Will White Settlement Road get a new name?
Mattie Parker, Fort Worth’s newly elected mayor, signaled her support for a possible name change for White Settlement Road. The road stretches from downtown Fort Worth west toward a town of the same name.
When did the road to white settlement get paved?
The road was officially widened, paved and lighted in about 1956 to aid commerce and travel between Fort Worth and the town of White Settlement to the west. An image of a building in White Settlement. The date the photo was taken is unknown. (Photo Courtesy of Historic Fort Worth)
What is the history of white settlement?
The North Texas town of White Settlement, the site of a deadly church shooting over the weekend, was built in the 1840s. It’s a relatively small town, with a population of nearly 18,000. The land was historically occupied by the Comanche, Tonkawa and Caddoc tribes, according to Norris Chambers, founder of the White Settlement Historical Museum.
What is the oldest street in white settlement?
The oldest street in White Settlement is White Settlement Road. This original trail led from the fort to the "white settlement" about eight miles west into Native American territory. As the Native Americans were forced from the area and the settlement moved westward, the road followed.
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Why did the White Settlement name change?
In 2005, concerns that White Settlement was losing business opportunities because of its name prompted a vote to consider changing it. A name change was overwhelmingly rejected in a vote totaling 2388 against and 219 for. The oldest street in town is White Settlement Road. The Naval Air Station -Fort Worth occupies some of the land. Local schools are overseen by the White Settlement Independent School District.
Who wrote the history of the white settlement?
The History of “White Settlement,” Texas | by William Spivey | The Polis | Medium
What happened after the White Settlement?
Even after White Settlement was founded, most of the original inhabitants were forced away. Blood and tears are the legacy of Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine. But today, concern for the church shooting is enough to consider.
Where did the White Settlement get its name?
The road gets its name from White Settlement, a suburb west of Fort Worth. At the time White Settlement was established in the 1840s, originally where Westworth Village is now, it was the first white community surrounded by seven Native American villages, according the White Settlement Historical Museum. The modern road generally follows the trail from Fort Worth west to the village.
How long is White Settlement Road?
The portion of White Settlement Road in question is more than four miles long.
How much does it cost to rename a street?
Regardless, an applicant typically has to gain 100% consensus on the name change from property owners and pay a $700 fee plus the cost of signage.
Do you have to change your street name for an honorary name?
The most common way involves a memorial designation, the least complicated of the two processes. With an honorary name, the official street name does not change, so businesses or residents do not have to change their address, said Tanya Brooks, assistant director of the city’s transportation and public works department. Since a memorial designation is easier, it’s often favored among people who want a name change, she said, and the City Council has been historically more willing to waive fees and the 100% consensus rule.
Is White Settlement Road in Fort Worth renamed?
Talk of renaming White Settlement Road in Fort Worth has been an on-again, off-again affair for more than a decade, said Dee Kelly Jr., an attorney who has often been involved in conversations about changing the name. Kelly said the name doesn’t reflect modern Fort Worth.
When did the town of White Settlement change its name?
On October 14, 2005, city leaders, citing hurdles in attracting businesses, announced a plan to have local voters decide on a possible name change for the town from White Settlement to West Settlement. In the November 8 election, the name change was overwhelmingly rejected by a vote of 2,388 to 219.
What is the oldest street in White Settlement?
The oldest street in White Settlement is White Settlement Road. This original trail led from the fort to the "white settlement" about eight miles west into Native American territory. As the Native Americans were forced from the area and the settlement moved westward, the road followed.
Why is Fort Worth called White?
The city got its name because it was the lone settlement of White settlers amid several Native American villages in the Fort Worth area in the Texas Republic territory in the 1840s. The area was called "White" because it was a settlement of White homesteaders, as opposed to other settlements in the vicinity that were composed ...
Who killed the church in White Settlement?
