The Bird's Fort Preservation Committee Report to the Tarrant County Historical Commission

Preface

Disturbed by the tremendous excavations being conducted as part of a massive commercial development on property surrounding the site of old Bird's Fort, TCHC Chair Susan Pritchett appointed the following Commission members to an ad hoc study committee: Ron Wright, Chair; Dorothy Rencurrel, Debbie Reynolds, Oscar Lochridge, Hal King, and Lela Standifer. The purpose of the committee was to study ways the site of the fort could be preserved and protected from encroaching development. In particular, the committee would approach the owner of the site property regarding placing it under the state Antiquities Code to prevent development or destruction without permission. Further, the committee would determine if the owner would donate or sell the property to an entity that would then deed the property to Tarrant County to operate and maintain as a park.

Background

Bird's Fort is the cradle of the Metroplex. Established in 1841 by Beret [sic] Major Jonathon [sic] Bird on the banks of a small, crescent-shaped lake north of present day Arlington, the fort was the first anglo-American settlement in Tarrant County. The graves of 5 of the settlers that died there became the county's first pioneer cemetery.

The settlers suffered from hunger, sickness and Indian attacks in the effort to establish their settlement. However, in 1842, with the Peters Colony allowed by the Republic of Texas to extend southward and encompass the area around the fort, the settlement was abandoned.

In 1843, the remnants of the failed Snively Expedition, which had attempted to capture Mexican gold wagons on the Santa Fe Trail, disbanded at the fort. In September of that year an important treaty initiated by Republic of Texas President Sam Houston with several Indian tribes was signed at the fort. The Bird's Fort Treaty ushered in an era of settlement in North Texas that began many of the towns and cities that later formed the Dallas - Arlington - Fort Worth Metroplex.

Since the 1880s the site of the fort has been owned or leased by a succession of sportsmens' clubs. The property has been owned by members of the Charles Armentrout family of Dallas since 1917. It is currently leased by the Silver Lake Gun Club which uses the 111 acre tract for target practice and skeet shooting. A granite Centennial marker erected by the state of Texas in 1936 marks the site of the fort and is located near the spring fed lake.

The site of Bird's Fort is approximately one mile east of FM 157, one half mile south of the Railtran commuter line (formerly the Rock Island Railroad), and one mile north of the Trinity River. The area surrounding the property is in the flood plain of the river and has been extensively mined for sand and gravel since the 1950s. Excavations in the late 1970s completely obliterated the hill northeast of the fort site where the graves of five of the Bird's Fort pioneers are believed to have been located. This was confirmed by officials with Texas Industries, Inc., the company that has conducted most of the recent excavations, in response to a committee inquiry. The company's aerial photographs taken between the 1940s and 1980s reveal the hill was indeed destroyed.

An attempt to develop the approximately 2000 acres around the Armentrout property in the mid-1980s failed. In 1992, the land was purchased by Metrovest Partners, Inc., a Reno, Nevada based company led by Mr. Jim Salim. In 1993, excavation work for the new development began. A number of trees were felled and tons of earth moved before news of the development became widely known. The scope of the project, the speed at which the excavation work proceeded, and the fact that the Metrovest development imperiled the historic archaeology of the area surrounding the Bird's Fort site alarmed members of the Tarrant County Historical Commission. It was in response to the expressed concerns of Commission members that the Bird's Fort Preservation Committee was created.

Committee Action

The committee met formally in April and October, 1994 at the home of committee chair, Ron Wright. In preparation for the first meeting, the existing information on Bird's Fort compiled in the county archives was reviewed. Copies of pertinent documents were distributed to committee members by Lela Standifer at the first meeting along with information obtained by Ron Wright from the U.S. Corps of Engineers and Mid-Cities Learning Center who has also compiled records and histories on Bird's Fort. Wright's report on his meeting with Charles Armentrout, owner of the fort site formed the basis for planning the committee's work.

