Page 233 - Grapevine FY22 Adopted Budget v2

History

In October 1843, General Sam Houston and fellow Republic of Texas Commissioners camped at
Tah-Wah-Karro Creek, also known as Grape Vine Springs, to meet with leaders of 10 Indian
nations. This meeting culminated in the signing of a treaty of “peace, friendship, and
commerce,” which opened the area for settlement by homesteaders and pioneers. The settlement
was named Grapevine because of its location on the Grape Vine Prairie near Grape Vine Springs,
both of which were named for the wild mustang grapes that blanketed the area.

Four major waves of settlement impacted Grapevine since its inception in the mid- 1840's. The
first wave of settlers came to the area around 1845. They were a Scotch-Irish clan from Southern
Missouri associated with the
"Missouri Colony". This
first wave of colonists was
only in the Grapevine area
for about ten years being
typical American
frontiersmen who moved
regularly from one unsettled
area to another. By the mid-
1850's most of these original
settlers moved out of the
area.

The second group of settlers arrived from southern states around the late 1850's and established a
community with a postal service, churches, and schools. The community became known as
Grapevine because of the wild mustang grapes that grow on the trees and shrubs. Cattle raising
was the major enterprise in the area.

A third wave of settlement resulted from the Civil War. In many parts of the South there was
widespread poverty and many people moved west in search of a better life. Immigrants from
Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas settled Grapevine. By the late 1870's, livestock was
replaced by cotton as a major enterprise. With the building of the Cotton Belt rail line
throughout Grapevine in 1888, the city became an agricultural trade center. Through the first half
of the 19th century, Grapevine was an agriculturally based community and grew at a moderate
pace. In 1952 Grapevine Lake was completed and by the mid-sixties was a popular recreational
area. This new recreation industry helped Grapevine grow from population of 1,824 in 1950 to
2,821 in 1960.

The fourth major wave of people into Grapevine started during the mid-seventies and continues
today. Since 1970 the population grew from 7,023 to the 2005 population of 46,684. Major
factors contributing to the population growth were the opening of D/FW Airport in 1974, the
development of Las Colinas as a major employment center, and the movement of homeowners
from the inner city to the suburbs.

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