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........................... ............................................................................................................................................... ..............................................SUNDAY, MAY 26,1963 SECTION V9M444444Ml I rf.ain• * y ♦ f ♦ ♦ f • » * % i9 y • i « » ■ i •| » r • 1*11t ■ |I ■ N»rHlt;*4 Ii■ I • » » I I I 4 V( # .n M , , »i I 4M . I M* .....I »4 k. »4 rlt; ■ • M J I I I . M a t r#| a . ...Mi4f|i4v44t*afi ■ ■ ■ ■• 4 y- i »4«4 • • ki.k • * nk • • 4|»IM4lk14IM#l b % f • • 4 T4 4 ,4 I 1.4 iMk4M.k.«4»... ■ 4 44■■ » 4 V • 4 . , , • • 1 • 4 a 4 , * ♦ ■ • k • | 4 * ral r rS a J a 4*4 4 « H a 4 i*«f»***lf»*4*«4%aaa.4a . ft»»aS»V»tt-a»«''«*. , 1 rrH4Ma|ln%ik44k44.4444. 4.Mg. *f ♦ ► » ♦ f f * \ • 4l4HMHM44*kalBM4«4i«4l«»ra«f44j.l4».ii100 Years of Grand Prairie History•4k ■ k k 4 a a• • 4 A• I « I M 4 I• I 4 4k 4 » 4i ■ * 4• # # I■ ■ ■ ka ■ k ■ I • a | ».aa lt;. r j . , . . » r r , , , , , a«4 ■ a ■ k ■ a a »4 aa I . f r I . t........• • .....4 4 ♦ » ♦ ’ ■ • ^ ..........• »44»44M4i44M a 4 * r • • k « » a a a » a ia . a v a . a r p a a ••■ u %. a ► ► , ,• 4«*kaaMiiiiii»«., »4 ■* aaaaaak k • i i • 4 . , r , , • » , . a » a k a a•♦k M « • , 4 4 4 • k k k . . . . . • 4 |M Hi • k s . .k . . a a i . . • . i . . ,..... • I , »* 4 I ,I • 4 • * k k , , . k ,| lt;v • . k V a4444 4, • k * * 4 4 I .a ■ 4 - k... , 4 a . .• • 4 • * i « ■ « r • • I r ■ • ■ 4■ ► ' a •In 1929 fire completely destroyed the First Baptist Church,an estimated loss of ten thousand dollars. In 1939 and again in 1940 the Continental Tire and Rubber Company suffered huge fires that destroyed thousands of used tires. The spcond fire occurred July 24, 1940, Local firemen received help from the lire departments of Dallas a~nd Arlington, and with their assistance the i ire company’s building was saved. Smoke from this fire could be seen by pilots of aircraft in Waco; smoke and heat were so intense that three firemen were overcome. The fire continued to bur*-* for more than B week, smoke damaging the interior of many homes of the community.The Pa rent-Teacher Association was formerly known as the Mothers’ Club, the change in name occurring about 1920, This association made nianv valuable contributions to the community, particularly to the schools. In 1922 it purchased three drinking fountains for the school. In 1922 it made contributions to the athletic department of the school, In 1924 it donated one hundred dollars to construct a sidewalk from the school to town: in 1925 it began serving lunchesto the school children; in 1931 it. donated a set of scalesto the school: and in 1936 it helped the Chamber of Commerce sponsor the first Paster Egg Hunt” in Grand Prairie,The 1921 local Parent-Teacher Association began showing movies in the school auditorium on Friday afternoons. In October of that year Mrs. Mcllhenny, president of the association, received a twenty-five dollar check from the Dallas Ku Klux Klan to cover a financial loss in proceeds from a movie due to a Ku Klux Klan parade.The Gj'aiid Prairie Booster’s Club was organized on April U, 1937. The first group of officers for this club were; Irving Might, president; Judson Wheat, first vice-president; B.A, Turner, second vice-president; T. G. Smith, secretary; and Van Reekum, treasurer. The purpose of this club was civic improvement by younger adults of the town.The Sam Pike Post Ilt;54 of the American Legion was organized in Grand Prairie in November 13, 1934. Its major program for i9.35 was the sponsoring of a safety program which included the purchase and installation of a traffic light. In 19 3b the legion assisted in a child welfare program’and a disabled veterans program. During 1937 the local post sponsored a Hoys' Safety Patrol and a Boy Scout d roop, fn 1939, when a smallpox scare was rampaging Dallas County, the post sponsored tlie vaccination lt;f children and adults in Grand Prairie.Fin- Grand Prairie Lions' Club was organized in January, )l2o. The first set of officers elected for this club were P.P. Che mm i It, president; \V. A. Bmndage and C.L. Rachels* vice-president: and J, F. Bus, secretary and treasurer, A charier btfnquct was attended by approximately twenty memixT.s m the basement of the First Methodist Church. The first project selected by this club was to sponsor better dairies.The Rotary Club was organized in February, 1940, The organization ni the members of the Irving Rotary Club assisted with the organization of the Grand prairie Rotary, At thismeet nig (/,. D, Miliar was ejected president and Leroy Young, secretary. The board of directors was composed of C, D. Miliar, j, S. Walker, W, Bingham, Roy F, Preston, Leroy Y'*ung, G. |[. Turner, and L. O. Turner. The local clubwas to meet each Friday at the community house. Nineteen men signified their desire for membership.The Commercial Club was the major civic club from 1909 until about 1920, when it became the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce. In