Texas Historical Marker #06731

Haley Memorial Cemetery. William Haley (1831 - 1908) and his wife Lucinda Catherine (1834 - 1875) came to Texas from Missouri in 1857. They established a farm in this area and later operated a general store. When Lucinda Haley died in 1875, a one-acre site on the family farm was set aside as a cemetery. Through the years more members of the Haley and related families were interred in the graveyard. The plot was enlarged in 1963 when a Haley granddaughter gave an additional two acres of land. The historic cemetery serves as a reminder of the area's pioneer settlers. #6731

4000 Pioneer Rd., Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #06724

Gilbert, Daniel Webster, M. D.. (1854 - 1930) Mississippi native D. W. Gilbert came to Texas in 1874. Graduated from Missouri Medical College in 1881, he began his practice in Euless and Grapevine. In 1884 he moved to Sowers, purchased 1500 acres of farmland, planted a peach orchard and operated a dairy. He relocated to Irving in 1903, becoming one of the area's first physicians and a civic leader. Respected and beloved by those he served, Gilbert was buried here among his family. #6724

3115 Pioneer Dr., Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #06878

Schulze House. In 1912 Charles P. Schulze (1877 - 1957) contracted with builder A. Fred Joffre to construct this one-story cypress-clad bungalow as a residence for himself and his wife, Virginia Tucker (1886 - 1966). Schulze, who owned and operated the Irving Lumber Company, was the brother of Irving co-founder J. O. Schulze. Prominent features of the home include its low hipped roof, broad eaves, and gabled dormer. It remained in the Schulze family until 1975. RTHL - 1986 #6878

303 S. O'Connor Road, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #06887

Sowers Cemetery. Burial plot was begun in 1868, when a woman and her daughter, whose names have been lost, were interred on the land of Seveir Smalley, a local landowner. In 1874, Edmund D. Sowers (1826 - 1909) and his wife, Freelove, donated one adjoining acre as a public burial ground. In his family lot, Sowers had an impressive monument erected, using proceeds from sale of 65 acres of his land. Additional property was donated by Otis Brown (1879 - 1958). Many pioneer settlers of this area are buried here. Cemetery is maintained by Sowers Cemetery Association. #6887

3115 Pioneer Dr., Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #11829

Joffre-Gilbert House. One of Irving's best known early builders, A. Fred Joffre, and his wife built this airplane bungalow in 1919 in the original Irving townsite. Their daughter sold the home in 1936. Pioneer doctor Franklin Monroe Gilbert and his wife Dorothy, a nurse, purchased it in 1939. For nearly thirty years, patients came here night and day as they knew help was available for examination, medication and emergency treatment. At least one baby was delivered here. The Gilberts had Perma Stone applied to the house between 1947 and 1949 while retaining the character and defining features of the bungalow, such as the unusual stacked porch posts. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1999 #11829

309 S. O'Connor Street, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #13143

Site of the Dr. D. W. Gilbert Homestead. Site of the Dr. D. W. Gilbert Homestead Mississippi native Daniel Webster "D.W." Gilbert (1854-1930) was one of three brothers who became Texas doctors. At age 20, he joined his brother, Franklin Monroe Gilbert, in Grapevine and began to study medicine under him. In 1879, he enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, graduating in 1881 with a medical degree. Returning to Texas, D.W. wed Marietta Boardman in 1882. In 1886, then a widower with one son, D.W. married Fannie Trigg Roberts, a widow who also had one son. They later lived near this site in a large house he had built on a hill. The couple had nine other children; four of the boys became doctors. From a small office he built on a corner of this land, Dr. Gilbert served his patients in the surrounding communities. He later purchased additional land and raised livestock, farmed, planted a peach orchard and operated the Gilbert Dairy, utilizing progressive farming methods. Later, he moved his office to Sowers, where he also operated a drugstore, mixing medicines and training others to become pharmacists. When the town of Irving was laid out in 1903, Dr. Gilbert moved his office to a space near the local bank, which he helped organize. He later moved his office to the second story of the bank building. Dr. Gilbert continued to practice medicine in Irving until his death in 1930. Fannie Gilbert lived on the farmstead until she passed away in 1942. The home remained near this site until the 1950s, when it was demolished. Dr. Gilbert was one of the most influential early citizens in and around Irving. He is remembered for his compassion, generosity and tireless commitment to helping others. (2004) #13143

2400 W Grauwyler St, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #13314

Dr. Franklin Monroe Gilbert. (1887-1982) Franklin M. Gilbert was a teacher and principal before attending medical school at the University of Texas in Galveston. He interned in New York, where he met nurse Dorothy Bald Brandon (1901-1990), who became his wife. The couple returned to Irving, and he practiced medicine with his father, prominent physician Daniel Webster Gilbert. During Dr. Franklin Gilbert's distinguished 59-year career, he also served on the school board, as mayor and as president of Irving State Bank. The family's medical legacy continued with his two physician sons. Recorded - 2005 #13314

