HISTORY
Westworth Village, named because
it is about six miles west of Fort Worth, is on land first occupied
by the Caddo and Wichita Indians, nestled on the West Fork of
the Trinity River. In 1850, the area served as a stage coach
stop along the route from Fort Worth to Yuma, Arizona. The east-west
stage road is now known as White Settlement Road.
During the Civil War, Capt. H.
B. Thompson stopped in the area, and liked it so much he returned
after the war to settle, buying the mansion that housed the Carswell
Golf Course Clubhouse. The Thompson Community Cemetery still
exists.
In the early 1900's, the area
now called Westworth Village included dairy farms, such as the
one owned by Charles Volder and Jack Stein. Stein's dairy was
purchased for him by his uncle, Will Rogers, and the petrified
wood pillars which marked the entrance to the dairy are still
standing. Will Rogers also built a store for Jack Stein's father
just outside the gates to the dairy. It was the only store in
the village at that time.
In 1941, the area residents banded
together and formed a village to preserve their right to remain
self governing since by that time they were sandwiched between
the new bomber plant, Consolidated Aircraft Corp. and the air
base, Tarrant Field. The area was originally incorporated as
White Settlement Village, but because the yet unincorporated
area to the west of them had already claimed the White Settlement
School, the villagers voted to change their name to Westworth
Village.
The first mayor of Westworth
Village was Billy Bob (W.R.) Watt, owner of the Yellow Cab Company
and chairman, until his death, of the Southwestern Exposition
and Livestock Show held at Will Rogers Coliseum each year.
The village grew quickly when
Hwy. 183 was constructed in 1942. The bomber plant, later known
as General Dynamics and now Lockheed Martin, was in full swing
and the air base, named Carswell in 1948, was training combat
crews. The population grew from less than 200 in 1941 to more
than 3000 by 1950. It is now expanding on land once owned by Carswell.
In the early 1950's, commercialization
was voted down, sparing the store built by Will Rogers, but ensuring
that the Village would remain entirely residential. In 1941 the
residents voted to ban the sale of alcohol in beverages in the
village, an ordinance overturned in 1981.
Although Westworth residents
pay county, school and hospital taxes, they remain the only city
in Tarrant County without a city property tax.
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