The Colony Milestones (1840 – 2017)
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THE COLONY MILESTONES (1840 – 2017) Compiled by The Colony History Committee Written by Don Beckel Research assistance by Alyce Rufi Joan Lux Christi Martin The Colony Milestones 1 May 15, 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS MILESTONE HISTORICAL COMMUNITIES - 3 MILESTONE HISTORIC INDIVIDUALS - 4 MILESTONE HISTORICAL LOCATIONS - 5 MILESTONE GOVERNMENT EVENTS -6 MILESTONE INFRASTRUCTURE - 9 MILESTONE LOCATIONS - 11 MILESTONE FIRST INDIVIDUALS - 12 MILESTONE EDUCATION - 13 MILESTONE BUSINESSES - 17 MILESTONES ARTS - 20 MILESTONE SPORTS - 22 MILESTONE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS - 24 MILESTONE CHURCHES - 25 MILESTONE LOCATION NAMES - 26 MILESTONE NAMED PARKS - 27 MILESTONE RANDOM FACTS - 29 The Colony Milestones 2 May 15, 2018 MILESTONE HISTORICAL COMMUNITIES (MHC -1) BRIDGES SETTLEMENT - 1843 - Texas was the Republic of Texas. 1st settlement in Denton County and probably 2nd in Peters Colony (Dallas was first founded in 1841) Named after settlers John and Mildred Bridges (Bates, Ed F., “History and Reminiscences of Denton County”) (MHC – 2) STEWARTSVILLE – 1844 – 1847 – Location of 2nd Peters Colony headquarters from 1844 to 1852, Location of 1st general store and tied for 1st post office in Denton County, Location of Hedgecoxe War. (Bates, Ed F., “History and Reminiscences of Denton County”) (MHC -3) STEWARTS CREEK – 1859 – 1886, Location of US Post Office before and after Civil War and Confederate Post Office during the Civil War. Post Offices existed between 1860 -1867) (Handbook of Texas Online) (MHC – 4) STOVERVILLE (Also called Stovers Grove and Stovers Store) – 1890 – 1891, (Wheat, Jim, “Postmasters & Post Offices of Denton County, Texas 1847- 1930”) (MHC -5) RECTOR – 1891 – 1909, (Wheat, Jim, “Postmasters & Post Offices of Denton County, Texas 1847- 1930”) (MHC – 6) CAMEY (Also called Camey Spur) 1896 – early 1940’s, (Handbook of Texas Online) (MHC – 7) EASTVALE – 1957 – 1987 - Originally named Garza-Little Elm Lake Estates, (Handbook of Texas Online) The Colony Milestones 3 May 15, 2018 MILESTONE HISTORIC INDIVIDUALS (MHI – 1) WILLIAM PETERS – Primary promoter of Peters Colony and the first name listed on the list of investors in the Republic of Texas legislation that created the Peters Colony company. (“The Peters Colony of Texas”, Seymour V. Connor) (MHI – 2) WILLIAM STEWART – Became the principal investor in Peters Colony and moved the company headquarters to Bridges Settlement in 1844. A small community formed around the land office named Stewartville. (“The Peters Colony of Texas”, Seymour V. Connor and “Elm Fork Settlement: Farmers Branch and Carrollton, Georgia Myers Ogle) (MHI -3) HENRY O. HEDGCOXE – Land agent and chief surveyor for Peters Colony headquarters in Stewartsville. (“The Peters Colony of Texas”, Seymour V. Connor) (MHI – 4) STEPHEN A. VENTERS – Clerk for Henry O Hedgecoxe at the Peters Colony headquarters in Stewartsville, (“History and Reminiscences of Denton County”, Ed Bates) (MHI – 5) JOHN AND MILDRED BRIDGES – Among early settlers in Denton County and first settlement was named after their family. Bridges Settlement was the first settlement in Denton County and was on land that is now The Colony. (“History and Reminiscences of Denton County”, Ed Bates) (MHI – 6) FRANCIS M. BRIDGES & SALLY ASHLOCK BRIDGES– Francis was the grandson of John and Mildred Bridges. Francis and Sally donated Bridges Cemetery to Denton County Judge in 1889. (“Bridges Cemetery, Denton County, Texas: Its Value as a Historical Landmark”, Norma Gamble) (MHI -7) SAMUEL B. EVANS – Died in the battle of the Alamo. His heirs were granted land grants located within the city limits of The Colony. (Handbook of Texas Online) (MHI – 8) MORRIS T. GRIFFIN – Early settler and landowner. Large portion of land purchased by Fox & Jacobs to build The Colony was purchased from Griffin’s heirs. (Ownership Maps and Real Estate Research Data” Denton County Mapping Company) The Colony Milestones 4 May 15, 2018 MILESTONE HISTORICAL LOCATIONS (MHL – 1) HISTORICAL CEMETERY - BRIDGES CEMETERY is named after the John Bridges family. It is the burial ground for many of the early settlers and their descendants in The Colony area. (“Bridges Cemetery, Denton County, Texas: Its Value As A Historical Landmark”, Denton County Historical Marker Narrative) (MHL – 2) HISTORICAL MARKERS – There are three historical markers in The Colony. The historical narratives are available on the Denton County Historical Commission website. HEDGCOXE WAR MARKER– Commemorates the burning of the Peters Colony Headquarters by land speculators who believed that Henry O. Hedgcoxe, Peters Colony’s agent and chief surveyor, was planning to defraud Peters Colonists’ land claims. The marker was dedicated May 27, 1978. (The Colony Courier, June 8, 