Page 76 - Southlake FY24 Budget

The Southlake Fire Department was launched in 1965, and the first piece of fire equipment was a 1950
Diamond T-Military unit with a tank capacity of 1,000 gallons and an auxiliary pump. The first chief of
police was hired in 1966, and the city purchased its first patrol car in 1967. 1974 saw the second big
change in the area: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport opened its doors, and Southlake became an
attractive place for airport and airline employees to buy property and build their homes.

In 1986, when Southlake reached a population of 5,000, it was eligible to vote on the adoption of a home
rule charter. In April 1987, residents approved home rule, which created the current council-manager form
of government. But it wasn’t until the early 90’s when a third big event, the installation of water and
sewer lines in the southern part of the city, really made Southlake what it is today: a premier community in
which to live, work and play.
City Profile
Historical markers in Southlake:
Absalom H. Chivers Cemetery, near SH 114 & Carroll Avenue, on private property
Thomas Easter Cemetery, on Southlake Boulevard, west of Gateway Drive
Thomas Hood Cemetery, in the Coventry Manor subdivision near North Peytonville Road & Coventry Lane
Site of Jellico community at the corner of Southlake Boulevard & Davis Boulevard
Lonesome Dove Baptist Church, on Lonesome Dove Road
Lonesome Dove Cemetery, next to the church
White’s Chapel United Methodist Church, Southlake Boulevard and White Chapel Boulevard
White’s Chapel Cemetery, Southlake Boulevard and White Chapel Boulevard
Monument to Troopers Edward Bryan Wheeler and H.D. Murphy, who were murdered by Bonnie and Clyde
on Easter Sunday in 1934, Dove Road just north of Highway 114, placed by the Texas Department of Public
Safety, Texas Highway Patrol Division

Future
The preservation of the past with an eye towards the future is the foundation of the City’s commitment to
comprehensive planning. More than forty years after the first comprehensive plan was adopted, the latest
version includes elements for Land Use, Mobility, Economic Development and Tourism, Water and Sewer,
Water Conservation, Parks, Community Facilities, and Sustainability.

The City regularly revisits the elements of the comprehensive plan to ensure the plan is evolving to stay
relevant with existing trends. This plan is now our blueprint in preserving Southlake’s tradition of high-
quality living with small-town charm.

76 FY 2024 City of Southlake | Budget Book