Wright visited the Bird's Fort site on April 2, 1994, to meet owner Charles Armentrout, photograph the property, and observe some of the excavation work on the adjoining Metrovest property. Photographs taken of the property form an addendum to this report.

The Silver Lake Gun Club can be reached by going east from FM 157 on Callaway Cemetery Rd. to where it ends at Euless South Main. Proceed south 1/2 mile to the gun club entrance. The property is L-shaped with the lake covering approximately 25 acres at the bottom of the L. Most of the property at the top of the L has been cleared of trees over the years, but the area along the lake is heavily wooded.

The groundskeeper's mobile home is located near the entrance. The recently constructed gun club office is located near the lake about 100 ft. from the old wooden clubhouse built in 1895. The latter structure is dilapidated and no longer used. Between the two structures is the state centennial marker which was set immediately in front of the old clubhouse swimming pool. The pool has been filled in, but the top of the concrete walls are still visible. This pool was built on the spot where the fort blockhouse once stood, a fact substantiated by former County Surveyor J. J. Goodfellow in 1926.

Mr. Armentrout gave Wright a walking tour of the property and discussed some of the history of the site after the time his father purchased it. He appreciates the historical significance of the property and said that was one reason he had never sold it. He had been offered more than $3 million for it by the previous deve1oper in 1985, but he refused to sell it at that time for less than $5 million. His father and several partners had purchased the land in 1917 as a hunting and fishing retreat. In the 1930s his father bought the partners' shares. Charles Armentrout and his brother, William, inherited the property when their father died.

Mr. Armentrout said he could not donate any of the property and would never place it under the Antiquities Code because it would make the property unattractive to prospective buyers if he decided to sell it. He is 80 years old with health problems and said none of his children or grandchildren had any interest in the land except for its monetary value. He added that he would sell it now for $3 million if the offer made in 1985 was made again. That kind of offer is unlikely in the near future because the value of the property dropped dramatically in the late 1980s after the previous developer of the adjoining property went bankrupt. Mr. Armentrout believes the value of the land will go up again and consequently views the property as a potential gold mine for his children and grandchildren.

Mr. Armentrout and Mr. Mike Mayo, the manager of the gun club welcome groups interested in the history of the site, but the general public is not allowed on the property. Mr. Mayo reported to Wright that the Metrovest people had not been good neighbors, had sometimes behaved in an intimidating manner, and had almost destroyed the road leading into the gun club. The road was in dispute with Armentrout stating it was a county road and Jim Salim of Metrovest claiming it as a private road. Mayo said he had contacted the county regarding the dispute and requested that the county repair it. Subsequent to this first meeting, Ron Wright met with David Bowling of the county Transportation Dept. to review old county maps. The maps clearly indicated the road south of Callaway Cemetery Rd. was in fact a county road. This information was passed on to the Commissioners Precinct 2 Administrator.

It should be noted that several visits by TCHC members were made to the Bird's Fort site in 1994. In addition, there were several telephone conversations with Mr. Armentrout. In every instance, Mr. Armentrout was courteous and cooperative.

On April 14, 1994, Ron Wright visited Mid-Cities Learning Center in Euless and met with Director Christine Kallstrom to discuss the Commission's concerns about Bird's Fort. The fort has been a special interest project of the school for several years. Students there have conducted a great deal of research and written numerous reports on the history of the fort. Copies of some of the historic references used were given to the Commission.

On April 15, 1994, Wright met with Skipper Scott at his office in the Corps of Engineers in Fort Worth. Scott was very cooperative and helpful. He furnished copies of 1959, 1968, and 1973 topographical maps of the Bird's Fort area and said the Corps was very concerned about the extensive excavations being conducted by Metrovest. According to Scott, Metrovest had proceeded without appropriate surveys and permits required by the Clean Water Act. Metrovest had been notified by the Corps that further work could not be done until the proper reports had been filed and permits issued. These would include a complete survey and historical assessment which would be submitted to the Corps. He reported that the Corps had investigated the Trinity valley in 1985 during the previous attempt to develop the area around the fort site. At that time, men described by Scott as "old timers" in the area stated that TXI personnel, while digging sand and gravel near the site many years earlier, had unearthed skeletons but never reported the incident to authorities. It was impossible to determine if these skeletal remains were those of the Bird's Fort pioneers. Scott said the Corps had begun another survey of the area as a result of the Metrovest project and would send a copy to Wright as soon as it was completed. He also advised that the best time for Commission input would be when the public notice of Metrovest's permit application was published.

