The city ’ s refunding contracts for developers also aided the housing boom . Instituted in the late 1940s , this arrangement initially allowed for agreements between the city and the developer in which the city would collect for utility service and credit a developer ’ s account over a period of ten years . If the cost of installation was recovered before ten years or even if it was not recovered within that time , then the utilities become the property of the city . The terms were later changed to a 15-year period . The system came under fire from within and outside of the city as Arlington was the only city in Texas that used this practice . Large developers such as Harold F . Smith , whose developments included Meadowbrook and Sylvan Heights additions , argued that the plan was fair and equitable as it did not use tax money that might have to be diverted from other City projects . The refunds remained in place until 1965 . 7
Arlington newspapers highlighted building activity and noted that building permits for residential construction accounted for the largest percent of the value of the new construction during these early years of the boom . In 1950 , the Dallas Morning News noted that real estate offices in the city outnumbered grocery stores indicating the need of such professionals to help home buyers and businesses in their search for property . By that year , the city had a population of 7,686 , an increase of 80 percent since 1940 . 8
INFLUX OF INDUSTRY : 1951-1960
For many reasons , the year 1951 was a momentous one in Arlington ’ s history . In March , it was learned that Bell Helicopter planned to build a plant north of the city in nearby Hurst . City leaders used this as another opportunity to advertise Arlington as an ideal place for the plant ’ s new employees to live . Tom ( Tommy ) Vandergriff , 25-year old president of the Chamber of Commerce , wrote a letter to company president Larry Bell introducing him to the city and its many amenities . In April , Vandergriff challenged incumbent B . C . Barnes in an election for city mayor and won by a two-to-one margin . Shortly after Vandergriff took office , the City Commission established a planning commission in an effort to bring order to the city ’ s growth . Perhaps signaling the end of one era and the beginning of another was the demolition of the frame structure over the historic mineral well at the intersection of Center and Main streets in November . Although some residents regretted the loss of the structure , others saw it as a traffic hazard and a relic of the past . 9
The biggest event of 1951 was undoubtedly the announcement in August that General Motors Corporation ( GM ) intended to build a plant on 250 acres on the city ’ s east side along Highway 80 and adjacent to the Texas and Pacific tracks . As initially planned , the plant was to be a dual purpose facility — a Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac assembly plant and airplane manufacturer for the Navy with the ability to switch back and forth between civilian and defense production without major disruptions . In March 1952 , the federal government gave its approval to proceed with construction of the plant . In May , ground was broken for the $ 33,000,000 , 1,244,000 square foot facility . The plant was designed by the Argonaut Realty Division of General Motors . Fort Worth architect Wyatt C . Hedrick served as associate architect and the general contractor was Thomas S .
7 Saxe , Politics of Arlington , pp . 28-29 ; Arlington Journal , April 8 , 1949 , September 11 , 1958 ; Fort Worth
Star-Telegram , February 17 , 1965 , Vertical File , “ Arlington , 1960-69 ,” Genealogy and Local History Division , Fort Worth Public Library , Fort Worth , Texas , hereafter cited as FWPL . 8 For example , see Arlington Journal , February 25 , 1949 and Arlington ( Texas ) Citizen , January 19 , 1950 ;
Dallas Morning News , April 2 , 1950 , Vertical File “ Arlington , Texas , 1938-59 ,” FWPL ; 1950 US Census . 9 Arlington Journal , April 6 , 1951 , May 4 , 1951 and June 29 , 1951 ; Fort Worth Star-Telegram , November 30 , 1951 , evening edition , AR 406-7-7-109 “ Arlington , 1950-51 ,” STCF , SCD , UTA .
FINAL REPORT
ARLINGTON HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY UPDATE
SEPTEMBER 2007
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