History of the Grapevine Historical Society


The Grapevine Historical Society was organized and incorporated initially in 1974 as a 501 (c)(3) (not-for-profit) organization. Its first project was to save the Cotton Belt Depot. The railroad had served notice that it had no further use for the depot (it had been closed since 1972) and intended to demolish it. In order to save it, some of the members of the Grapevine Garden Club, led by Alberta Nettleton, organized the Grapevine Historical Society to take charge of the depot and move it off the railroad land. The depot was cut into several pieces and moved to Heritage Park near the corner of Ball and Wall Streets and reassembled much as it had been at its former site on Main St.

At the solicitation of the Historical Society, the people of Grapevine started donating items of historical significance and a fine little museum was set up in the depot. At first the Museum was kept open and attended by Society volunteers. But ultimately the Society employed a docent/curator for the museum. The railroad later sold the land, where the depot had been on Main Street, to the city. The Heritage Foundation had been formed in the meantime and took over the project of moving the depot back to its original location and restoring it.

The Grapevine Historical Society organized and held the first Fall Festival in 1975. The Society held the festival annually until the Heritage Foundation took it over in 1986 and began to call it the Fall Festival.

In 1909 the town council had authorized the construction of a concrete calaboose to detain the infrequent drunk or other minor lawbreaker. In 1976, the Society restored and moved this old calaboose from its original location on Bartley Street to a location beside the depot in Heritage Park. It was later moved to a location on the southwest corner of Franklin and Main Streets just across the street from Willhoite's Restaurant.

The Society donated a microfilm reader to the Grapevine Public Library and in 1981, copied to microfilm all back editions of the Grapevine Sun from 1898 to 1876.

When it became known that an old log cabin on Dove Road was to be destroyed to make room for a new home, the Historical Society set about saving it. On 48 hour notice, members of the Society labeled the logs, disassembled and moved the cabin to its present location in Liberty Park on Main Street in Grapevine. The cabin originally stood on a headright settled in 1845 by Francis Throop. J. L Wiley bought the property in 1868 and sold it to John R. Torian in 1886. The Torian family members occupied it until the 1940s. The reassembled cabin was sparsely furnished by the Society and dedicated at its new site on Dec 5, 1976.

In 1979, under the organization and supervision of the Editor, Charles Young, members of the Grapevine Historical Society assembled and published the first edition of the Grapevine History Book. In 1985 a second edition of the book was published. The second edition and a supplement to the first edition may be purchased from the Society at the Grapevine Public Library or the Historical Society Museum in the Cotton Belt Depot or by writing to the Society at PO Box 995, Grapevine Tx 76099.

In 2006, under the organization and supervision of the Editor, Sandra Tate, members of the Grapevine Historical Society assembled and published a second book Grapevine’s Most Unforgettable Characters which contains over 400 stories of many of the people who first came and pioneered the town as well as stories of those who lived in Grapevine from that time period through the current time. Over 600 photographs of the people and area of Grapevine are included in this second book, one that is unique in its presentation.

Over the years the Society has donated many books and magazines to the Grapevine Public Library including several books on Genealogy.

The Society sponsored the Audio History Project and has recorded and preserved audio tapes of over 45 long-time residents of Grapevine. These tapes are available in the Genealogy Section of sthe Grapevine Public Library. They include the reminiscences of the city leaders in education, business and government about the "olden days". Several early school teachers are included talking about the early sschools in and around Grapevine.

The Grapevine Historical Society originated the Historical Marker (Landmark) program and has dedicated and provided markers for various landmark buildings in Grapevine.

Also, the Society compiled the first inventory of headsstones in several area cemetaries including the Grapevine, Bear Creek, Minters Chapel and Parker Cemetaries. This invesntory is alphabetical by cemetary and is available to the public in the Genealogy Section of the Grapevine Public Library.

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