Given Mr. Armentrout's refusal to donate any of the Bird's Fort property or place it under the protection of the Antiquities Code, the committee developed the following plan of action:

1. The committee would meet with county officials to determine if it was appropriate for the Commission to seek and accept funding to purchase the Bird's Fort site and to determine if the county would accept the property if purchased and maintain it as a historical park.

2. The Texas Historical Commission in Austin would be contacted to obtain their assistance in seeking grants.

3. Foundations and state government agencies would be contacted to inquire about grants.

4. The committee would attempt to enhance public awareness of the historical significance of Bird's Fort and the threat to the site posed by the Metrovest development.

5. The committee would continue to closely monitor the progress of the Metrovest development. TCHC Chair Susan Pritchett and committee chair Ron Wright met with Tarrant County Judge Tom Vandergriff and Precinct 2 County Commissioner Marti VanRavenswaay on May 10th in Judge Vandergriff's office to discuss Bird's Fort. Judge Vandergriff and Commissioner VanRavenswaay were very familiar with the history of Bird's Fort and the Metrovest development. Indeed, Judge Vandergriff had visited the site and had met with Jim Salim of Metrovest. After a discussion of the Commission's concerns, Judge Vandergriff and Commissioner VanRavenswaay agreed that the Commission had full authority to seek and accept funding to purchase the property and, if such a purchase was made, the county would maintain the property as a county park.

Jim Bruseth and Bill Martin of the Texas Historical Commission were contacted to determine if the THC could assist the Commission. Mr. Bruseth reported there was nothing the THC could do legally to protect the site since it was on private property, but Mr. Martin sent Ron Wright a list of foundations in Texas that were known to give grants for the purchase and preservation of historical properties. These foundations were contacted by letter. Unfortunately, none of them responded positively.

At the same time, the Texas Dept. of Parks and Wildlife was contacted regarding grants for the development of state parks. Department personnel responded that funding was available, but only for recreational type parks. The Bird's Fort property would not qualify.

TCHC member George Hedrick reviewed the requirements for funding under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) which includes provisions for funding of historic preservation projects. Again, the Bird's Fort property failed to qualify because it was not located on a main roadway or state highway.

In an effort to enhance public awareness of Bird's Fort, committee member Dorothy Rencurrel invited committee chair Ron Wright to address the Arlington Landmark Preservation Committee on our Bird's Fort activities. Ms. Rencurrel chairs the Landmark Committee and TCHC member Debbie Reynolds is a Landmark Committee member. After a brief overview of Bird's Fort history, Wright explained the Commission's concerns about the Metrovest development and requested the support of the Landmark Committee. The committee voted unanimously to support our efforts.

In July, 1994, Skipper Scott of the Corps of Engineers sent Ron Wright a copy of the Corps' survey of the Metrovest development entitled A Cultural Resource Reconnaissance Survey Of The Metrovest Mining And Development Project Area, Tarrant County, Texas. A copy is enclosed with this report. The news from the survey was not good. According to the survey, approximately 1350 acres of the 1900 acre tract were confirmed as severely disturbed. Most of the historic archaeology in the disturbed areas could never be reclaimed.

In August, 1994, committee chair Ron Wright wrote a historical perspective on Bird's Fort for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Wright hoped the article would stir public concern for the Bird's Fort site. It was published in the Sunday, September 25, 1994 edition of the newspaper.

