Page 182 - Haltom City FY 22 Budget

CITY OF HALTOM CITY ANNUAL BUDGET, FY2022 Supplemental Information

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Haltom City, whose municipal boundaries include Street-Denton Highway; Loop 452-Grapevine
the first Tarrant County seat of Birdville, is located Highway 26; and Northeast Loop 820. The historic
near the geographic center of the county. Haltom name of Birdville is carried on in the names of two
City's land area extends three to six miles northeast churches, a cemetery, two roads, an independent
of downtown Fort Worth. It is surrounded on the school district, and in the memories of its residents.
northwest, west, and south by Fort Worth city limits;
on the east by Richland Hills and North Richland
Hills; and on the northeast by Watauga. It is bisected
by Big and Little Fossil Creeks and borders the
Trinity River flood plain on the south. The city is
situated in an area which was once rolling grassland.

Established from a ranching and farming
community, Haltom Village was founded in 1932
and named to honor G. W. Haltom (1872-1944),
a Fort Worth jeweler whose family ranch
holdings comprised much of the new area.
Gradual growth was due in part to Haltom's
Meadow Oaks Corporation and the bisection
of the village by major new highways affording
easier access to Fort Worth, northeastern
Tarrant County and Dallas. Also in 1932, the
routing of State Highways 10 (E. Belknap
Street) and 121 one-quarter mile south of the First encroachment into the Birdville vicinity occurred
old Birdville business district presented local as early as the spring of 1840, when Captain Jonathan
business leaders with a momentous decision Bird and 20 three-month service Texas Rangers from
regarding the future of their businesses and Lamar and Red River Counties were sent into the
property investments. Most businesses chose to frontier by General Sam Houston. Their mission was
relocate, in order to take advantage of greater to establish a fort, make the area safe for settlement,
convenience and accessibility for customers, and guard the area from Indian attacks to the north
increased traffic flow, and a chance to build anew. and west. Bird's Fort was situated about twelve miles
southeast of Birdville and six miles north of Arlington
Haltom City was originally incorporated on August on the north bank of the Trinity where Calloway's
22, 1944. On July 3, 1950 Haltom City and the Lake is located. In 1841, General Edward H. Tarrant
City of Oak Knoll consolidated under the name of led a successful militia force against an Indian
Haltom City. Since 1950 the City has gradually encampment at present-day Arlington in the Battle of
expanded, annexing Garden of Eden, Meadow Village Creek. Such action served notice to hostile
Oaks, East Ridge and, in 1955, unincorporated tribes along the frontier that a peace treaty was
portions of Birdville. Haltom City elected Home advisable. General Houston, Indian Commissioners
Rule Charter with a city manager, mayor and and several early settlers and trappers signed and
council form of government on October 10, 1955. witnessed a treaty at Bird's Fort on September 29,
1843, with the chiefs of nine tribes. Soon after this, the
The City purchased the complete water systems fort was abandoned. Settlements gravitated around
(3,975 customer accounts) serving the entire City on a few homesteads,water sources and trading posts.
August 21, 1952 and has provided water and sewer On June 6, 1849, Camp Worth was established by
services since that time. Today the city is traversed General Ripley A. Arnold and his troops nine miles
by five major roads: State Highway 121-Airport west of Birdville on a bluff overlooking the confluence
Freeway; State Highway 183-Northeast 28th of the West Fork and the Clear Fork of the Trinity River.
Street-Midway Road; U. S. Highway 377-E Belknap Named to honor Brigadier General William Jennings
Worth, the new outpost offered welcome protection to
fledgling settlements around Birdville and Denton until