Timeline of Arlington, Texas facts for kids

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Arlington, Texas, USA.

Prior to 20th century

• 1873 – Settlement founded near site of present-day city.
• 1876
  • Settlement slightly moved in order to colocate with Texas and Pacific Railway.
  • Dutch King becomes mayor.
• 1877 – Settlement renamed "Arlington" (previously known as "Johnson" or "Hayter").
• 1884 – Arlington incorporated.
• 1887 – Cemetery Society (later Arlington Historical Society) founded.[1]
• 1897
  • Arlington Journal newspaper begins publication.
  • Mount Olive Baptist congregation formed.

20th century

• 1900 – Population: 1,079.
• 1902
  • North Texas regional Interurban railway begins operating.
  • Carlisle Military Academy established.
• 1904 – Arlington High School opens.
• 1907 – Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church South opens.
• 1910 – Population: 1,794.
• 1920 – Population: 3,031.
• 1923 – North Texas Agricultural College active.
• 1924 – Meadowbrook Park opens.
• 1934 – Arlington Citizen newspaper begins publication.
• 1937 – North Side School opens.
• 1939 – Arlington Post Office opens.
• 1940 – Population: 4,240.
• 1947 – Cosden Petroleum facility and St. Albans Episcopal Church opens.
• 1949 – Arlington State College active.
• 1950
  • Arlington Music Hall opens.
  • Colonial Apartments opens (approximate date).
  • Population: 7,692.
• 1951 – Tom Vandergriff becomes mayor.
• 1952
  • Sister city relationship established with Bad Königshofen, Germany.
  • Grace Lutheran church opens.
• 1954
  • General Motors Corporation plant opens.
  • Berry Elementary School opens.
• 1955 – J.C. Penney and Sears chain stores in business.
• 1956
  • American Can Company plant opens.
  • Arlington Baptist College opens.
• 1957 – Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike opens.
• 1960 – Population: 44,775.
• 1961
  • City Hall opens.
  • Six Flags Over Texas opens.
• 1962 – Public Library opens.
• 1963 – Sam Houston High School opens.
• 1965 – Turnpike Stadium opens.
• 1966 – Park Plaza Cinema opens.
• 1967 – University of Texas at Arlington active.
• 1970
  • Forum 303 Mall and Six Flags Mall open.
  • Arlington Genealogical Society formed.
  • Lamar High School opens.
  • Population: 90,643.
• 1972
  • Texas Rangers baseball team based in city.
  • Seven Seas Marine Life Park opens.
• 1973
  • Theatre Arlington opens.
  • Bowie High School opens.
• 1974 – Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport opens.
• 1979 – The Oakridge School opens.
• 1980
  • University of Texas's Maverick Stadium and Fielder House Museum open.
  • Population: 160,113.
• 1982 – Martin High School opens.
• 1983 – Islamic Society Of Arlington founded.
• 1985 – Joe Barton becomes U.S. representative for Texas's 6th congressional district.
• 1988 – The Parks at Arlington opens.
• 1990 – Population: 261,721.
• 1991 – Stovall Park opens.
• 1994 – The Ballpark in Arlington opens.
• 1996
  • Arlington Morning News begins publication.
  • City website online.
• 1997 – Texas Health Resources nonprofit established.

21st century

• 2001 –Eastern Star Home closes facilities.
• 2002 –
  • Mansfield Summit High School and Seguin High School open.
  • AMC Parks cinema opens.
  • Arlington voters overwhelmingly approve a street maintenance sales tax program that the city proposed.
• 2003 – Robert Cluck becomes mayor.
• 2004 –
  • Voters 'okay' a tax hike that helps pay for a brand new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys.
  • Mansfield Timberview High School established.
• 2005 - The commercial tree preservation ordinance is extended to residential developments.
• 2006 –
  • Downtown Arlington Management Corporation established.
  • Runaway Mine Train is designated an ACE Coaster Landmark by the American Coaster Enthusiasts.
  • Arlington celebrates its 135th birthday.
• 2007 –
  • UT Arlington becomes the second largest campus in the University of Texas system.
  • The Highlands shopping district opens.
  • Construction is set to begin on an upscale development called Glorypark by AT&T Stadium.
• 2008 –
  • Opening night of the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Arlington with more than 1,800 people in attendance.
  • Plans for Glorypark by AT&T Stadium are shelved.
• 2009 –
  • Cowboys Stadium opens.
  • Texas Giant closes for renovations as the wooden coaster ages.
• 2010 – Population: 365,438 city; 6,371,773 metro; 19,728,244 megaregion.
• 2011 -
  • Texas Christkindl Market commemorates its first year during the holiday season.
  • Pentatonix forms and wins The Sing-Off, founded by Martin High School alumni.
  • New Texas Giant opens up as a hybrid wooden-steel coaster.
• 2012 –
  • University of Texas's College Park Center opens.
  • Pentatonix returns to their hometown to perform a free concert at the Levitt Pavilion, breaking the attendance record with 12,000 people attending.
• 2013 –
  • Former Eastern Star Home is demolished.
  • Metro Arlington Xpress (public transit) begins operating.
  • Arlington becomes the Fall location for retro gaming convention Retropalooza.
• 2014 –
  • Arlington changes its logo and slogan to "American Dream City."
• 2015 –
  • W. Jeff Williams becomes mayor.
  • George W. Hawkes Central Library is demolished after 40 years of service.
  • The original Sam Houston High School building demolishes.
• 2016 –
  • Proposition to build new stadium for Texas Rangers is passed.
  • The City and the Arlington Museum of Art begin a public art project called "Stars of Texas" with painted star statues scattered around the city.
  • Downtown Arlington is designated as a cultural district by the State of Texas.
• 2017 –
  • AISD opens the Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center after it was approved in a 2014 bond.
  • Officials breaks ground on the new Texas Rangers stadium.
  • Ride-sharing company Via becomes the city's only public transportation service, replacing Metro Arlington Xpress. First-year operations cost taxpayers $922,500.
  • Texas Christkind Market combines with Enchant Christmas to create the Enchant Christmas Light Maze and Market for the next two years.
• 2018 –
  • George W. Hawkes Central Library second location celebrates its grand opening.
  • Arlington Convention Center re-opens as Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center, the largest dedicated esports facility in North America.
  • Arlington citizens vote to implement term limits on the city council.
  • Yosemite Sam & the Gold River Adventure at SFOT semi-permanently closes after a bad storm.
• 2019 –
  • AISD opens the Arlington College and Career High School.
  • Live! By Loews opens as a joint venture between Loews Hotels and the Texas Rangers to bring an upscale hospitality experience to the entertainment district.
  • Arlington is chosen as the home of the National Medal of Honor Museum, set to be built in 2024.
  • General Motors employees strike for 40 days for additional compensation and benefits.
  • UTA receives funding to replace their School of Social Work building, the first Arlington High School building.
  • Medical City Arlington opens their Medical City Women's Hospital.
• 2020 –
  • Globe Life Field celebrates a delayed opening for AISD high school graduation, and a few months later for a crowdless MLB game.
  • Globe Life Field hosts the entirety of the World Series, the first time the World Series has played at a single location since 1944.
• 2021 -
  • Via Rideshare service expands city-wide. The annual taxpayer expense becomes $2.2 million.
• 2023-
  • A reimagined version of the original downtown mineral well as a fountain and clock tower is constructed and completed, dubbed the "Mineral Well Park Plaza."
  • Texas Rangers win the 2023 World Series, the first world series win in the history of the franchise since arriving in Arlington in 1972.