Metroplex Beginnings: A History of Bird's Fort

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When one stands by the Bird's Fort Historical marker today and looks at the surrounding area, it is difficult to believe that this is the site of the first settlement in what is now the thriving Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex. There are no signs of that development here. Directly behind the marker now stands a dog kennel, its fence posts bordering on the cement wall of the remains of the shallow end of a swimming pool, now partially filled with soil and brush. A small cottonwood grows in the collected soil, presumably taking root through cracks in the bottom of the pool. To the west and south of the marker, and circling behind the few remaining trees to the southeast is the lake, now low in its banks. To the east and northeast no woods remain. In that same direction, a sloping rise to what was once a wooded hilltop graveyard - the first in the metroplex - drops off dramatically just across the property line. This last feature is the result of some fairly recent gravel mining which eliminated the graves, the woods, and even the hill.¹

The marker itself, some five feet of native Texas granite, tells the story in a few short phrases.

SITE OF BIRD'S FORT

Established in 1840 by Jonathan Bird on the Military Road from Red River to Austin * In its vicinity an important Indian treaty, marking the line between the Indians and the white settlements, was signed September 29, 1843 by Edward H. Tarrant and George W. Terrell, representing the Republic of Texas * The ragged remnant of the ill-fated Snively Expedition sought refuge here, August 6, 1843.

Nothing that can be concluded either from evidence gathered in the surrounding landscape, or gleaned by even the most active of imaginations, reading between the lines in the abbreviated statements on the marker stone can do justice to the history actually played out on this site over the last 150 years. But why was this area chosen to play such a major role in the development of north Texas? What happened to cause its demise? And why has it been so largely ignored?

The circumstances that surround the establishment of Bird's Fort can actually be traced to the election of Mirabeau B. Lamar as second President of the Republic of Texas in 1838. Lamar, like most citizens of the Republic at that time, believed that the best answer to the Indian problem lay in the show and use of force. He was elected President on this platform, which is clearly stated in a letter he wrote to the citizens of Liberty County in July of 1839.

"It is the settled policy and determination of the government, to remove from our territorial limits, every Indian tribe that that has no rightful claim to reside in Texas, and such is the state of our present Indian relations, that there exists a strong hope of our being able to do this without delay ... ".

Lamar sought to carry out this policy in part through legislation that established ten new companies of Rangers, and that established a military road from Austin to the Red River. Additionally, a law passed in December of 1838 encouraged the building of frontier forts by reimbursing settlers for both building expenses and the cost of supplies for the first year.²

On August 7, 1841, General Edward H. Tarrant commissioned Jonathan Bird, under the temporary rank of Brevet Major, to raise a company of volunteers for the purpose of establishing such a fort and settlement near the Caddo Village on the Trinity River. On October 15th of that same year, thirty six volunteers led by Bird left Fort Inglish (now Bonham, Texas), and arrived about two weeks later at a crescent-shaped lake in what is now the eastern tip of Tarrant county. Tarrant's original order provided a full company of 150 men, but Bird had difficulty in raising that number. Because these soldiers were "three months" volunteers, enlisted for only that short time, many of them had brought their families, in hope of finding a suitable place to live.³

The site chosen for the fort, inside the curve and next to the bank of the lake, was probably chosen primarily for ease of defense, surrounded as it was on most of three sides by water, and fronted by woods. The lake also afforded some fish and wild game, and there was a natural spring nearby for fresh water. The first permanent structures included picket walls surrounding a blockhouse and at least two other log structures. Additional cabins were built outside, but in close proximity to the fort. The picket walls were made of logs stood on end, and encircled by a deep trench. The lake itself, shaped something like a full brassier, was first called "Lake Sophia" after Holland Coffee's wife because, said one of the soldiers, "It, too, was a heavenly body." Besides building the fort, the soldiers had to help build a more direct road for supplies from Fort Inglish to the new settlement. For the first three months, these supplies were brought in at Bird's personal expense. William Beeman, a teenager at the time, said of working on the road in a 1902 [Dallas] Morning News interview "...it was no small task, you may be sure."⁴

One excellent source of historical information is a letter written by John S. Beeman to his family in Alton, Illinois on October 30, 1841. John Beeman wrote the letter from Fort Inglish while preparing to move to Bird's Fort. In this letter, John encourages his entire family to move to the three forks area which he says has "...better-country for raising stock, healthier and warmer climate and far better water than you have there and one great advantage is that we don't have to feed stock in this country and can raise fine bottom land sweet potatoes." In awkward sentences, Beeman also wrote about the ease with which land could be obtained:

"Father ... you could get 1 or 2 sections for coming to this country and if you and your boys over the age of 17 was here you could get a chance of land all that goes out in Trinity 2 or 3 sections a single man 1 section or more."

