Mosier Valley facts for kids

Mosier Valley is a special area in Fort Worth, Texas. It's located just south of Euless, Texas. This community was the very first "freedmen's town" in Tarrant County. A freedmen's town was a place created by formerly enslaved people after the American Civil War. They built these towns to have their own homes and communities.

The Story of Mosier Valley

How Mosier Valley Began

Mosier Valley was started in the early 1870s. Robert and Dilsie Johnson, along with ten other families, founded it. These families had all been enslaved before the Civil War. They wanted to build a new life for themselves.

The community was mostly about farming. Many residents also worked in nearby towns like Hurst, Euless, and Bedford. They worked as handymen, or as "sharecroppers" (farmers who shared their crops with the landowner). Some also worked as nannies.

In 1874, the Oak Grove Baptist Church was founded. This church later changed its name to Saint John Missionary Baptist Church. The community also organized its own school in 1883.

The Fight for Equal Schools

By 1949, the Mosier Valley School became part of the Euless school district. The superintendent, O.B. Powell, thought it would be cheaper to send Mosier Valley students to Fort Worth schools. This meant closing their local school.

Parents from Mosier Valley didn't agree. They filed a lawsuit with help from the NAACP. The NAACP is a group that fights for civil rights. They wanted to stop the superintendent's plan.

In July 1950, a judge named Joe Dooley made a decision. He said that Euless’s school for Black students should get the same money as the school for white students. However, the plan to get this money was voted down by the white majority.

So, on September 4, 1950, Mosier Valley parents tried to enroll 35 children in the Euless school. About 150 white residents gathered outside to protest. The superintendent told the Black residents that state laws about segregation (keeping races separate) were more important.

Finally, in 1968, the Euless school district allowed all students to attend together. This happened because of pressure from the federal government. After this, the Mosier Valley school was closed.

Getting City Services

In 1963, the city of Fort Worth officially took over Mosier Valley. This is called "annexation." But for almost 40 years, the city did not provide basic services. Things like sewage systems and water lines were missing.

In 1995, the city of Euless started planning a golf course. It was called the Texas Star Golf Course. This course was going to be built next to Mosier Valley. Most of the land for the golf course was in Fort Worth. So, Euless needed Fort Worth's permission.

Fort Worth's City Manager, Bob Terrell, saw an opportunity. He used the golf course plan to convince Euless to help. Together, the two cities finally worked to install water and sewer lines in Mosier Valley. This was a big step for the community.

A New Park for the Community

In 2014, the city of Fort Worth began building Mosier Valley Park. This was the community's first park. In 2018, the city announced plans to make the park even bigger. They set aside $73,120 for this expansion project.