3311 SW Green Oaks Blvd
Al Rollins was born in Dallas, the son of a civil engineer, and attended the Highland Park public school. He attended Texas A&M and received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in June 1951. Upon graduation he entered the United States Army and served as a combat engineer officer in the 40” U.S. Infantry Division in Korea during the Korean War in 1952-53. Upon his discharge the Texas Highway Department District 18 office employed him in Dallas. In January 1955, Al received one of the first Automotive Safety Foundation fellowship grants and returned to Texas A&M where he accepted a teaching assistantship and was one of the first full-time students in the recently formed Texas Transportation Institute. He received a Master of Science degree in civil engineering in January 1956.
Upon graduation, Al Rollins was employed as city engineer in Arlington, Texas – at that time a city of around 20,000. Her served as city engineer, director of public works and director of utilities from 1956-1963 and was appointed city manager of Arlington in July 1963. Resigning as city manager in January 1967m Al Rollins joined with Gene Schrickel to form Schrickel, Rollins and Associates, a design firm offering civil engineering, landscape architecture, and planning services.
While city engineer in Arlington in the late ‘50s, Al pioneered the use of lime slurry for the improvement of clay soils and poor-quality base materials and wrote several articles on this subject. While at Arlington the city increased in population from some 20,000 to around 75,000, and the city converted from a ground water municipal water system to a surface supply with the construction of Lake Arlington. His over 40-year tenure at Schrickel, Rollins and Associates involved broadly diverse projects. These include major recreational facility design for the Corps of Engineers at Lakes Lavon and Ray Roberts and for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at Possum Kingdom Reservoir and Lake Mineral Wells. The first has designed major street projects for nearly every city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and major interstate, U.S., and farm-to-market projects for TxDOT. Planning activities have included master comprehensive plans for cities, school districts and major universities. Athletic facilities such as stadiums at the University of Texas at Arlington, Plano I.S. D., and Duncanville I.S. D., tracks at the University of Houston, TCU, and Texas A&M, and major tennis facilities including the national recognized tennis center at TAMU, have also been part of the firm’s work. Major sewer facilities have been designed for Arlington and the Trinity River Authority as well as water treatment, storage, and distribution facilities for many cities and utility districts.
Al has been active in many professional organizations. He is a life member and has been a fellow in ASCE for more than 40 years. He has been especially active in the technical activities of the Society at the national level. He was a member and chairman of several committees of the Urban Planning and Development Division of ASCE and served as chairman of the Division in 1979-80. He is a past president and life member of the Texas Public Works Association and a past president of the Fort Worth Post as well as a fellow of the Society of American Military Engineering. He is a life member of both AWWA and the WEF. Al is a life member and was the first president of the Mid-Cities Chapter of TSPE where he was selected Engineer of the Year in 1972. He also served as a regional vice-president for Region 5 of TSPE. In 2002 Al received the Award of Honor presented by the Texas Section of ASC and in 2005 he was designated a Distinguished Civil Engineering Graduate of Texas A&M University.
In 1970, Al Rollins was appointed by Governor Preston Smith to the Texas Turnpike Authority. He served as a member of the authority until 1972, when, at the request of Governor Smith, he resigned to assume the chairmanship of the Texas Mass Transportation Commission. He served as chairman of the Mass Transportation Commission under Governors Smith and Briscoe and was instrumental in the merger of the Texas Highway Department and the Mas Transportation Commission to form the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, the predecessor organization to TxDOT.
3501 Curry Road
Allan Saxe was born in Oklahoma City, OK. He received his undergraduate degree and his Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Oklahoma. Saxe moved to Arlington in 1965 for a teaching position at the University of Texas at Arlington as an Associate Professor of Political Science. He has co-authored several books on American Government and in 2001 published Politics of Arlington, Texas: An Era of Continuity and Growth. Saxe has served as apolitical analyst for WBAP radio for many years. In 1976 he became a columnist for the Arlington Citizen Journal, which was later purchased by the Star-Telegram. Saxe is a founding board member of the Arlington Night Shelter and Dental Health for Arlington. He is a strong supporter for animal rights and serves as an Emeritus Board Member of the Human Society of North Texas. Saxe is also a former president of the American Heart Association Chapter of Arlington and was a 1996 Olympic torchbearer. He has received numerous awards for his teaching. In 1972, he received the UTA Chancellor’s Council Award. In 1986, 2007, and 2008, he received the Gertrude Golladay Memorial Award for Outstanding Teaching the College of Liberal Arts. In 2014 he received the University of Texas System Board of Regents Outstanding Teacher Award. Saxe is known as a man with a big heart. He has been involved with philanthropy in Arlington for many years and many local landmarks and buildings are named for him.
3000 Daniel Drive
A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, BC Barnes was a Professor of Business Administration at UT Arlington. Barnes also served as Mayor from 1947-1951. As Mayor, he appointed the City’s first Park Board. He was appointed Vice President of Fiscal Affairs of UT Arlington in 1969 and later appointed Vice President of Administration, a position he held until his retirement in 1969. He also served as President of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, President of the Jaycees, and President of the Rotary Club.
2025 Craig Hanking Drive
A long-time automobile dealer, Bob Cooke was Chairman of the first Planning and Zoning Commission and oversaw the development of Arlington’s first comprehensive plan in 1952. He also served as Parks Board chair in the 1950s. He served as Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and President of the Rotary Club. He was also a leader in developing the Arlington Memorial Hospital and was on the Hospital’s first board. Mr. Cooke was also a long-time leader in the First Baptist Church.
