History Alvarado is county ’ s oldest city
As Johnson County ’ s oldest city , Alvarado is history rich and forward looking .
Both U . S . 67 and Interstate 35W pass through the city , facilitating easy access to the rest of Johnson County and the Metroplex .
Abraham Hood Onstott , the community ’ s first sheriff , gets credit for the town ’ s name , having been stationed near Alvarado Veracruz , Mexico , during the Mexican American War .
Agriculture , particularly cotton , was king early on but soon enough the railroad and a host of businesses followed . Although the town ’ s agricultural heritage remains , industry and business now accounts for much of the city ’ s economy . Historic photographs from the late 19th to early 20th centuries depict a thriving downtown business and activity-filled square and , apparently , have resulted in a bit of confusion at times .
“ People often see pictures of a building in the middle of the downtown square and think , because we ’ re the oldest city in the county , that it must have been the county courthouse at one time ,” Alvarado resident Michael Percifield said . “ But no , it had nothing to do with the county . It was our city hall from 1880 until it was moved around 1920 .”
Alvarado is also rich in colorful characters and events from a marker in Senterwood Cemetery commemorating a slave girl killed by a bear to outlaws Thompson and Bickerstaff who bullied town residents to the point that they finally shot them down in the town square on April 5 , 1869 . Both now lay buried in Balch Cemetery .
“ The town ’ s people hated them so much that when they buried them they wanted to make sure there was no chance of them making it to the afterlife ,” Michael Percifield said . “ That ’ s why they were buried north and south as opposed to east and west .”
Cousins of Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde infamy lived just outside of town on Nike Base Road , an area that later served as a missile base in the 1960s during the height of the Cold War . Charlie Harris , greatuncle of lifelong Alvarado resident John Percifield , was born in an Alvarado log cabin and went on to become a doctor and later founded Harris Hospital in Fort Worth . “ He was head of the hospital until 1948 when he retired and continued living there on the top floor of the old hospital until he passed away in
’ 58 or ’ 59 ,” Percifield said . Terry Southern , author of “ Dr . Strangelove ,” “ The Magic Christian ,” “ Candy ” and other works , hails from Alvarado and continued to spend summers there with his grandparents after he and his parents moved to Dallas . Southern also wrote for “ Saturday Night Live ” and contributed to “ Easy Rider ” and other films .
Present-day Alvarado offers parks , a lake , numerous social , civic and community organizations and events all the while retaining small town charm while continuing to grow .
28 Alvarado Community Guide and Business Directory