Vandals Strike Memorial

Vandals recently again damaged the granite memorial denoting Bird's Fort, which was placed in 1936 by the Texas Historical Commission on the south end of what is now Euless Main Street.

Commissioned by Republic of Texas President Sam Houston, the fort was built in 1841 by Maj. Jonathan Bird and a group of Texas Rangers. It was a gathering place for Texas leaders and 10 Indian tribes, said North Richland Hills resident Don Tipps, who wrote a book about the fort in 2003, called The Story of Bird's Fort, Birthplace of the Metroplex.

Haltom City resident Betty Porter, president of the Birdville Historical Society, said the memorial has been vandalized many times. She contacted the owner, who lives in Georgetown, the Tarrant County Historical Commission and the Texas Historical Commission, she said.

"It may be that the marker will need to be moved to a more public and safer site with the guidance of the Texas Historical Commission," she said.

The monument, which is about 5 feet tall, has been chipped and painted over, she said. It is in the county on a rural strip by Calloway Lake near Euless and Arlington, she said.

Tipps said he would like to see the area turned into a beautiful park.