900 Findlay Drive
Robert Findlay was born Aug. 17, 1920, in Springfield, Mo. He graduated magna cum laude from Abilene Christian College and earned his MBA from Harvard University. He was president of the Builders Association of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, president of the State Home Builders' Association and a member of the National Association of Home Builders. He was the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Arlington and a 50-year volunteer of the Red Cross. Bob was a member of the Rotary Club and was the president of the UTA Advisory Committee for the Friends of the Library. He was involved in many other organizations. His honors included Outstanding Citizen of Brazosport; Realtor of the Year for Fort Worth; Builder of the Year for Fort Worth; and the President's Distinguished Service Award from the NAHB. He served on the Board of Visitors for Texas Wesleyan University and was an admiral in the Texas Navy. He was the recipient of the Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellowship and served as president of the Fort Worth Harvard Business Club. Bob received many other honors. He organized Brazosport Savings and Loan Association, where he was the CEO for 12 years. He developed many subdivisions, including his signature development, Interlochen, in Arlington. Interlochen was nationally acclaimed by the Urban Land Institute for Bob's creation of a sophisticated lake system. Bob was the co-founder and chairman of the board for the Arlington National Bank.
419 E. Embercrest Drive
Bob was born on June 12, 1941 in Oskaloosa, Iowa and soon thereafter moved to Arlington, Texas. Bob was here to serve others, a calling he felt at age 14 when he left home in Arlington to enter a Catholic minor seminary in San Antonio with the intention of eventually entering the priesthood. After his first semester, his father unexpectedly died, and Bob headed home to find work to help support the family. After graduating from Arlington High School in 1959, he entered what was then known as Arlington State College (now UTA), then went on to the University of Texas School of Law. He completed his Juris Doctor degree from SMU in 1966, which was followed by his entrance into J. Edgar Hoover’s F.B.I. During all of his work and studies, he met and fell in love with Jane Highfill at a church social. They were married in 1963, and had three children: daughters Terry and Sandy, and son Bobby. They were longtime members of St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church. After the F.B.I., Bob returned to Arlington and entered private practice. In 1971, he co-founded the firm of Cribbs and McFarland with James Cribbs, continuing his lifelong calling to serve others. After several years of growth, he decided to serve the people of Tarrant County, and was elected to the Texas State Legislature in 1977. He served the people of Texas for 14 years, both as a State Representative and a State Senator, frequently being cited for such honors as inclusion in the “Ten Best Legislators in Texas” list by Texas Monthly magazine, one of the “Top Ten Good Guys” by Texas Business magazine and being named “Legislator of the Year” by the Texas Municipal League. Bob’s lifelong involvement with the legal process and relationship with lawmakers continued after his retirement from the legislature, working on behalf of municipalities and business clients during state legislative sessions in Austin until the final years of his life.
7003 W. Poly Webb Road
Land for Bowman Springs Park, named for the Bowman family that settled in Arlington in 1852, was acquired on January 9, 1959. Originally referred to as "Feather Beach", the 14-acre park takes advantage of its location perched on the southeastern edge of the lake.
2121 Overbrook Drive
Brantley Hinshaw was a respected businessman and farmer in Arlington in the 1950s and was active in the First Baptist Church.
1300 Hillcrest Drive
Burl L. Wilkes was a city parks employee for many years. Even after retirement in the late 1970s, he continued to care for Hillcrest Park daily. The park was re-named in his honor after his death in 1989.
1200 Susan Drive
Carl Knox, Jr. was a graduate of Arlington High School as well as TCU, where he excelled in athletics. He was a recipient of the Dan D. Rogers Most Valuable Player Award at TCU (Texas Christian University) in 1947, and was honored by being inducted into both the TCU Football and UTA Athletic Halls of Fame. He still holds the Southwest Conference record for the longest punt of 94 yards. His athletic abilities opened many doors throughout his young life. In addition to playing several sports for his schools, he also had the unique opportunities to play golf with Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, play football against Tom Landry, and referee a boxing match with Heavyweight Champion Joe Lewis. He was also given the task of teaching basketball to Japanese POW’s during WWll. Although he coached for 6 years at both Goldthwaite High School and TCU, he spent his career selling life insurance in Arlington, Texas and surrounding areas. Carl was known as an honest, straight shooting, tea-totaling character who loved telling funny stories to his friends and family. He loved being involved in the Arlington community where he co-founded what are now the Arlington Boys and Girls Club, as well as the Arlington Bass Club. He also founded the Southwest Chapter of Life Underwriters, where they named their highest award given to members, the “Carl Knox Founders Award for Excellence”. In 1999, the city of Arlington created Carl Knox Park to honor his public service.
4400 Woodland Park Blvd
Clarence Foster was a councilmember from 1952-58 and Arlington Water Commissioner in the 1950s during the construction of Lake Arlington. He served as Mayor Pro Tem from 1954-58. He was very active in the First Methodist Church and was the first president of the Texas Egg Council from 1956-59.
1600 Brown Blvd.
Clarence Thompson was a local developer and builder in Arlington in the 1960s, building more than 100 homes and the Coronado Square Shopping Center. Thompson was on the Planning & Zoning Commission for 12 years and served on numerous community boards, including the Arlington Memorial Hospital and the Kiwanis Club.
