Traffic Operations employee installs celebratory banners, preparing the City for the dedication ceremony.

In the mid 1800s, rail cars moved through the region along the Texas and Pacific Railroad, traveling between Dallas and Fort Worth. On July 19, 1876, the railroad made its first scheduled stop in Arlington.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 19, the City of Arlington and the Tarrant County Historical Commission will unveil a Texas Historical Marker to celebrate the 130th anniversary of that event.

The marker will be erected in the courtyard at City Hall, 101 W. Abram St., the area of the original town site and near what is now the Union Pacific rail line. The inscription on the marker chronicles the history of Arlington from its development along the west fork of the Trinity River in the 1800s to the progress of its schools, churches, government and entertainment industry.
The ceremony will include Mayor Robert Cluck and members of the Arlington City Council. The celebration will be joined by members of the Arlington Landmark Preservation Commission and a host of county and state officials. The presentation of colors will be led by Boy Scout Troop 421. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will be followed by a reception and historic tours of the area. Seating is limited.

“The history of Arlington is the history of how the west was won,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Ron Wright, who led efforts to secure the historical marker. “From great Indian battles and frontier forts to the arrival of the pioneer, railroad, cotton plantations, manufacturing plants, Six Flags Amusement Park, and professional sports teams, Arlington has played a vital role in the history and growth of North Texas. It is a history we are proud to celebrate.”

As part of Arlington’s 130th anniversary celebration, the City of Arlington will also unveil the first of a four-part video that chronicles the history of the city from the early 1800s to present. A new web page will also be launched at www.ci.arlington.tx.us/history that features historic buildings, places and people that have contributed to the success of the community.

For more information about the unveiling of the historical marker, call Council Assistant Tony Rutigliano at 817-459-6122 or e-mail rutiglianot@ci.arlington.tx.us.

How Arlington Got Its Name

The Rev. Andrew Shannon Hayter (pronounced Hider) arrived in Arlington in 1853 and worked as a land surveyor who helped to plan the original town site. Because of his assistance in directing the Texas and Pacific Railway through the most peaceful route, engineers expressed interest in naming the station in the newly purchased town site, Hayterville, Texas. The reverend declined with the objection that his name was not usually pronounced correctly. The engineers gave him the privilege of choosing a name. Hayter, and Jim Ditto, the town’s first postmaster, named the town site Arlington in honor of General Robert E. Lee’s home in Virginia.

On January 22, 1877, the United States Postal Service recognized the city as Arlington, Texas. Seven years later on April 21, 1884, Arlington was incorporated and became a local governing body under the laws of the state.

Historical Marker

The City of Arlington developed along the juncture of two distinct ecological regions, the Blackland Prairie and the Eastern Cross timbres. The west fork of the Trinity River and its area tributaries flow through the city, and one such stream, Village (Caddo) Creek, was the site of a series of native American communities.

The 1841 Battle of Village Creek and the 1843 Bird’s Fort Treaty between the Republic of Texas and the Delaware Chickasaw, Waco, Tawakoni, Keechi, Caddo, Nadako, Ionie, Biloxi and Cherokee tribes opened the region to pioneer settlement, led by Colonel Middleton Tate Johnson and Patrick Watson in 1846. The Reverend A.S. Hayter helped survey the area for a new town site and rail stop for the Texas and Pacific Railroad named Arlington for the Virginia home of General Robert E. Lee. The town became a regional cotton distribution center. Incorporation occurred in 1884, the year after its first newspaper, The World, was first published. At the turn of the 20th century, the city’s more than 1,000 residents supported several churches and schools, including Arlington College, an institution that became the University of Texas at Arlington in 1967.

Arlington residents adopted a city manager form of government in 1949. The municipality, situated between Fort Worth and Dallas, served as an interurban rail hub and as a stop along the Bankhead Highway. It became a statewide destination for amusements beginning in the 1920s with gambling at Top O’ Hill Terrace and horseracing at W.T. Waggoner’s Arlington Downs. Later attractions included Six Flags Over Texas Amusement Park, established in 1961, and the Texas Rangers baseball team. Today, Arlington remains a viable part of one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.

Historic Tours

The Fielder House Museum and the Landmark Preservation Commission will offer historic tours of Arlington this summer. Transportation is being provided by the University of Texas at Arlington. For information, call the Fielder House Museum at 817-460-4001.