Arlington Historical Society

With a population of more than 365,000 and spread across 100 square miles, Arlington is located precisely midway between Dallas and Fort Worth. In both population and area, it has a unique distinction other than its 49-in-population standing. It is the largest “mid” city in America.

Arlington’s history is complex, its identity evolving over more than 150 years. It has been a frontier outpost, an agricultural center, a site of Indian battles and a mecca for horse racing and gambling. It once was famed for its mineral waters, it has long been a college town (the home of three colleges), and it hosts major industrial entities such as the Arlington General Motors Assembly Plant. Today, it is famed for Major League Baseball and amusement attractions that feature giant roller coasters, but it also has a high tech component that includes a nanotechnology incubator designed to introduce leading edge university research into the world of commerce.

Named in honor of Robert E. Lee’s hometown in Virginia, Arlington rests squarely on the divide of two distinct geological strata, a vast “grand prairie” called Eagle Ford, and an oaks-dominated woodland of gently rolling hills called the Eastern Cross Timbers. Its heritage is a colorful one, beginning with Native Americans and continuing through the explorations of the first Europeans and the earliest days of the Texas Republic. No less than six national flags have flown here.

The first non-Indian settlement dates to the 1840s. Indeed, Arlington began as the failed Bird’s Fort, evolving into a site of a Texas Ranger post (Johnson Station) authorized by Republic President Sam Houston to serve as a dividing line between settlers and a collection of Indian tribes driven to the area by American westward expansion.

The Republic of Texas signed its first ever Indian peace treaty here in 1843 at Bird’s Fort with nine tribes, including Cherokee, Delaware, Biloxi, Caddo, Keechie and Waco representatives. Caddo tribes dominated early Indian settlements and were the first residents of the area, camping in such an abundance of settlements that one local waterway, Village Creek, was named for their presence. Early Caddos practiced agriculture near the waterway, their long-time presence established by numerous archeological digs. Caddo settlements were visited by the first European explorers to the area, including Cabeza de Vaca in 1535 and La Salle in 1687, and later by Texas Rangers, who defeated them in the Battle of Village Creek in 1841. These lands became part of the vast plantation holdings of Col. Middleton Tate Johnson, who arrived in 1846 from the Mexican War and took command of a Texas Rangers company at what became known as Johnson Station.

The Arlington Historical Society, originally called the Cemetery Society, was founded in 1887 by members dedicated to gathering and preserving historical information relating to the founding and growth of Arlington. Dedicated Arlingtonites, understanding how important the past is to the present , have worked tirelessly to save, restore and preserve Arlington's historical treasures.

The Fielder House was built for Mr. and Mrs. James Park Fielder in 1914. This two-story house was one of the first brick homes in Arlington. Since April 20, 1980, the historic "Home on the Hill" has served as a local history museum presenting our history through the decades with photographs and artifacts.

The Fielder House

Knapp Heritage Park

Dedicated in 2004, this downtown park contains three of Arlington's oldest structures. This cultural and heritage facility is available for school tours, rentals, private tours and is open to the general public. The park was named for James and Mildred Knapp.

3School House

3 Watson Cabin

Joplin-Melear4
Cabin

Where the Past Becomes a Present to the Future!

A Brief History