February, 1922, this organization was consolidated with the Dalworth Chamber of Commerce, becoming the Grand Prairie-Dalworth Chamber of Commerce, which name it kept legally until after 1941.The activities of this organization from 1915 until J941 ware many and worthwhile. It assisted farmers by inviting well-informed speakers to discuss with them current practices in good farming; it was responsible for influencing citizens to vote for the establishment of a city park; it spent considerable effort in cooperation with the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce and other citizens for the construction of Mountain Creek Lake; it assisted each year in promoting the Grand Prairie Poultry and Livestock Show; it helped sponsor the first “paster Egg Hunt”; and it helped Mayor Turner in Cooperation with the Dallas Chamber of Commerce for the location in this area of Hensley Field and North American Aviat ion Incorporated. In February, 1923, the Grand Prairie-Dalworth Chamber of Commerce had 110 members, but by November 28, 1940, it had only ninety members.Thirteen women convened on March 30, 1935, in the homeA BUSY LADY . . .. . , Miss Jennie Vickery wiio resides at 327 N. Center posed for the above-picture in 1911 soon after moving to Grand Prairie, Always active and interested in church work she attended the Scarriott Bible and Training School in Kansas In hopes of being a missionary. However, due to failing eyesight, she was unable to accomplish her first mis sim and returned home to continue active in the First Methodist Church.of Mrs. L. A, Roberts to organize the Grand Prairie Study Club. Mrs. R, N. Bodine was its first president. Other first officers included Mrs. John S. Swadley, first vice-president: Mrs, John W. Trimble, second vice-president; Mrs. Earl J. Couch, reporter; Mrs. Clendon I. Hall, recording secretary; Mrs, Lonnis A. Roberts, treasurer; Mrs. Estell W. Turn-in ins, historian; Mrs. L, O, Turner, parliamentarian; Mrs, L. J. Young, corresponding secretary; and Mrs. Vernon J. Van Reekum, an honorary member.Charter members other than the officers were Mmes. T. G. Collins, J. T, Harston (deceased), R. L. Might, 0. Rex Megrail, and Miss Madge Tummins. The club federated in 193o. The purpose of the Grand Prairie Study Club as stated in its constitution and by-laws reads; ' The objectof this club shall be intellectual improvement and the promotion of charitable and social activity among the members”. This club contributed money and many books to the city library.From 1914 to 1922 the Grand Prairie Methodist Church grew stronger, as the membership increased to about two-hundred, and the various auxiliaries of the church were well organized. In the fall of 1922 Reverend Read was assigned pastor of this Methodist Church, where he found the congregation still wor,slipping in the same building he had helped to erect fourteen years earlier. He had not been serving the congregation long before he realized that the facilities were inadequate: as a result, a survey committee, was appointed to visit other churches for ideas concerning church building plans. During one year of Reverend Read’s ministry the membership increased from two-hundred to 310. It soon became apparent to all members that a completely new church building was desirable, plans were made for the building of a brick church at the corner of North Center and Church Street. The members of the missionary society again took the lead in initiating the building program by pledging two-thousand dollars and immediately started work to reach their goal. In October, 1923, a building committee was named and instructed to begin active work. This committee was composed of the following members; W. 13. Young, chairman; L. O. Turner, secretary; H. Ma Lucas* S. L. Sanders, J. L. Richardson, J. N. Vickory, J. A. Moore, W, A. Hancock, and T. G. Collins. The committee visited several churches for ideas to incorporate into their new church building, which they completed in 1925 costing $21,-000. In 1939 a small building was erected for the Men’s Bible Class.The number of members in the Methodist Church remained rather constant during this period, as there were slightly less than three hundred members in 1925, and there were three hundred in 1940.In 19 15 the First Baptist Church, which had a membership of about four hundred, moved to a frame building that was located at 122 Northeast Second Street. O* January 7, 1929. during the ministry of Reverend Hargrove, thischurch building burned. Following the fire church services were conducted in the high school auditorium.On August 5, 1929, the church met at a gravel pit north of Grand Prairie to baptize sixteen persons. From the baptizing the church reassembled at the old church lot where(Continued on Page 2)
Newspaper Details
Grand Prairie News Texan
Grand Prairie, Texas, US
Sun, May 26, 1963
Page 48
Full Page
Clipped by
James B.
TX, USA 27 Oct 2021
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