4600 W. Bardin Road
Cliff Nelson was a community leader involved with the Boy Scouts, who founded 5 troops in Arlington. He was an international figure in scouting, assisting troops in New Zealand and the South Pacific. Mr. Nelson was a shift engineer in the powerhouse at the General Motors plant for many years.
1901 W. Randol Mill Rd. (in Randol Mill Park)
Cody David Rocamontes was born on March 12, 1994 in Pennsylvania and moved with his family to Texas in late 1999. Cody was always very active in sports from the time he could walk. T-ball and soccer kept him busy as a young child, and he received a black belt in karate at age 11. Although he enjoyed track in high school, his passion was skateboarding. Cody began on roller skates, moved on to a scooter, and graduated to a skateboard when he was 9. He loved the uniqueness of the sport. There was always something to learn and Cody was never at a loss to make a new friend when skating. Like most skaters, all Cody ever wanted to do was skate. He wished there were places to go locally where he would not be run off by business owners. On August 6, 2009, Cody was walking to a favorite retail skating spot when he was struck by a car on an access road of I-20. Cody died on August 7th and the skateboard he was carrying that day was buried with him. His family created a non-profit to help fund safe places for Arlington youth to skate. As part of the City’s Skatepark Master Plan, the Cody Rocamontes Memorial Skatepark was dedicated in 2013 as the city’s first skatepark.
400 Cravens Park Drive
The Cravens family can trace their Arlington roots back to the early 1900s and have been involved in Arlington civic life ever since. Dr. Milton H. Cravens, an Indiana native, received his medical degree in Louisville, Kentucky. He moved to the Johnson Station area of Arlington in 1885. In 1906, Dr. Cravens married his second wife, Mary Carlisle, daughter of J.M. Carlisle. Dr. Cravens practiced medicine in the Arlington area from 1885 until 1916 and died in 1921. Mary Cravens was active in Arlington civic affairs until her death in 1937. Their son, attorney Carlisle Cravens, for whom the park was originally named, served on the AISD Board of Trustees for many years. He went on to serve on the Texas State Board of Education. Carlisle was active in the business community and served on the boards of over thirty corporations. Cravens Stadium in Arlington is also named in his honor. Descendants of Carlisle Cravens still call Arlington home and are active in the community today.
5800 Kelly Elliot Road
Deaver Park is named for the Deaver family, who sold the land to the City for a park in the 1990s.
2409 Burney Place
Dixon W. Holman was born Oct. 17, 1933, in Harlingen. When he was 5, Judge Holman’s family moved to Fort Worth. He graduated from Paschal High School and later from the University of Texas at Austin. At age 23, before he graduated from the UT Law School, he was elected a state representative. He graduated in 1958, the year he married Sharon Green and began law practice with the Simon and Ratliff law firm in downtown Fort Worth. Judge Holman became general counsel for Great Southern Insurance and Allied Finance Co. in Dallas in 1960, prompting him to move his family to Arlington, which became his last hometown, his family said. Judge Holman quickly immersed himself in the community, serving as chairman of Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission and being elected to three two-year terms on the City Council, starting in 1977. He also served as chairman of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and as vice president of the North Central Texas Council of Governments. In 1981, Gov. Bill Clements appointed him to the 2nd Court of Appeals in Fort Worth to fill a vacancy. But the next year Judge Holman was defeated in his bid for election to a six-year term. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush nominated him to serve as a U.S. district judge, but he suffered a mild heart attack and withdrew himself from consideration.
In 1991, he was named chief of the Tarrant County district attorney’s civil division, then he served as counsel to a law firm. In 1995, Gov. George W. Bush gave Holman his second chance at the 2nd Court of Appeals, appointing him to fill another vacancy. He was elected in 1996 and again in 2002. He retired in 2008, after establishing a reputation as a hardworking, productive jurist who helped implement more efficient processes in the court. He was 75 when he retired from the court on Dec. 31, 2008. His alter ego was football referee, an outdoor judge. He briefly played football as a walk-on at UT Austin in the early ’50s. But it wasn’t until he was 36 that he began officiating at elementary, junior high and high school games. Then he was off to college for an officiating career that included working in six bowl games. He was president of the Southwest Football Officials Association, and from 1972 through 1983, he wrote, illustrated and published Dixon Holman’s Football Referee’s Handbook.
He became one of the original instant-replay officials for the National Football League, where he spent two seasons working regular-season and playoff games. He passed away September 26, 2015.
201 E Lonesome Dove Trail
Don Misenhimer was born February 1, 1946, in Fort Worth, where he graduated from R. L. Paschal High School and Texas Wesleyan College. He was a resident of Arlington for 25 years and was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church. Don served in the Army Reserve. He was past president of the Big Brothers and Sisters of Arlington, Arlington Park and Recreation Board, board of trustees for Trinity United Methodist Church, and the Sundowner Optimist Club. He passed away after a valiant battle with cancer at the age of 51 on April 9, 1997.