As a postscript, he wrote:

"James and David - if you would come to Texas you could get land enough to do you all and get paid for coming in the bargain."

His last remark probably referred to the possibility of paid service in Bird's Ranger company. Unfortunately, the settlement did not live up to the high expectations held for it.⁵

When the settlers returned to the fort site with their families in early November of 1841, they found that all of the grass surrounding the fort had been burned off, presumably by Indians attempting to discourage them by chasing off the wild game. This presented a major problem to the group because they had purchased only staple provisions, expecting to be able to supplement these with wild game. By the end of November, the food shortage had become critical. So, while some of the men remained with the women and children to build more cabins and to dig a well inside the garrison, the others returned with the teams to Fort Inglish for supplies. Back at the fort, in spite of the work of the hunters, little game was found, and by late December when the men and supplies were overdue, the settlers were facing starvation. When a young man named Riley Cole found the feet of a calf that had been lying on the prairie for about six weeks, left there after a butchering, he boiled the bones into a sort of soup, or jelly which he shared with the others. It was the first thing they had eaten for some time.

on Christmas day three men: Alexander Webb, Wade Hampton (Hamp) Rattan, and Solomon Silkwood left the fort to try to cut a new road to elm fork, making the trip shorter for the wagons when they finally returned. The three men rode up the elm fork looking for a suitable place to cross, and, coming across bear tracks in the snow, they decided to follow. The tracks led to a large tree, which they began to cut down. They stopped to eat at noon, and afterward, Hamp Rattan resumed the chopping. He had just begun when three shots were fired at the group, one instantly killing Rattan. Silkwood fired at what he thought was an Indian, then he and Alexander Webb hid in the woods until dusk. Having lost their horses in the confusion, the two were forced to walk the 15 miles back to the fort in the bitter cold. Solomon Silkwood died several days later of exposure. Hamp Rattan's body was recovered by the men returning from Fort Inglish with supplies. They found the body intact, Hamp's bulldog "Watch" having guarded it for 3 days. Hamp was buried at the fort site, in a coffin made from the bed of an old wagon. His was the fifth grave known to be at the fort site.⁶

A misconception exists, probably as a result of the demise of Bird's fort, that it was a small, largely unknown settlement that did not interest the Republic, and that it was largely ignored. Evidence exists to show that the government of the Republic was serious about the maintenance of that post. On January 29, 1842, a joint resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives to establish a regular mail route from Austin to Warren on Red River, via Bird's Fort. The resolution originated from a petition that was sent by the citizens of Fannin County and had been referred to a House select committee. That committee's report included a resolution in two sections, recommending that one Alfred Johnson be paid $10.00 per mile for transporting the mail on this bi-weekly route. This resolution passed on the third reading, after two amendments and two rule suspensions. Though no proof has been found of the practice of this route, the fact remains that Bird's Fort was the first legally designated mail station in the metroplex.⁷

At about the time the fort was being resupplied, the residents learned yet another piece of bad news. The land on which Bird's Fort was located, through an act of Congress had already been contracted out to the Peter's Colony Grant to settle. The Bird's Fort settlers, finding that they could not get title to any of the adjoining land, petitioned congress to grant them each a tract of land, and to require the Peter's Colony agents to respect their occupancy. Jonathan Bird wrote a separate letter of petition stating his belief that the fort was essential to the protection of the frontier. Bird submitted that in as much as the company had thus far failed to settle the area, that he and all those under his command should be granted a portion of land around the fort. The request was to provide 640 acres for each single man, and 1280 acres for each family. Bird further requested the Secretary of War to grant him sufficient powder and shot to maintain the fort's defense for 12 months.⁸

The two petitions were received and read before the House on January 11, 1842. They were then referred to a committee which drafted a resolution in four sections for their relief. The resolution cut their property requests in half, authorizing Jonathan Bird to employ a surveyor to parcel out 640 acres to each family, and 320 acres for single men "...who are now or who may hereafter previous to the first day of January next, enroll themselves and become citizens and soldiers under the command of said Bird and his successors in office, at or near said fort." The resolution also authorized and directed the Secretary of War to supply the requested ammunition. The Peter's colony was to allow these soldiers to become colonists if they wished, and the Peter's Colony was authorized to survey previously unappropriated land equal to what was lost to the soldiers. The resolution was passed, and sent to President Sam Houston for his signature.

