About Tarrant County

Tarrant Countys roots lie in the Old West and much of our heritage can be traced to the era of the cowboy and the cattle drives that passed through Tarrant County. Tarrant County is one of 254 counties in Texas which were originally set up by the State to serve as decentralized administrative divisions providing state services and collecting state taxes From its humble beginnings as the site to an army outpost assign to protect the settlers, Tarrant County has, and continues to be, at the leading edge of the frontier. Tarrant Countys first County Seat was Birdville today a part of Haltom City. The Birdville Courthouse was little more than a log cabin and was in use from 1850 to 1856. Birdville was larger than Fort Worth in 1850, but Fort Worth was growing and saw a chance to wrestle away the Courthouse from Birdville. In 1856, Fort Worth forced an election to decide the issue. Supporters from both communities campaigned hard. In those days, voters expected a little something for going to all the trouble of getting into town to vote. The ride in was long and dusty and something to quench the thirst was particularly appreciated. In order not to disappoint these farmers and ranchers, civic leaders of Fort Worth and Birdville each prepared and carefully hid a keg of whisky hoping that the refreshment would attract voters from the outlying districts to their own town and convince them - based on the hospitality provided to cast their ballots for their community as County Seat. The night before the election, however, a band of Fort Worth supporters stole into Birdville and siphoned off the towns whisky. On Election Day, Fort Worth had two kegs to dispense, Birdville none. In the end, Fort Worth won by seven votes. Birdville cried foul and four years later, another election was held. But, by then, Fort Worths population had moved far ahead of Birdvilles and Fort Worth won the rematch handily. Fort Worth has been the County Seat ever since. To learn more about Tarrant County visit: www.tarrantcounty.com Fort Worth Known as the City Where the West Begins, Fort Worth embraces its cowboy heritage and major cultural attractions. With a friendly population of over 500,000, Fort Worth is consistently named among the top places to live, work and do business. From rodeos to operas-from modern art to NASCARFort Worth is truly a city of diversity. http://www.fortworth.com Arlington Years ago, tiny Arlingtons one claim to fame was being the exact half way point on the interurban trolley line between Fort Worth and Dallas. Now, Arlington boasts two Interstate Highways, major League Baseball, Six Flags Over Texas, and over 200,000 residents. Today, Arlington is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. For more information on Arlington, contact their website at http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us City of Bedford Lifes Better in Bedford, Texas. A beautiful place to live, work and stay! Conveniently located in the heart of the Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex, the city of Bedford offers a small town, bedroom community atmosphere with all the amenities available. http://www.ci.bedford.tx.us Benbrook The best is Benbrook, a community choice, with both business and recreational opportunities, a low crime rate, top schools, and a great location with easy access to all of the Metroplex. Benbrook is a growing community with great neighborhoods and enhanced quality of life. http://www.ci.benbrook.tx.us City of Euless Located on the southwest side of the D/FW Airport, Euless was established in 1841 as a trading post along Big Bear Creek. Euless is convenient to everything - D/FW Airport, Grapevine Mills, Cowboy Stadium, Texas Rangers Baseball, downtown Fort Worth, Dallas and much, much more. http://www.ci.euless.tx.us City of Hurst A Quality of Life City: Located in the heart of the DFW Metroplex, Hurst is just 10 miles from downtown Fort Worth. The convenient location allows residents to live in a safe, well-maintained community and be just minutes away from two of Texas largest cities. http://www.ci.hurst.tx.us There are many great cities within Tarrant County not listed above that offer a great place to live and do business. Here are some of the other Tarrant County community websites to visit: Grapevine: www.ci.grapevine.tx.us Keller: www.cityofkeller.com Watauga: www.ci.watauga.tx.us Southlake: www.cityofsouthlake.com Colleyville: www.colleyville.com Saginaw: www.ci.sagina.tx.us White Settlement: www.whitesettlement-tx.com Mansfield: www.mansfield-tx.com