This was the only public road in White Settlement's early history. Two members of the city's West Freeway Church of Christ were killed by a gunman on December 29, 2019, during a morning service. The shooter was in turn killed by a church member, Jack Wilson, who shot him in the head.
Is White Settlement a Mormon church?
White Settlement is also the winter home of several groups of Irish Travellers. The majority of White Settlement residents identify as Protestant Christians, however there is also a Mormon church as well as a Buddhist temple within the city limits. The Texas Civil War Museum is located in White Settlement.
What was the name of the fort that the army built to protect the settlers?
Shortly after, the Army constructed a fort, called Fort Worth, tasked with protecting white settlers as they made their way farther west.
Where would the Army go to fire shots on the homesteads?
Presumably, the Army would go from where the courthouse is now, down the bluff toward the river, where the unofficial White Settlement Road would stretch out leading to the western homesteads.
What was the name of the town that was built for the B-24 bombers?
The town of White Settlement boomed during World War II when apartments were built for the workers building B-24 bombers nearby. Today, Lockheed Martin continues to operate a plant just outside White Settlement.
What is the name of the bridge between Fort Worth and Panther Island?
The recent completion of the White Settlement bridge presents an opportunity for a possible name change for the long-awaited connection between downtown and Panther Island, Parker said. Naming the bridge after an iconic member of the Fort Worth community is an “exciting opportunity,” the mayor said.
Has the name of White Settlement been changed?
Previous efforts to change the name of the nearby town of White Settlement have failed. In 2005, the then-mayor James Ouzts, who supported the change, told NPR: “I have never had a minority approach me about the name.”
Is White Settlement a frontier town?
Today, the town of White Settlement isn’t known as a frontier town, and White Settlement Road is no longer a corridor to the west. The town was incorporated separately from Fort Worth in 1954 and was soon surrounded by the expanding Fort Worth.
Who said "still like the name White Settlement Road"?
Bud Kennedy: Still like the name White Settlement Road? Read about the lynchings and the slaves
What was the wagon road used for before the Civil War?
But before the Civil War, the old wagon road served large farms settled in American Indian territory by some of Tarrant County's largest slave owners.
Why were two whites lynched?
In 1860, two whites — one a Missouri minister — were lynched and hanged off White Settlement Road near town, accused of opposing slavery and organizing resistance.
Who was the bricklayer who was hanged from the same tree?
Bewley was hanged two months after a Fort Worth bricklayer from Minnesota, William H. Crawford, 39, was lynched and hanged from the same tree. It was described as 300 yards west of the turn at today's Henderson Street.
Overview
History
The city got its name because it was the lone settlement of white colonizers amid several Native American villages in the Fort Worth area in the Texas Republic territory in the 1840s.
On October 14, 2005, city leaders, citing hurdles in attracting businesses, announced a plan to have local voters decide on a possible name change for the town from White Settlement to West Settlement. In the November 8 election, the name change was overwhelmingly rejected by a vot…
Geography
White Settlement is located at 32°45′33″N 97°27′38″W / 32.75917°N 97.46056°W (32.759280, –97.460442).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.1 km ), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,269 people, 6,290 households, and 4,010 families residing in the city.
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,831 people, 5,614 households, and 3,789 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,043.9 people per square mile (1,175.8/km ). There were 6,027 housing units at an average densi…
Culture
White Settlement is also the winter home of several groups of Irish Travellers.
The majority of White Settlement residents identify as Protestant Christians; however, there is also a Mormon church as well as a Buddhist temple within the city limits.
The Texas Civil War Museum is located in White Settlement.
Government and infrastructure
The Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth has some territory in White Settlement. The United States Postal Service operates the White Settlement Post Office. The city is under the jurisdiction of Tarrant County and operates as a Council-Manager government type.
Education
The City of White Settlement is served by the White Settlement Independent School District. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.
The White Settlement Public Library is located in the Municipal Complex.
External links
• City of White Settlement official website
• White Settlement Area Chamber of Commerce website
• White Settlement Public Library
• Town to keep White name