On February 3, 1842, President Houston vetoed the resolution, returning it unsigned, with an attached message listing his reasons. Houston feared that the way the resolution was worded, thousands of persons might put themselves under the fort's protection, depriving the Peter's Colony of their revenues. Houston wrote that to "...compel, also, the contractors to relinquish the lands to which they are entitled by the terms of their agreement with the Government, could not be justified upon any principle of expediency or correct dealing." He further stated that the Government would be "...totally unable to comply with the requirements ... of the bill directing the Secretary of War to furnish a sufficiency of powder and lead for the supply of Bird's Fort."⁹

News of the veto of the Bird's Fort petitions did not reach the fort until late March. By that time, most of the group had already disbanded as a result of a visit from John Neely Bryan, the founder of Dallas. Bryan, who had pitched his tent on the banks of the Trinity, was quite familiar with the location of the fort—he had helped to build it. So, in early February, Bryan visited the fort to encourage the settlers to relocate to his new settlement. Captain Mabel Gilbert and John Beeman visited Bryan's camp to look over the land. They returned quite enthusiastic about the site, and encouraged others to move there, as well. A few families agreed to move, but most decided to return to their old home settlements. Captain Mabel Gilbert, a former riverboat captain, announced that he would float down the river to Bryan's place.

John Beeman and another (unidentified) man were hired by the captain to help build his raft. They cut down two large cottonwood trees, dug out the centers to make canoes, and tied them together. Puncheon boards were then laid across the canoes to make a flat top for the raft. The rest of the settlers made the trip by wagon, on horseback, or on foot. The river was high and swift, so Gilbert and his wife arrived at Dallas several days before the others. Their furniture, furnishings, and children arrived by wagon with the others.¹⁰

Jonathan Bird, like most of the settlers, decided to return home instead of moving to Dallas. In November of 1842, he petitioned the Senator and Representatives in his home district for the remuneration promised him under the Military Road Act. Though physically ill (he apparently dictated the letter), Bird said that he wished to "...be allowed the privilege of taking (payment) in small tracts (of land) ... " His second request for payment was written to M. Mathias Ward as an itemized list of expenses, totaling $653.50. This letter included a request for his friend to "...obtain an indemnity ... for my expenses in making the settlement at the place called Bird's Fort." A bill for his relief, though approved by congress, was vetoed by Houston on the grounds that others had built frontier forts at their own expense. On December 6, 1844 another resolution was introduced in the House for his relief. On approval, he was paid $600.00 in drafts against taxes to be collected over a 3 year period.¹¹

There followed a period of time after the fort was disbanded in 1842, and before the summer of 1843 that Bird's Fort remained unused. This ended abruptly in August with the arrival of Colonel Jacob Snively with his "Battalion of Invincibles". Snively had been commissioned by the Republic of Texas to capture Mexican gold trains along the Santa Fe Trail. This was to be in response to Mexican Army attacks on the city of San Antonio. Plagued by difficulties magnified by internal strife, a remaining force of 76 men met a much better prepared U. S. Army force of 200. Snively's men gave up their arms when ordered to do so, returning to Bird's Fort, thought to be a safe garrison for the now unarmed men. The Snively expedition, ill-conceived and short-lived, formally disbanded there on August 6, 1843.¹²

Later that same year, Bird's Fort again came to be used in a manner of historical significance. A major Indian treaty was set up to be, and may have been signed on the site of the fort.¹³ In November of 1841, at about the time that the Bird's Fort settlement was suffering a food shortage, Sam Houston was elected President of the Republic of Texas for the second time. Part of his platform called for major reform in Indian affairs. Lamar's policy of force and extermination had cost the Republic some $2,500,000, compared to $190,000 during Houston's first term of office. Worst of all, several Comanche chiefs had been invited to a council in San Antonio, and while there, all were killed. To effect his new policy, and to reestablish peaceful relations, Houston had to gain back the trust that had been lost. He attempted to do this through his choice of Indian agents, and through direct meetings with and letters to the chiefs of various tribes.

The Bird's Fort Treaty was Houston's first council attempt of his second term. He had been opening up communication lines to the smaller tribes first, in hopes that he could later enlist their support in bringing along the larger ones. This opening of communication lines included the settling of disputes between tribes. When Houston believed he had the required support, he set up a total of three councils to be held in 1843, in various portions of the Republic. The council at Bird's Fort was the first of these.

