arkansas Lane, Arlington; Middleton Tate Johnson
Plantation Cemetery.
Marker Text: After his wife Margaret Ann (Armstrong) died, Patrick Alfred
Watson (1810-1894) built this dwelling in 1855 near present Arlington
for their six children. In 1858 he married Margaret's neice Mary Jane
Donaldson and they had six children. A surveyor, educator, and religious
leader, Watson gave land for the P.A. Watson Community Cemetery and
for the original site of a church and school building. The congregation
is now West Fork United Presbyterian Church in Grand Prairie. The house
was enlarged and Watson family descendants occupied it until 1961. It
was moved here in 1976.
Marker Title: General Thomas N. Waul, C.S.A.
Year Marker Erected: 1983
Marker Location: 700 Grand Ave., Fort Worth; Oakwood Cemetery, Section
31.
Marker Text: A native of South Carolina, Thomas Neville Waul (1813?-1903)
practiced law in Mississippi before moving to Texas in 1850. After serving
the Provisional Confederate Congress and signing the 1861 Confederate
constitution, he organized Waul's Texas Legion, C.S.A. Waul led the
Texans in Mississippi during 1862 and 1863, participating in the defense
of Vickburg. He led a brigade in the Red River campaign of 1864 at Mansfield,
La., and Jenkins' Ferry, Ark. Waul returned to Texas in 1865 and resumed
the practice of law. He died near Greenville and was buried at this
site.
Marker Title: White's Chapel Cemetery
City: Southlake
Year Marker Erected: 2001
Marker Location: Southlake Blvd. (FM 1709) at Pleasant Run-White's Chapel
Rd.
Marker Text: According to local legend, this cemetery began about 1851,
when a child traveling through this area in a wagon train died and was
buried here. The oldest documented burial, that of infant Amy A. Marr,
took place in 1872. Many graves in the pioneer cemetery are unmarked,
or are marked only with fieldstones. Native red sandstone is used for
many of the markers and curbing. Among those laid to rest here are former
state legislator Elihu Newton (1845-1925), who served in the 20th and
23rd Texas legislatures, and veterans of the Civil War and other armed
conflicts. A reminder of the once-rural, pioneer heritage of this part
of Tarrant County, the cemetery is cared for by the White's Chapel Cemetery
Association. (2001)
Marker Title: General William Jenkins Worth (1794-1849)
Address: 800 Main St.
City: Fort Worth
Year Marker Erected: 1981
Marker Location: 800 Main St., Fort Worth; across from Hotel Texas/Radisson
(south entrance) in park.
Marker Text: During the War of 1812, William Jenkins Worth, a native
of Hudson, New York, was aide-de-camp to Generals Morgan Lewis and Winfield
Scott. Severely wounded at Lundy's Lane, Worth remained in the Army
after the war and later served as Commandant of Cadets at West Point,
1820-28. In 1832 he fought in Illinois against the Sac and Fox Indians,
led by Black Hawk. Involved in defenses along the Canadian border in
the 1830s, Worth also participated in the removal of Cherokee Indians
from the Southeastern United States. In 1842 Worth led an expedition
against Florida Seminole Indians, defeating the last hostile band at
Palaklakha Hammock. During the Mexican War, 1846-48, he fought with
Zachary Taylor's forces at the Battle of Monterrey and received a Sword
of Honor from Congress and a promotion to Major General. He was also
a leader in the 1847 conquest of Mexico City. Worth died of cholera
at San Antonio while serving as Commander of the Texas and New Mexico
Military Districts. Although he never visited this area, a frontier
post named in his honor, Fort Worth, was established here after his
death. His grave in New York City is marked by a granite monument, fifty
feet tall, at Broadway and Fifth Avenue.
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