3115 Pioneer Dr, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #14497

Union Bower Community. #14497

2500 E. Grauwyler, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #06690

First Baptist Church of Irving. When the town of Irving was founded in 1903, developers Julius Otto Schulze and Otis Brown set aside parcels of land for the Baptist, Church of Christ, and Catholic denominations. The new town grew steadily, and by January 1904 the Irving Baptist Church was organized. Led by the Rev. Dr. J. B. Gambrell, the congregation began with eighteen charter members. The Rev. W. J. Shipman was called as First Pastor, and he conducted worship services once a month. Early worship services were held in a local schoolhouse, in rented quarters, and in a temporary tabernacle on this site until a permanent structure was completed in 1911. The Rev. W. T. Newsom became the congregation's first full-time pastor in 1920. The name was changed from Irving Baptist Church to First Baptist Church of Irving in 1940. A new sanctuary was completed in 1951, and by 1964 the church's facilities had expanded to include an entire city block. The First Baptist Church has grown with the City of Irving. Since its humble beginnings in 1904, the church's services to the community have grown to include a variety of worship, educational, missionary, and outreach programs. #6690

403 S. Main, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #06747

City of Irving. Permanent settlement in this part of Dallas County began before the Civil War with the establishment of small farming communities and supply centers. In the early years of the 20th century, while working on the construction of the Rock Island Railroad extension from Fort Worth to Dallas, two members of the survey party--its chief, J. O. Schulze, and a surveyor, Otis Brown--purchased just over 80 acres of land from pioneer farmer H. W. Britain. Soon they had platted a townsite, which they named Irving. On December 19, 1903, Schulze and Brown held a barbecue and auction for the sale of town lots. The first issue of the Irving "Index" was distributed to those in attendance. Approximately 40 lots were sold, and construction of buildings soon began. The post office, which had been located at Kit, moved to Irving in 1904. Co-founder Otis Brown served as Irving's first mayor after the town was incorporated in 1914. Over the years Irving grew to be a modest suburb of Dallas. With the construction of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, Texas Stadium, and the Las Colinas Business Park, Irving experienced major economic growth during the last quarter of the 20th century. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 #6747

825 W. Irving Blvd., Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #06882

Shady Grove Road Bridge. The Trinity River has played an important part in the history of Dallas County. Early navigation projects were instrumental in the area's economic development. Heavy rains often caused the river to overflow its banks and after a disastrous flood officials began flood control planning. By 1930 the Dallas Levee Improvement District completed a project which modified the river's channels and reclaimed about 10,000 acres of land. The Shady Grove Road Bridge was built at this site in 1931. The main span was a Parker pony truss design and the bridge extended 1,778 feet in length. It connected southeast Irving to the new industrial district of west Dallas, thereby contributing significantly to the growth and development of the city of Irving. By 1984, when it was closed for safety considerations, the bridge was providing access to more than 14,000 vehicles per day. In 1990, through a joint effort of Dallas County, the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration, a new bridge was completed at the same site, replacing the 1931 structure. This continues to serve as a major traffic artery between Irving and Dallas. #6882

?, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #06886

South MacArthur Church of Christ. Church of Christ worship services were being held in this area as early as 1890. In 1903, a sanctuary was completed on land donated by the town's founders, and the congregation adopted the name South Delaware Church of Christ. In 1948, some members of the South Delaware Church began the East Side Church of Christ. The two congregations merged in 1972 and adopted the present name. South MacArthur Church of Christ has continued to uphold the ideals and traditions of its founders, with emphasis on Christian education, evangelism, and community service. #6886

1401 S. MacArthur, Irving, TX, United States

California Crossing In the middle and late 1800’s, wagon trains carrying settlers and freight covered vast southwestern landscapes that often resembled “Seas of Grass.” The most popular wagons, built in the Pennsylvania towns of Conestoga and Pittsburgh, featured expanses of raised canvas that contributed further to the sea voyage metaphor. On June 28, 1986, the Texas Sesquicentennial Wagon Train paid homage to those earlier travelers at this crossing on the Trinity River. That night, the train and its 1,000 men, women, and children camped at Valley Ranch in Irving as the train neared the end of its 3,000 mile journey. This plaque is dedicated to those modern voyagers and their predecessors in another great year of Texas Freedom.