In May of that year, Houston sent J. C. Eldridge (Superintendent of Indian Affairs) and Hamilton Bee with Delaware guides and two Comanche prisoners to induce the Comanches to come to the Bird's Fort council. With this group, Houston sent a letter to Pah-Ha-Yu-co, a Comanche chief, in which he spoke of trade and the peaceful coexistence that they had once shared. "Comanche chiefs and other red brothers came to me and made peace, and they returned to their people without harm," Houston wrote, to dispel the chief's fears. He then wrote about Lamar's Administration:

"Troubles again grew up between our people. Prisoners were taken from each other. Bad traders went among you and hurt many of your people. At a council in San Antonio your chiefs were slain ... The man who counseled to do this is no longer a chief in Texas. His voice is not heard among the people."

But far from being induced to go to the fort by this letter, the Comanche warriors almost took revenge out on Eldridge and the other messengers. Much to his credit as a negotiator, Eldridge did succeed not only in getting himself and the others released, but he also managed to get chief Pa-Ha-Yu-Co to sign an interim truce to end hostilities and horse stealing.¹⁴

At about the same time, Houston and his entourage had arrived at the fort and were awaiting the arrival of the Indians. Though the treaty was set for the full moon of August, many of the Indian representatives did not arrive for several weeks. Houston apparently considered the Comanches to be an indispensable part of the treaty, as he seemed hesitant to begin without them. At some time during this waiting period, the party withdrew to the north at Grapevine Springs (near present day Grapevine), but apparently returned to negotiate the treaty. When he had been waiting for about one month, Houston returned to Washington-on-the-Brazos, leaving Tarrant and Terrell to negotiate the treaty as his representatives. One primary source that is continually quoted in regards to the treaty is the diary of an E. Parkinson, an Englishman who apparently came with Houston and stayed until the end of the negotiations. Numerous books and articles use quotations from his diary, but a recent intensive search did not determine its whereabouts.¹⁵

An agreement was reached with the nine tribes in attendance at Bird's Fort on September 29, 1843. The treaty, in twenty five articles, was ratified by the Senate on January 31, 1844. Some provisions of the agreement called for the two parties to live in peace, and to protect women and children, making war only on warriors. The treaty established Indian agents, and required any person trading among the Indians to do so only upon permission of those agents. Trade rules were set up to prohibit the sale of alcohol and firearms, and set up a line of trading houses as the place for trade between Indians and whites. The only thing sought by Houston but not included in the document was a dividing line between all Indians and whites, something that was already established by Texas law. The Indians could not agree to this, they said, because all of the effected tribes were not there to discuss it. The Bird's Fort Treaty was considered to be a major step toward lasting peace with the Indians, and was the last known official use of the fort.¹⁶

A few visitors did come to see the site of Bird's Fort after the treaty was completed and the fort abandoned. Unfortunately, the structures of the garrison did not remain standing for very long. In 1853, a visiting reporter for the Clarksville Standard made a trip "...by appointment with Minajah Goodwin, Esquire, one of the oldest and best settlers of this region to visit the locality of Bird's old fort, the first settlement made in Tarrant County."

The reporter was impressed by the lake and described it in great detail. By that time, most of the timber had been cut, and the surrounding land had been put to farming. And of the fort site itself, he wrote "None of the structures of the fortification remain now, ...but we could trace the places where they stood and the line of enclosure, which was near the centre of the point, close upon the water."¹⁷

In 1866, Judge C. C. Cummings and J. J. Goodfellow visited the site when it was owned by Colonel Rush B. Wallace. Goodfellow wrote a letter in which he described the site in detail.

"The remains of the blockhouse were still plainly visible. They stood on the northeast bank of the lake where a country club later built a swimming pool. The outer walls were constructed in picket form ... with deep entrenchments all around the building. These trenches were plainly visible until the Caloway [sic] Lake Club constructed a swimming pool on the ground and destroyed most of the signs of these trenches. From this blockhouse, a path led in a northeasterly direction, probably 250 or 300 yards through timber to the graves."