801 W. Mitchell Street
Doug Russell was born in New York City, but raised in Midland, Texas. He began swimming in high school for Midland High School, swimming in the new 50-meter "Alamo" pool built by the city in 1962. It was later renamed in his honor: the "Douglas Russell Swimming Pool." He was an all-around swimmer in high school—swimming competitively in butterfly, backstroke, and individual medley events. Other school swimmers of the era remember him as a tough competitor who was hard to beat but who brought out the best in swimmers around him. He attended The University of Texas at Arlington, where he swam for coach Don Easterling's UT Arlington Mavericks swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition. Doug Russell Park, part of the southern edge of the UT Arlington campus, is named in his honor. At the 1967 Pan American Games, he won a gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley. He also won an NCAA national championship in the 100-yard butterfly in 1968, and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national outdoor title in the 100-meter butterfly. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Russell won the first-ever gold medal awarded in the men's 100-meter butterfly—an event which made its debut at the 1968 Olympics–in an upset over teammate and favorite Mark Spitz. He won another gold medal swimming the butterfly leg for the winning U.S. team in the 4×100-meter medley relay. Russell, together with relay teammates Charlie Hickcox (backstroke), Don McKenzie (breaststroke), and Ken Walsh (freestyle), set a new world record of 3:54.9 in the event final. Russell was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1985.
1600 E. Randol Mill Rd.
Dr. Cluck served on Council from 1999 to 2003 and served as Mayor from 2003 to 2015. During his tenure as Mayor, the Dallas Cowboys built a new stadium in Arlington after voters approved a portion of sales tax to help construct it. After receiving his medical training from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dr. Cluck served in the U.S. Air Force for two years, serving during the Vietnam War as a general medical officer at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. From 1971 to 1994, Dr. Robert Cluck was in private practice as an Obstetrician-Gynecologist in Arlington. Dr. Cluck's primary goal as Mayor was to develop Arlington's economy to enable better support of basic citizen services.
2100 W. Tucker Blvd.
Duncan Robinson was a long-time English professor at UTA who held several administrative roles during his 47-year career at the University. He also served as the city's 3rd Parks Board chair and was President of the Rotary Club. Long noted for his memorable classroom teaching, Robinson was given special recognition by UTA students when their 1969-70 yearbook was dedicated to him.
6700 New York Avenue
Eva Sandlin is the wife of Mike Sandlin, a homebuilder in Southeast Arlington.
1100 S. Fielder Road
James Park Fielder Sr. married Mattie Barnes in 1887 in Alvarado, moved to Arlington from Fort Worth where the couple had helped establish Central Methodist Church. Their home, built in 1914, still stands today at the corner of West Abram and Fielder Road and is the current home of the Arlington Historical Society. Mr. Fielder, who died in 1948, was active in Arlington First Methodist Church for nearly 50 years. He was also a member of the Arlington City Council and an original board member of NTAC (currently UTA).
6500 S. Cooper Street
F.J. “Red” Kane Park was dedicated in 1995 to honor a true sportsman who used his aggressive and can-do style to impact Arlington and make it a better place. Kane, a former professional hockey player, served on the Parks and Recreation Board, including as its chair from 1976-1981.
Red Kane will be the first to tell you that “Francis” isn't a good name for a hockey player. Yet Francis Joseph “Red” Kane not only lived his boyhood dreams of becoming a professional hockey player, he played in 447 games over his nine-year career. As a local businessman who bought a laundry business and eventually expanded it into four dry cleaning stores located throughout the city, Kane got involved with the Arlington Junior Chamber (Jaycees), a community leadership group. His involvement with the Jaycees eventually led to his appointment on the Arlington Parks and Recreation Board in 1963. As a member of the board Kane helped guide the Parks and Recreation Department through a time of explosive growth.
121 W. Main Street
It all began in March of 1959 when Gene Allen came to Arlington to join his brother who had just purchased Park Row Pharmacy. In September 1965, Gene and his wife Nancy opened Randol Mill Pharmacy at Randol Mill and Fielder. Gene Allen's Other Place opened next in 1969 at Park Row and Bowen. Mrs. Allen was manager, and she soon became the gift buyer for the stores. She continued to manage the store until she moved her office in 1973 to their new gourmet store, The Wooden Spoon. The Allen's opened Gene Allen's Gifts in Grand Prairie in 1976. In 1980, Gene Allen's Gifts and Randol Mill Pharmacy moved into a larger location with 10,750 square feet, and the gift store was formally separated from the Pharmacy. A south Arlington location was opened at Little Road and 1-20 in 1984. Mr. Allen sold Randol Mill Pharmacy in 1991, and moved it into an adjoining space, also completing an expansion and remodel. Gene Allen's now occupies the full 10,750 square feet, making it one of the largest gift shops in the DFW metroplex.
4500 Park Springs Blvd.
Gene Schrickel was born June 9, 1927, in Dallas, Texas. A resident of Arlington, Mr. Schrickel was involved in the design of many City of Arlington parks and golf courses, as well as major landscape projects at the University of Texas at Arlington. He was instrumental in the passage of legislation for registration of landscape architects in Texas, served as president of the Texas Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects, was a director of the Council of Park and Recreation Consultants, Trustee of the American Society of Landscape Architects and was appointed by the Texas Governor to the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners. Gene attended public schools in Arlington and graduated in 1944 from Arlington High School. He attended North Texas Agricultural College (now UTA) for a year before serving in the U.S. Navy in WWII. After his discharge from the Navy, he returned to NTAC, lettering in Basketball, Tennis and Baseball. In 1993, he was inducted into the UTA athletic hall of honor. Gene received his B.S. Degree in Landscape Architecture from Texas A&M in 1950. In 1998, he was honored with an outstanding Alumnus award from the Texas A&M College of Architecture. While attending A&M, Gene was a member of the basketball team and co-captain his senior year. Gene was one of the founders of the Arlington Tennis Association, served as the board president and leader in the First Arlington YMCA building campaign. He was a past board member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Arlington Visitors and Convention Bureau Advisory Board and past President of Arlington Rotary Club. Gene was an elder and member of First Presbyterian Church, the Texas A&M letterman's club and 12th Man Foundation, Association of Former Students, Tarrant County A&M club and the UTA Maverick Club and Alumni Association.
