Timeline of Arlington, Texas facts for kids

This is a timeline of the exciting history of Arlington, Texas, a city in the USA. From its early beginnings as a small settlement to becoming a bustling modern city, Arlington has seen many changes and grown a lot over the years.

Arlington's Early Days: Before 1900

Before the 20th century, Arlington was just starting out.

• 1873 – A small settlement was founded near where Arlington is today.
• 1876
  • The settlement moved a little to be closer to the Texas and Pacific Railway train tracks.
  • Dutch King became the first mayor.
• 1877 – The settlement was officially named "Arlington." Before that, it was known as "Johnson" or "Hayter."
• 1884 – Arlington officially became an incorporated city. This means it got its own local government.
• 1887 – The Cemetery Society was started. This group later became the Arlington Historical Society, which helps preserve the city's history.
• 1897
  • The Arlington Journal newspaper began printing the news for the city.
  • The Mount Olive Baptist church group was formed.

Growing Up: The 20th Century

The 20th century was a time of big growth and change for Arlington.

Early 1900s: A New Century Begins

• 1900 – Arlington's population was 1,079 people.
• 1902
  • A regional train system called the Interurban railway started running.
  • Carlisle Military Academy, a school for military training, was established.
• 1904 – Arlington High School opened its doors to students.
• 1907 – Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church South opened.
• 1910 – The population grew to 1,794 people.
• 1920 – The population reached 3,031 people.
• 1923 – The North Texas Agricultural College began teaching students.
• 1924 – Meadowbrook Park opened, giving people a place to relax and play.
• 1934 – The Arlington Citizen newspaper started publishing.
• 1937 – North Side School opened.
• 1939 – The Arlington Post Office opened, helping people send and receive mail.
• 1940 – The population was 4,240 people.

Mid-1900s: Post-War Boom

• 1947 – Cosden Petroleum opened a facility, and St. Albans Episcopal Church opened.
• 1949 – The Arlington State College was active, offering more education options.
• 1950
  • The Arlington Music Hall opened for performances.
  • Colonial Apartments opened around this time.
  • The population jumped to 7,692 people.
• 1951 – Tom Vandergriff became the mayor of Arlington.
• 1952
  • Arlington became a "sister city" with Bad Königshofen, Germany. This means they share a special friendship.
  • Grace Lutheran church opened.
• 1954
  • A large General Motors car manufacturing plant opened, bringing many jobs.
  • Berry Elementary School opened for younger students.
• 1955 – Big chain stores like J.C. Penney and Sears opened in Arlington.
• 1956
  • The American Can Company plant opened.
  • Arlington Baptist College opened.
• 1957 – The Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike, a major highway, opened.
• 1960 – The population grew very quickly to 44,775 people.

Late 1900s: Modern Era Begins

• 1961
  • The new City Hall building opened.
  • Six Flags Over Texas, a famous theme park, opened its gates.
• 1962 – The Public Library opened, providing books and resources.
• 1963 – Sam Houston High School opened.
• 1965 – Turnpike Stadium opened, a place for sports.
• 1966 – Park Plaza Cinema opened, offering movies.
• 1967 – The University of Texas at Arlington was active and growing.
• 1970
  • Forum 303 Mall and Six Flags Mall opened, offering many shops.
  • The Arlington Genealogical Society was formed to study family history.
  • Lamar High School opened.
  • The population reached 90,643 people.
• 1972
  • The Texas Rangers baseball team made Arlington their home.
  • Seven Seas Marine Life Park opened.
• 1973
  • Theatre Arlington opened for live performances.
  • Bowie High School opened.
• 1974 – The Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport opened, making travel easier.
• 1979 – The Oakridge School opened.
• 1980
  • The University of Texas's Maverick Stadium and the Fielder House Museum opened.
  • The population was 160,113 people.
• 1982 – Martin High School opened.
• 1983 – The Islamic Society Of Arlington was founded.
• 1985 – Joe Barton became a U.S. representative for the area.
• 1988 – The Parks Mall at Arlington opened, another large shopping center.
• 1990 – The population grew to 261,721 people.
• 1991 – Stovall Park opened.
• 1994 – The Ballpark in Arlington opened, becoming the new home for the Texas Rangers.
• 1996
  • The Arlington Morning News newspaper began.
  • The city's official website went online.
• 1997 – Texas Health Resources, a non-profit healthcare organization, was established.