1978) BRIDGES CEMETERY MARKER – Commemorates the final resting place of many of the early settlers in southeastern Denton County. The marker was dedicated June 26, 1988. (The Colony Courier, June 29, 1988) Headstones were cleaned and repaired in 2017. (Minutes Community Development Corporation, July 13, 2017) BELZ BRIDGE MARKER –Provides a history of a historical iron bridge donated to the city by Denton County. The marker was dedicated November 13, 2015. (The Colony Courier-Leader, November 8, 2015) The Colony Milestones 5 May 15, 2018 MILESTONE GOVERNMENT EVENTS (MGE -1) MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT – 1974 - Election conducted on March 28, 1974 to form MUD district, elect five directors and authorize the issuance of up to $11,350,000 in bonds. Vote was 12 for 0 against (Municipal Utility District Minutes March 29, 1974) (MGE – 2) FIRE STATIONS – 1975 - Fire Station No.1 donated per agreement with Frisco by Fox and Jacobs and dedicated August 2, 1975 by Fox & Jacobs - (Dallas Morning News, July 27, 1975) Office addition added in 1989. (The Colony Leader, July 5, 1989) Fire Station No. 2 opened 2002 (The Colony Courier Leader, October 30, 2002) Fire Station No. 3 opened in 2007 (The Colony Courier Leader, November 14, 2007) (MGE – 3) 1st AMBULANCE – 1976 - The Colony Volunteer Fire Department purchased a used ambulance from Pemberton Funeral Home in Frisco for $3,600. (Little Elm Tide, October 21, 1976) (MGE -4) POLICE DEPARTMENT – 1977 - Police and Animal Control Departments approved by city council. (The Colony Courier December 29, 1977) (MGE – 5) THE COLONY VOTES TO INCORPORATE AS A CITY – 1977 (Dallas Morning News, March 23, 1977) Vote 459 For, 37 Against (The Colony Courier, December 29, 1977) (MGE – 6) 1st CITY COUNCIL MEETING – April 15, 1977, first two items of business were to agree to conduct meetings using Roberts Rules of order and appoint a city secretary. (The Colony City Council Minutes, April 15, 1977) (MGE – 7) FIRE DEPARTMENT – 1978 - City Council voted to make the Colony Volunteer Fire Department a city department in 1978 (The Colony Courier December 28, 1978) (MGE – 8) THE COLONY VOTES TO BECOME A HOME RULE CITY – 1979 - vote 175 for, 32 against (Minutes of the Board of Alderman of The City of The Colony, January 22, 1979) (MGE – 9) PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT – 1980 - TC Park and Recreation Department authorized by city council. (The Colony Ordinance 103, April 21, 1980) The city council approved an agreement with the University of North Texas to organize the citys’ first summer recreation program. (The Colony Courier, April 24, 1980) The first office was in a trailer located behind the city’s second city hall. (The Colony Courier, December 12, 1981) The Colony Milestones 6 May 15, 2018 (MGE – 10) WET/DRY LIQUOR SALES VOTE – In 1980 The Colony voted to allow liquor sales in city by a vote of 1082 for and 813 against (The Colony Courier, November 13, 1980) (MGE – 11) THE COLONY PUBLIC LIBRARY – 1982 - Opened February 1982 – shared space with Park and Recreation Department in the Colony Square shopping center (The Colony Courier, February 18, 1982) (MGE – 12) THE COLONY HIGH SCHOOL – 1983 - Voters voted 1019-40 to trade Office Creek Park to the Lewisville Independent School District for land that is now B.B. Owen Park so Office Creek parkland could be used for building a high school. (The Colony Courier, December 29, 1983) (MGE – 13) WATERWAY ANNEXATION -1985 - City ordinance passed that authorized a 500 ft water annexation from Stewart Creek Park to Wynnewood Peninsula that allowed the city to annex Wynnewood Park, Wynnewood Peninsula and Hidden Cove Park. (Ordinance 364, August 12, 1985) (MGE – 14) MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT (MUD) MERGED WITH THE COLONY – 1986 - September 30, 1986 (The Colony Courier, January 1, 1987) (The Colony City Secretary Office, Historical Document, MUD/City Consolidation Judgment, June 12, 1986) (MGE – 15) AQUATIC PARK – 1986 – Grand opening June 1986 (The Colony Courier, June 5, 1986) The Park includes an outdoor lagoon pool and an indoor lap and diving pool. (The Colony Courier, January 1, 1987) Spray Park added 2003 (The Colony Courier Leader April 30, 2003) (MGE – 16) THE COLONY RECREATION CENTER -1987 – Grand opening September 1987. (The Colony Courier, October 1, 1987) (MGE – 17) EASTVALE AND THE COLONY CONSOLIDATE – 1987 - The Colony vote: 999 for, 267 against, Eastvale vote: 75 for, 71 against. (The Colony Leader August 12 and 19, 1987) (MGE – 18) 1st CIVIC CENTER – 1988 - Located in city hall next to Fire Station No. 2 on North Colony Blvd. (The Colony Leader, April 28, 1988) (MGE – 19) 1ST SENIOR CENTER – 1988 – Located in 1st civic center. Moved to Denton County metal building when its was vacated when a new building was built in 1996. (The Colony Leader, April 3, 1996) Moved to first municipal