400 W. Sanford Street
George Stevens born in the early 1900s in Winchester, Texas, the youngest child of a Methodist minister’s family of nine boys and two girls. He attended elementary school there and did his college preparatory work in Tillotson College in Austin. When he left home for college, Stevens worked as a butler and a gardener before and after school at the home of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, Nelson Phillips. Stevens then enrolled at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, hoping he would have enough credits to realize his dream of entering Meharry Medical School and becoming a doctor. Due to a lack of funding, Stevens was forced to abandon those plans and instead enrolled at Prairie View State University in Prairie View, Texas to become a teacher. Following his first year at Prairie View, Stevens taught at local schools. By teaching during the school year and attending summer school at Prairie View, he finished his work at the college and received his bachelor’s degree, all while earning extra credits toward a Master’s degree. In 1941, Stevens came to Arlington to teach at Booker T. Washington elementary school and stayed there until 1965. He was also a community leader in The Hill neighborhood, serving on several organizations’ boards, and was active in his church.
1616 W. Abram Street
Geraldine Mills is a lifelong resident and has served on several ad hoc city committees and Landmark Preservation Commission for many years. She serves as executive director of Arlington Historical Society and was the founder of Arlington Heritage Memorial Grounds non-profit organization.
2101 Margaret Drive
The Gibbins family came to the Arlington area in about 1850, settling in what is now the northwest area of Arlington on 1,300 acres. The family was always interested in the community and in 1885 gave a site for a public school. Gibbins Park was once part of the Gibbins’ family land holdings.
1100 Waverly Drive
H.A.D. "Hoss" Dunsworth started his association with Arlington in 1918 when he came here with his brother, Orville, as a high school student at Grubbs Vocation College, forerunner of UTA. He came back to the school in later years as a coach, athletic director, and teacher, and for 20 years – until 1967 - served as the head of the math department at UTA. Although he had close ties to the university, Dunsworth was active in the community at large. He was a past president of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and for 10 years served on the Arlington City Council.
2200 Greenway Street
Helen Wessler was a lifelong Arlington resident who was a community activist. Mrs. Wessler was placed on the city park board in 1945 when it was created and served as its secretary for many years. She retired from the position in 1963. While on the board she was instrumental in the operation of Meadowbrook Park, as well as in the opening of new parks throughout the City. She was active in the early years of the Chamber of Commerce and later was one of the founders of the Women’s Division of the Chamber of commerce. Through her involvement with the Arlington Betterment Association, she was instrumental in earning Arlington several cleanest city awards. She was also active in the Arlington Garden Club, the Arlington Business and Professional Women’s Club and the First Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Wessler was in charge of United Charities in Arlington and would coordinate assistance for low-income families. She lobbied for more and better parks, for hiring a parks director, and for equal treatment for Black residents in Arlington.
2000 Bever Blvd
William Howard “Gumpy” Moore, who managed the Moore Memorial Gardens with his family in the 1950s and 60s, was Parks Board chairman for many years as well as serving as Arlington's Civil Defense Director.
4080 W. Mayfield Road
Jake Langston was a long-time Arlington resident and served on the Parks Board for nearly two decades in the 60s and 70s.
1008 Ruby Street
In 1995, Arlington’s city council had a big decision to make for flood control of Johnson creek. One path was to follow the Army Corps of Engineers idea for a massive concrete ditch through the city. The other was to take the advice of a relatively unknown but pioneering eco-visionary citizen who suggested uprooting the hundreds of flood-prone homes and creating a series of linear parks around the creek. In a tight vote (5 to 4) the council decided to take Julia Burgen’s plan. Burgen has had a long history with environmental activities, which began in Dallas in the 1970s when she joined the Texas Committee on Natural Resources and other environmental groups there. When her family moved to Arlington in the 1980s, she picked up the environmental thread again, returning to school at UT-Arlington to get a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a heavy emphasis on biology and science. As part of her master’s thesis, she wrote a trail guide to what later became River Legacy Parks. She went on to serve on City Council from 1997-2003 and continued to have significant impact on protecting Arlington's natural environment. She received a national award from her college sorority, Delta Gamma, for her years of environmental activities, along with five state awards and four local awards for her activism.
1500 NW Green Oaks Blvd
J.W. Dunlop served Arlington as a member of the Arlington Fire Department from 1953 - 1982. He was an avid Arlington historian and amassed a collection of over 1,000 historical photos. Additionally, he worked to preserve local cemeteries and the meaning of local street names. After Dunlop retired from the Arlington Fire Department, he began a new career as the unofficial caretaker of the Arlington Cemetery, which dates back to 1875 and had been neglected for decades. Dunlop not only tended he grounds, he took the next 17 years pouring over city and county records to get the names to those who were buried in Arlington Cemetery in previously unmarked graves.
4195 W. Arkansas Lane
Kelley Park is named for the Kelley family and Bill Kelley in particular, who after a brief professional football career, started a successful athletic equipment manufacturing business in Arlington in the 1970s.