Riverside Dr. at California Crossing Road, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #12336

Shelton's Bear Creek Cemetery. African Americans came to this area as slaves of white settlers such as William Haley and William Borah before 1845. The land around this site was deeded to early white settler Chilton Smith in 1851. After the Civil War, many former slaves stayed in the area and formed a large African American settlement. In 1879, Minnie Shelton purchased 80 acres including this site for $130, and the Shelton family donated the land for use as a cemetery. The earliest marked burial was that of 23-year-old Smith King in 1895. Other burials of interest include those of Rose Dilworth, whose family owned property in Dallas about 1900, and Elizabeth Lawson, born in the community of Bright Star (later Sulphur Springs), Hopkins County. Her tombstone bears the insignia of the fraternal organization the Independent Order of The Knights and Daughters Of Tabor of America. The land remained in the Shelton family until 1933, when it was deeded to Emily Flippen. The last marked burial took place in 1934. By 1943 the entire Chilton Smith homestead belonged to Emily and W. H. Flippen of Highland Park in Dallas. The property became known as Wild Briar Farm during this time. In 1946 Carr P. Collins and his family purchased the land surrounding the cemetery. Access to the burial ground often has been restricted, and regular maintenance was difficult during the twentieth century. A cemetery survey in the 1970s found that twelve legible headstones remained. It is believed that there are more than 200 burials on this site, a chronicle of the African American history of this area. (2000) #12336

1525 Hard Rock, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #13736

Sowers Community. By 1856, Edmund D. and Freelove Sowers, who came to Texas from Illinois, owned land in this vicinity. Along with their neighbors, including Jacob and Henry Caster, and William and Lucinda Haley, they farmed, hunted game and cut timber. Ed Sowers also served as a blacksmith. Sowers opened a general store on his property in the late 1870s, and a small business district developed around it. As additional families came to the area, Sowers donated land that was added to an adjacent burial plot to form the community cemetery. In 1881, he applied for a mail route and opened a post office in his general store. During that same time, Sowers built a schoolhouse for local children. In the 1880s, several physicians came to the Sowers community, including William Wilson, Alfred Gregory and Daniel Webster Gilbert, who had a local drugstore. Dr. John Haley, a Sowers native who would later serve as mayor of Irving, began his medical practice here in 1897. With medical services and the post office, the Sowers community served as a center for area farming communities. Ed and Freelove Sowers held annual Fourth of July picnics and other festivals, inviting families from the region to camp, dance, compete in baseball games and enjoy barbecue dinners. Despite the growth of nearby Irving, the Sowers community, with strong foundations in the dairy and poultry businesses, survived until the 1950s. The Sowers School consolidated with Irving schools in 1955, and Irving annexed the community itself in 1954 and 1956. Today, the businesses and homes are gone. Only the cemetery remains as a link to the Sowers community. (2003) #13736

3201 W. Pioneer, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #14677

Kit Community. #14677

605 South Irving Heights, Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #15243

Bear Creek Community. Settlers began arriving in this area, once a part of Robertson’s Colony, in the 1850s. Early families included the Casters, Borahs, Sowers and Haleys. Following the Civil War, freedmen moved to the area, and friends and families once separated by slavery were reconnected. Jim Green, the first African American landowner in what became known as the Bear Creek community, bought his acreage in 1878. Others soon followed: Jim Chivers, Ben and Rose Dilworth, Alex King, Elizabeth Lawson, Collins and Rachel Patton, D.W. Ellison (Ellerson), Sam Sweat, the Trigg family and Minnie Shelton (Sheldon), who later donated land for Shelton’s Bear Creek Cemetery. These families organized the Shady Grove Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in 1884, erecting a one-room church and school building on land donated by Jim Green. The congregation, which built a larger structure in 1897, continued to grow and worship together throughout the 20th century. The Bear Creek community school, known as Freedom School, began as a private education facility. The students later transferred to Grand Prairie’s Dal Worth School, which became County Colored School No. 2. It, along with schools from the Sowers community, were annexed to the Irving Independent School District in 1955. Early teachers in the Bear Creek settlement included Josie Davis and Earlie Mae Wheeler. Approximately 150 years after the first settlers came to the area, the once rural Bear Creek settlement is experiencing rapid growth from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and related highway and airport expansion. Shelton’s Bear Creek Cemetery is one of few links to the settlement and the lives of the families who contributed over the years to the community. (2004)

3925 Jackson St., Irving, TX, United States

Texas Historical Marker #06857

St. Luke Catholic Church. Area Catholic services date from the 1860s, when mass was held in private homes. The Mission of St. Luke was established in 1902, and met temporarily in the Lively School building northeast of original Irving. Oral tradition states that parishioners removed seats from their buggies to be used as pews on Sundays. The city of Irving was founded in December 1903 by J. O. Schulze and Otis Brown, who each gave a town lot for the Catholic Church of Christ, and Baptist churches. St. Luke's first church, a white frame structure on the corner of Jefferson and 2nd streets, was dedicated in 1904. The building was sold to the Irving School District in 1928, and a second church was erected on the corner of Iowa (now O'Connor) and 5th streets. The red brick church housed the altar that had been moved from the first church. Services were provided by priests from Sacred Heart Cathedral and the University of Dallas in Dallas. St. Luke attained parish status in 1947, and in 1948 a rectory was built and the first pastor assigned. Dedication of the third St. Luke Church and rectory was held on May 2, 1954. To the brick church was added a parish school in 1955 and a convent in 1958. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1985 #6857

200 S. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TX, United States