Into the Future: The 21st Century

The 21st century has brought even more exciting developments to Arlington.

Early 2000s: New Millennium

• 2001 – Eastern Star Home closed its facilities.
• 2002
  • Mansfield Summit High School and Seguin High School opened.
  • AMC Parks cinema opened.
  • Arlington voters strongly approved a sales tax program to help maintain city streets.
• 2003 – Robert Cluck became mayor.
• 2004
  • Voters approved a tax increase to help pay for a new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys football team.
  • Mansfield Timberview High School was established.
• 2005 – A rule to protect trees was expanded to include residential areas.
• 2006
  • Downtown Arlington Management Corporation was established to help manage the downtown area.
  • The Runaway Mine Train at Six Flags was recognized as an important roller coaster.
  • Arlington celebrated its 135th birthday!
• 2007
  • UT Arlington became the second-largest campus in the University of Texas system.
  • The Highlands shopping district opened.
  • Construction was planned for a new development called Glorypark near AT&T Stadium.
• 2008
  • The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts opened in Arlington with a large crowd.
  • Plans for Glorypark near AT&T Stadium were put on hold.

Recent Years: 2010s and Beyond

• 2009
  • Cowboys Stadium (now AT&T Stadium) opened.
  • The Texas Giant roller coaster closed for updates.
• 2010 – The population of Arlington was 365,438 people.
• 2011
  • The Texas Christkindl Market celebrated its first year.
  • Pentatonix, a famous music group, formed and won a TV show. Some members were from Martin High School.
  • The New Texas Giant reopened as a new type of roller coaster, made of both wood and steel.
• 2012
  • The University of Texas's College Park Center opened.
  • Pentatonix performed a free concert in Arlington, setting a new attendance record.
• 2013
  • The old Eastern Star Home building was taken down.
  • Metro Arlington Xpress, a public transportation service, began operating.
  • Arlington became the new home for Retropalooza, a retro gaming convention.
• 2014 – Arlington changed its logo and slogan to "American Dream City."
• 2015
  • W. Jeff Williams became mayor.
  • The George W. Hawkes Central Library building was taken down after 40 years.
  • The original Sam Houston High School building was also taken down.
• 2016
  • A plan to build a new stadium for the Texas Rangers was approved by voters.
  • The city and the Arlington Museum of Art started a public art project called "Stars of Texas."
  • Downtown Arlington was named a cultural district by the State of Texas.
• 2017
  • AISD opened the Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center.
  • Construction began on the new Texas Rangers stadium.
  • Via, a ride-sharing company, became the city's only public transportation service.
  • The Texas Christkind Market joined with Enchant Christmas for a large light maze and market.
• 2018
  • The new George W. Hawkes Central Library celebrated its grand opening.
  • The Arlington Convention Center reopened as Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center, a huge place for video game competitions.
  • Arlington citizens voted to set term limits for city council members.
  • Yosemite Sam & the Gold River Adventure at SFOT closed after a storm.
• 2019
  • AISD opened the Arlington College and Career High School.
  • Live! By Loews hotel opened, bringing fancy hospitality to the entertainment area.
  • Arlington was chosen to be the home of the National Medal of Honor Museum.
  • General Motors employees went on strike for better pay and benefits.
  • UTA received money to replace their School of Social Work building, which was the first Arlington High School building.
  • Medical City Arlington opened their Medical City Women's Hospital.
• 2020
  • Globe Life Field had a delayed opening for high school graduations and later for baseball games without fans.
  • Globe Life Field hosted the entire World Series, which was a first since 1944.
• 2021
  • Via Rideshare service expanded to cover the whole city.
• 2023
  • A new "Mineral Well Park Plaza" was built downtown, featuring a fountain and clock tower.
  • The Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series, their first championship since moving to Arlington in 1972!