Goodfellow's story was to be given more credence than most, since he was a surveyor by trade. The placement of the Bird's Fort Historical Marker in 1936 was based primarily on his account. Judge Cummings mentioned in a 1913 interview that he knew ex-Governor J. W. Throckmorton had left a sketch of Bird's Fort in his papers. That sketch has not been found, nor has any other drawing of the fort.¹⁸

It has never been determined exactly why or when the lake's name was changed to Calloway Lake. The name is certainly a familiar one to the area. Hiram Calloway and his descendants have owned property in Tarrant County since 1862, but have never owned the land on which the lake sits. Nevertheless, the name Calloway Lake was used when some sportsmen purchased 13 acres in the vicinity of the lake, to be used as a hunting and fishing area. The Calloway Lake Hunting and Fishing Club, which began as a casual group of acquaintances, was organized around 1880 and continued until 1895. When the club first incorporated, shares (memberships) were sold for $100.00 each. By 1891, the price had risen to $200.00.¹⁹

In 1895, the club's name was changed to the Silver Lake Hunting and Fishing Club, so the lake's name was changed again, if only in principle. Interestingly enough, no record has ever been found of any attempt to change the name of the lake on any county records. Most of the members were living in the Euless - Arlington area, and it is believed to be at about this time that both the swimming pool and the clubhouse were built. The swimming pool was filled by a natural flowing well, the water being carried through iron pipes to the pool. This could have been the same well dug by the settlers in the winter of 1841. The well stopped flowing, and a windmill and pump were added when a second well (just off of Tarrant Main Street) was dug that tapped into the same spring.

Due in part to a lawsuit and internal strife, the members of the Silver Lake Hunting and Fishing Club began to look for a buyer. Word reached a Dallas real estate developer named French Davis, who got together four other interested parties to purchase the club in 1917. The four were all prominent Dallas businessmen: Frank Buell, who owned a lumber company; Percy Davis, a banker, and brother to one of the founders of what is now Republic Bank; Ellis Mitchell, who operated a business out of the Southwestern Life Building for many years; and E. W. Armentrout, who was involved in the sale of hides and leather. These gentlemen had an agreement whereby in order to use the club, a member simply notified the the other four when he would like to use it.

Because there were few large lakes in the Dallas - Fort worth area at that time, Silver Lake was right along the flyway, and was heavily populated during duck season. Five duck blinds were set up around the lake for club members to use. At that time, not only were there no hunting limits set, but live decoys could be used, a practice that is now illegal. Charles Armentrout, now the principle owner of the club well remembers these times.

"When we were kids my brother and I would sit on the floor of the blind at the feet of the hunters. The live decoys would be placed with the hens in the water with the wooden decoys and the male drake in a wire box behind the blind. The drake would call the hens and the hens would answer. The sight and sound of the decoys would lure the wild ducks to light among them. I still remember my dad coming home with all those ducks. My brother William and I would have to go down in the basement and pick them."²⁰

Other improvements were made to the property, including the renovation of two buildings; the clubhouse, and what was called the tenant house.

In 1939, E. W. Armentrout offered to buy out the other members. According to his son Charles, there was friction between the members over the need for a second renovation of the clubhouse. It was once again in need of repair, and no one seemed willing to pay to have the work done. The other members eventually agreed to the buyout, and members of the Armentrout family purchased the shares. At that time, there were 20 shares of stock spread out among several different family members. Eventually, though, all the stock had reverted to the two Armentrout brothers, Charles and William. E. W. had died several years earlier in an accident on the property.

On October 1, 1963, Charles leased the site to the Arlington Gun Club as a practice range and meeting place for their membership. The club, which at one time had over 900 members, made several additions to the site, including pistol and rifle ranges, and some buildings made to house skeet shooting equipment. The original lease was a four-year agreement, and it was subsequently renewed twice, the last agreement ending in 1974. That lease was allowed to expire because of the sale to a gravel company of some adjoining property that was being used by the club.

Since that time, the site of Bird's fort has been the focal point of two major issues, both having to do with its historical significance. The first of these had to do with the location of the Historical Marker itself. Duane Gage, former chairman of the Tarrant County Historical Commission, drafted several letters relating to the location and access of the marker, and discussing the options available to the commission. The options discussed at length included purchasing the site, and the road leading to it; moving the stone marker to a more accessible place; and the purchase and placement of a second historical marker. The third option was chosen, and a second marker was placed along highway 157, about two miles from the site itself.

The second major issue involves the diversion of Hurricane Creek. This small stream is the principle tributary for Calloway lake, and without it there will no longer be a lake. The reason for the diversion is, of course, development. The plans for the immediate area require the use of those waters, which will further alter the historical accuracy of the site. A former city mayor, acting as a consultant to the development company, has disagreed with that assessment. He has pointed out that a planned thoroughfare as part of the development will actually make the site more accessible to the general public. The concerns of the Tarrant County Historical Commission are familiar ones. By the time enough people become aware of the significance of the site, it may well be lost to a shopping mall.