424 S. Collins Street
Former Council member Lana Wolff has served the Arlington community for much of her career. Wolff’s tireless efforts for economic revitalization were instrumental in the formation of downtown’s first stakeholder entity, Downtown Arlington, Inc., and in 1995, she was its first Executive Director. Later, she became the Vice President of Economic Development for the Arlington Chamber of Commerce before being elected to City Council in 2003 and serving until 2019. As District 5 representative, Wolff’s constituency groups included downtown entities such as the Central Library, UT Arlington and the Arlington Cultural District. Her volunteer service is wide-reaching, including the Arlington Historical Society, Junior League of Arlington and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
1100 Ballpark Way
Mark Holtz Lake, near Choctaw Stadium, is named for the Texas Rangers’ play-by-play announcer on their radio broadcasts from 1982-1994. He coined the signature phrases “It’s baseball time in Texas!” and “Hello win column!”. He died of leukemia in 1997.
600 W. Arkansas Lane
Marrow Bone Spring Park is located on a historic Native American site. The first Native American treaty was signed at Marrow Bone Spring, now known as Johnson Creek. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
7509 Sharon Lee Drive
Martha Walker was the first woman elected to the Arlington City Council. She served on the City Council from 1972 to 1982. Walker helped found the Fielder Museum, helped plan the Fourth of July celebration from 1974 to 1976 and volunteered in various church, school and Chamber of Commerce activities.
4601 Bowman Springs Road
Marti Van Ravenswaay served the City of Arlington on many boards and councils including the Parks and Recreation Board, City Council (1985-89) and as Tarrant County Commissioner (1991-2011). The park was named in honor of her commitment to the preservation of Arlington’s urban forest through the protection of trees, parks and open spaces.
2303 W. Pleasant Ridge Road
The Hoopers served as presidents of the Kooken PTA and the Arlington Gem and Mineral Club. They worked with the Girl Scouts, were first aid instructors, began the Arlington Community Fair and donated the first Little League ball fields at Randol Mill Park.
1300 E. Dugan Street
Arlington’s first city park, consisting of 52 acres, was purchased by the City of Arlington for $5,000 in 1923. The Arlington Rotary Club sponsored the park and it officially opened in 1924 with picnic grounds and a nine-hole golf course. Meadowbrook Park was also the site for Arlington’s first outdoor pool, which served the community for more than six decades until the late 1980s. The 1930s saw the addition of a small woodbine sandstone structure that served as a monkey house. During this period, the Arlington Garden Club entered a national contest for a municipal rose garden. The city set aside two acres in the northwest section of the park for the garden. In February 1933, the garden was awarded a $1,000 prize for landscaping. The 1940s saw the installation of a regulation ball field where the recreation center is currently located. The field was home of the highly regarded Vandergriff teams of the 1940s and 50s. Donkey baseball was another activity enjoyed by Arlington dignitaries and local residents. In 1949, lights were added to the ball fields, courtesy of W.T. Vandergriff. A miniature golf course, located on the east bank of Johnson Creek, was opened in the 1940s where cartoons were shown to neighborhood children on summer evenings. A surplus military barracks was moved to the mark and used for many years as the Girl Scouts Little House. Meadowbrook recreation center was built in 1963 as the City of Arlington’s first indoor recreation center.
800 W. Nathan Lowe Rd.
Nathan Lowe was a farmer who owned a large amount of land in what is now south Arlington in the early 1900s.
3719 Pleasant Ridge Rd.
Dr. Norman Lee Robinson was born in Sanger, Texas, on February 23, 1921, but spent his formative years in Palmer, Texas. Rev. Robinson received his formal education in the schools of Palmer and Ennis, Texas. He is a graduate of Southern Bible Institute of Dallas, Texas in 1962 and received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1984. Rev. Robinson served his country as a soldier in the United States Army during World War II. He received an Honorable Discharge from the Army on November 25, 1945. After leaving the Army, Rev. Robinson worked for the Dallas Housing Authority from July 1946 until his retirement in 1976. Rev. Robinson began his ministry on June 10, 1962 at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas under Pastor B. E. Collie. In 1963 he was called to pastor the Lucille Baptist Church in Palmer, Texas where he remained until he was called in October 1966 to pastor the Mount Olive Baptist Church of Arlington, Texas. At the time he began pastoring the church, it had a membership of 17 people. Since 1966, under his leadership, the church congregation grew from 17 to over 10,000. Rev. Robinson received keys to the cities of Arlington and Grand Prairie for his years of service to his congregation and community. He was also presented letters of commendation from President Ronald Reagan and President Bill Clinton. He passed away on April 28, 2017.
2021 W. Abram Street
Oscar Gray Sr. grew up on a farm near Terrell. Legend has it, that as a boy he poured over Texas Department of Agriculture yearbooks while recovering from typhoid, beginning a lifelong fascination with agriculture. After he moved to Arlington in 1926 to teach agronomy at North Texas Agricultural College, he bought 46 acres between Fielder and Bowen Roads to plant pecan trees to give his students hands-on experience. However, instead of pursuing a teaching career, he eventually turned the acreage into a working nursery and launched a business. He pioneered methods to develop pecans commercially. O.S. Gray operated his nursery from 1932 to 1986 on the property that is now the Natural Area.
2128 Hardisty Drive
The O.W. Fannin family owned the property that is now the natural area for many years.
1016 W. Cedar Street
Harvey Pirie was a banker, Ford dealer, and community leader in the 1940s and 50s.