Coincidentally, the state historical marker about Bird's Fort that was set near the roadside of FM 157 one mile east of the site in 1980 was struck and badly damaged by a vehicle in 1994. The cast aluminum marker had been placed at this location because the granite marker at the site was rarely visited by the public. Few outside of the gun club knew it existed. The marker was retrieved by TCHC member Joye Evetts from the highway dept. and placed in the archives.

In September, 1994, a series of letters to the editor began in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram regarding the damaged marker. Coinciding with the timing of Wright's Bird's Fort article, the letters increased the public exposure being given the fort. The first letter, published on Sept. 11, 1994, complained that the marker was missing, and no one seemed to be doing anything about it. The letter included the actual inscription of the marker and was written by Ms. Jann Cunningham of Cordell, Oklahoma, the greatgranddaughter of Jonathon [sic] Bird. This was followed by a responding letter to the editor from Ron Wright on Sept. 18, 1994, explaining that the marker had been damaged and would be replaced when a sponsor to pay for a new marker was found. On Sept. 25, 1994, Wright's historical perspective on Bird's Fort was published. On October 19, 1994, a third letter to the editor from Mid-Cities Learning Center student Sam Solomon was published requesting help to fund a replacement for the marker.

Following Solomon's letter, it was discovered that the marker could be repaired provided the proper alloy of aluminum was used. Suitable materials were located, the marker was repaired with a new base piece and post, and reinstalled by a maintenance crew from the highway dept. Students from Mid-Cities Learning Center were invited to have their picture taken with the marker which was printed with a brief write-up in November in the Arlington News and in December in the Star-Telegram. Ms. Cunningham, the descendant of Jonathon [sic] Bird was also notified of the repair.

On October 13, 1994, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published its notice (enclosed) of the Metrovest application for permit, giving people until November 7 to respond. There would be no public hearing; only letters were requested. This precipitated the second meeting of the committee. Committee members were brought up to date and given copies of the Corps notice. Dorothy Rencurrel suggested the committee respond by condemning the manner in which Metrovest had proceeded with the development and requesting a 90 day waiting period to give the Commission time to assess the historical archaeology of the area. The committee agreed, and letters from TCHC Chair Susan Pritchett and committee chair Ron Wright were sent to the Corps, requesting the waiting period. A similar letter from Wright also went to the County Engineer to request that Metrovest's permit from the county be withheld. A copy of the Corps' notice was sent to Star-Telegram columnist O.K. Carter who included comments about the TCHC opposition to the Metrovest development in his Nov. 6, 1994 column in the newspaper.

County Engineer Jim Bennett responded that the county would have no choice but issue its permit if the Corps approved theirs. The Corps responded by extending the comment period on the application three additional weeks. As 1994 drew to a close the application and comments were still being evaluated.

Conclusion

The site of Bird's Fort in Northeast Tarrant County is endangered by the Metrovest development. Charles Armentrout, owner of the Bird's Fort site, will not donate the property nor place it under the protection of the Antiquities Code. Mr. Armentrout is 80 years old and in failing health. This further endangers the site as it is believed that his heirs would sell the property. The obvious choice for a buyer would be Metrovest because the Armentrout property juts into the center of the Metrovest property and is almost completely surrounded by the Metrovest development. Commercial development of the Armentrout property would destroy the historical archaeology of the site, and it would be lost forever.

The Bird's Fort site is an ideal setting for a county park. The Commission should continue to seek funding to purchase the property for this purpose. The Commission should continue to build public awareness of the site and support for its preservation. Finally, the Commission should continue to monitor the Metrovest development.

The permit application process has seriously slowed the progress of the development. In recent weeks, For Sale signs have appeared on parts of the property, and news has leaked that Salim is seeking a buyer for the entire development. Also in recent weeks, Metrovest has been the object of criticism from Arlington officials and Parks Dept. supporters because the project presents potential obstacles to planned extensions of River Legacy Parks and the green belt concept along the Trinity River.

1995 will be the year the project goes forward or is forced to scale back due to public criticism. The Commission should remain at the forefront of this controversy and continue its efforts to preserve the Bird's Fort site for future generations of Texans.