The Family Farm Turned Subdivision
Sometime around the late 1930s the Jones family began looking for a farm somewhere north of Fort Worth. The requirements for the property were a colonial style house for Ruth, a large barn for Clarence, and most importantly land that could eventually be developed.
Jones landed on a 268 acre farm on Grapevine Highway. The property was purchased in the early 1940s, but the family didn't move there officially until 1943.
According to Naomi Cummings (Clarence Jones' daughter) the entrance to the farm was a source of contention after she moved back from college:
"Dating was difficult at this time -- no telephone, gasoline was rationed, and all the boys were in the service. When I did date and the young man was bringing me home, as soon as the car hit the cattle guard at the drive entrance a bunch of rabbits would take off in all directions. This was something we all watched for. I even asked if Dad had fixed the pipes on the cattle guard so the noise would wake him, and he’d know what time I was brought home."
The Jones' family home being moved from its orginal plot to its current location on what would become Cummings Drive.
In 1952 the farm was subdivided to develop more than 180 homes with 12 acres reserved for what would become the Greater Richland Center. Clarence Jones thought the development would be annexed by Richland Hills. The residents of his development even petitioned for annexation. Richland Hills did not respond. Making it clear that a new plan would need to be developed.
This map shows the layout of the housing development and where the shopping center would later be built. Jones named the streets of his subdivision after members of his family. Cummings and Turner for his daughters married names. Daley, Blaney, and Briley were also family names.
Green, G. N. (1999). The History of North Richland Hills : Where Families Live, Work, Worship, and Play. North Richland Hills: Smithfield Press.