1901 W. Randol Mill Rd.
Robert A. Randol (1850-1922) came to Texas from Winchester, Virginia in 1876 and purchased a working grain mill. The mill, originally built by Archibald F. Leonard, had been on the site since 1856. A small community sprouted up around the mill, including a sawmill, a cotton gin, a blacksmith and homes for workers. Mr. Randol served as postmaster for the community from March 1888 to April 1901. Randol Mill Road was once a wagon trail about one mile north of the original Arlington town site. The mill was located just south of the Trinity River Bridge on the west side of Precinct Line Road. A state historical marker is located on private property at the site. Farmers would come from as far away as 60-70 miles, often spending two or three days waiting to have their grain ground. This was done on a “custom” or percentage basis, meaning Randol kept a certain percent of the ground grain to supplement his fee. The mill produced the best coarse ground corn meal in the southwest and it was shipped all over the state. After flour making machinery was installed, product from the mill was sold in many Arlington general stores. Randol’s mill played an important role in the Arlington economy until his death in 1922. The mill, being near the river with plenty of water and shade, was an ideal spot for church gatherings, family reunions and large picnics. The structure was destroyed in 1933 by a fire accidentally set by picnickers. In 1953, the City of Arlington purchased this park land with plans to develop a public golf course. This plan was defeated by two votes in a 1954 bond election. Instead, the land was developed into Randol Mill Park, providing Arlington residents with a place for fishing, picnicking, basketball, tennis, swimming, softball and baseball. Many improvements have occurred at Randol Mill Park over the years, including renovations to the baseball fields used by the Optimist Club of Arlington since 1954. The original swimming pool, built in 1961, was replaced with a family aquatic center in 2002. In 2006, the City of Arlington partnered with Miracle Fields of DFW to construct the Doug Inman Miracle Field.
1601 E. Randol Mill Rd.
Richard Greene was elected Mayor in April 1987 after more than a decade of service as chairman of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and as Mayor Pro-Tempore. During his five mayoral terms, the City of Arlington launched its first full-scale economic development initiative in a partnership with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce under the direction of a council-citizen oversight committee. The program gained statewide recognition and resulted in a period of significant economic growth and new employment opportunities for Arlington residents.
Addressing concerns about the city's traffic congestion and mobility problems, Greene led aggressive road construction programs as mayor. The programs were endorsed by Arlington voters in several bond elections that effectively resulted in better roadways and a ten-fold increase in street construction in the city. Believing that public safety was the highest priority, Greene led annual budget discussions so that the portion of the city's resources devoted to the police and fire departments grew from about one-third of general fund expenditures to nearly one-half. Increases in the police department and the addition of new fire stations in growing areas of the city gave residents higher levels of safety and security.
When competing cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area attempted to convince the Texas Rangers Baseball Club to leave Arlington, Greene developed a winning plan to build a new ballpark for the team as part of a proposed public-private partnership. Arlington voters overwhelmingly approved the plan in the largest-ever voter turnout in a local election. The Texas Rangers, in its new home, won its first-ever division championship, hosted the 1995 All-Star Game, and brought new economic benefits to the city along with more national recognition during Greene's tenure as Mayor.
During the recession of the early 1990s, General Motors put the 40-year-old Arlington plant on the list for possible closure. Greene mobilized the local community, the Texas governor, and the area's congressional delegation to assist in a campaign to convince GM decision makers that the Arlington plant should be re-tooled. Today, the GM Arlington plant continues to be a vital part of the local economy. Richard Greene's passion for the environment led to other noted accomplishments. He authored the city's first ordinance to limit smoking in public places and supported creation of the Living Science Center at River Legacy Parks.
Born in 1943 at the U.S. Navy hospital in Idaho, Greene grew up in Louisiana. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Northeast Louisiana University. He is also a graduate of the School of Mortgage Banking at Northwestern University in Chicago.
In honor of his many years of dedicated public service, a six-acre linear park at 1601 E. Randol Mill Road bears his name. A scholarship program for high school seniors was also established by the Texas Rangers and is named in honor of Greene's dedication to youth and education.
After his 10-year stint as mayor ended, Greene was appointed EPA Regional Administrator by President Bush in 2003. He led the oversight of federal environmental programs for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
6300 W. Arkansas Lane
Richard W. Simpson was a lifetime resident of Arlington who served on the Arlington Police Department’s Special Tactical Unit and as Lake Officer for 13 years. Mr. Simpson was known for his tireless work around Lake Arlington and rare ability to be a friend to anyone in need. During his tenure as Lake Officer he received three lifesaving awards for his service to the community. He passed away of a heart attack while on a hunting trip in 1990 at the age of 44.
700 S. Mary Street
Senter Park is named for Erasmus Senter, a state senator from 1907-11. The land was donated by his son, E.J. Senter, in honor of his father.
5201 Bowman Springs Road
Information coming soon!
2800 W. Sublett Road
For more than 20 years, S.J. Stovall was an important influence on Arlington's economic growth and leadership. In August of 1950, Stovall moved to Arlington to begin a new assignment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As a civil engineer, he designed and supervised the development of soil embankments, major concrete dams and roadways throughout Tarrant County and the north Texas region.
Stovall began his Arlington legacy as a City Council member in 1963. During his tenure with the Council, Stovall worked closely on the Interstate 20 project. As a former employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he used his engineering expertise to help the Texas Department of Transportation navigate the best possible route for I-20 as it crossed through Arlington.
