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DALWORTHINGTON
GARDENS, TEXAS
Tarrant County,
North Central
Texas
Between I-30 to
the North and I-20 to the South
12 Miles SE of Fort Worth
Not shown on Most Maps
Population:
2,186 (2000)
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The proverbial
"long row to hoe."
1930s photo courtesy Library of Congress |
History in
a Pecan Shell
The rather cumbersome name is an amalgam of the cities of DAllas,
Fort WORTH, and ArlINGTON, Texas.
The story of Dalworthington begins in the Great Depression when the
National Industrial Recovery Act authorized construction of an experimental
housing tract incorporating agriculture into the lives of residents.
Sort of a suburb with communal gardens and a friendly homeowner's
association (if that can be imagined).
The Department of the Interior oversaw the project which was to blend
city life with country life. People working in Fort
Worth (or in theory, the other towns) could work in town and have
a garden and ' or small animals as a food supplement. Originally five
such projects were planned, but this is the only one to succeed. |
Dalworthington
Gardens in the 1930s
Photo courtesy Library of Congress |
Nearly 600 acres
of land were purchased in 1934 and broken down into 79 smaller tracts,
the smallest plot being three acres and the largest 32 acres. A park
and community center occupied another 43 acres.
The property was a large grid of three roads leading north and south
and three others running east and west. Times being what they were,
there were no plans to pave the roads until things got better. Applicants
applied for a Federal loan and put 10% down. The mortgage payment
were roughly $25 per month which included utilities and what is now
known as a "maintenance fee." |
| Before ZIP
codes and before junk mail. |
| Waiting for
the shade trees to grow. |
Woman canning
in a modern kitchen with a thin refrigerator.
All
photos courtesy Library of Congress |
The "town" was
nearly completed in May of 1935 and in early 1937 every tract was
occupied for signed for. The project was a success and after the Depression
and WWII ended, residents decided to incorporate.
In 1950 the population of Dalworthington Gardens was just 267. Since
the acreage was fixed, growth was slow and by 1970 there were 757
Dalworthingtons.
Due to its proximity to the metroplex, the city became more desirable
as time passed and the original homes were replaced by more modern
designs. Original homes have been restored and the local historic
commission has placed markers which identify them as part of the original
plan. |
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