On January 11, 1977 Stovall left his position on the City Council to begin serving as mayor. While mayor, Stovall was instrumental in forming Leadership Arlington, an organization that prepares community leaders in the theories and practices of local government. During his three terms in office, Stovall also led the effort to develop and construct the Arlington Convention Center as well as a new and improved Arlington City Hall. Additionally, to ensure a sound economic foundation for the city, Stovall built relationships with companies such as National Semi-Conductor and Wet ‘N Wild and helped convince their executives to move operations to Arlington.
After completion of his final term as mayor in 1983, Stovall continued his public service beyond Arlington by serving on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court. Known as someone that could be counted on to fill big shoes, he was selected to take over the unexpired term of Commissioner Jerry Mebus who died while in office. Stovall continued his work with the commissioners’ court until retiring in 1985.
In 1991, as a tribute to Stovall and his influence on Arlington's development, the City opened a 52-acre park named in his honor. His dedication to service continued until his death on July 14, 2010.
3510 W. Green Oaks Blvd.
Thora Hart was born on April 16, 1913 in Decatur, Alabama. Hart and her husband, Arthur, moved to Arlington in 1935 when Arthur, an engineer, got a job at Southern Industrial Steel Company, where the Ott Cribbs Public Safety Center now stands. Hart first went to work as a pharmacy clerk at Terry Brothers Drug store in downtown Arlington and then at Gene Allen’s Pharmacy and Gift Shop on Randol Mill Road. Her job allowed her to meet many people in Arlington and soon she became friends with other prominent women who were passionate about serving the community. They felt that the best way to serve the city would be as an organization. So, in May 1950, they created the Arlington Woman’s Club. As a charter member, she helped build an organization that allowed women to learn from and support each other as they went about the daily business of working, volunteering, and managing their families. Hart, along with the rest of the Woman’s Club membership, have always understood that they had the power to change Arlington for the better – and they have. Over the years, the Woman’s Club has supported numerous philanthropic and civic activities throughout the city, such as Miracle League of DFW, Mission Arlington, Hope Tutoring, AISD Families in Transition and Arlington Urban Ministries.
Besides the Woman’s Club, Hart also gave her time and energy to other vital organizations. She was a past president of the Arlington PTA. As a member of Arlington’s First United Methodist Church for more than 60 years, she served their Women’s Missionary Society. As part of this group, her main job was to help serve the Rotary lunch, which she did for more than 50 years. For her support of Rotary, she received their distinguished Paul Harris Award. She also served on the Parks Board for many years in the 1960s-70s. In addition to having a park named in her honor, the city also recognized Hart’s dedication to her community by giving her a key to the city in 1995 by then Mayor Richard Greene, who declared May 4, 1995 as Thora Hart Day. Thora Hart died on July 23, 1998.
2800 S. Center Street
Tommy Joe Vandergriff, also known as Tom J. Vandergriff, was born in Carrollton, Texas on January 29, 1926. His family relocated to Arlington when he was only 11 years old. At the age of 16, one of his first jobs was as a radio announcer for KFJZ Radio in Fort Worth.
A graduate of Arlington High School in 1943, Vandergriff left North Texas to pursue his studies in broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California. In 1949, he met and married Anna Waynette Smith.
Vandergriff soon returned to Arlington, and in 1951, made a run for public office and was elected Mayor. One of his first accomplishments was the groundbreaking for the new General Motors Assembly Plant in 1962, which paved the way for jobs and a better economy for the city. Two years later, in 1954, voters approved a bond package to construct Lake Arlington. It filled in eight days and served as the city's main water supply for 25 years.
In 1957, the final development stages for the Great Southwest District began, the Turnpike opened, and Arlington Memorial Hospital was established. In 1959, Arlington State College gained its four-year status. Under his leadership as Mayor, the city's tourism industry flourished with the arrival of Six Flags Over Texas in 1961 followed by the opening of the Arlington Municipal Airport in 1964 and Turnpike Stadium in 1965. Arlington College became a part of the UTA system in 1965. Seven Seas Marine Park opened in 1972 and major league baseball made its debut with the Texas Rangers in 1972.
Following a long and successful 26-year stint as Mayor, Vandergriff announced his resignation from the Arlington City Council in January 1977. During this time, the city's population grew from just 7,700 people to 125,000 residents.
In 1983, he answered a higher calling in public service and was elected the U.S. House of Representatives to represent District 26. He served on numerous state committees, including the Public Works and Transportation Aviation Committee, Small Business Committee and Committee on Aging.
His local service continued as an active member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Transportation Council. In 1991, Vandergriff devoted his time to a campaign to build a new stadium for the Texas Rangers, which opened in 1994 as the Ballpark in Arlington. In 1991, he was honored to be inducted into the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1991, he was elected Tarrant County Judge and served there until his retirement in 2007. His dedication to service continued until his death on December 30, 2010.
6701 Tabor Drive
The Workmans were civic leaders in the 40s and 50s. Zeta Workman was heavily involved in AISD, serving as PTA president for many years. W.O. owned Arlington Nursery and was a developer and builder in Arlington.
1100 Mansfield Webb Road
Webb Park is named for the Webb community, which was established in the early 1900s on the land in and around what is now the park. Although Webb is believed to have been settled in the 1880s by Dan Zuefeldt and other pioneers, it is not known to exist in any official government documents until 1895. The settlement’s economic impact crested during the 1930s with the production of cotton in surrounding farmlands. A cotton gin was the central feature of the town along with two general stores, two churches, and a two-room schoolhouse. Webb was annexed by the City of Arlington in 1985.