W. W. White Family

W. W. White Family

Families
Genealogy

The Wayne W. White Family moved from Fort Worth to the present address on Harmonson Road in March of 1949. We have remodeled and rebuilt twice since then. When we came here. We had a county paved two-lane street. We had bus service on the hour during the day.

We had water and gas service furnished by Ben Harmonson. The water came from two wells. One was where Rufe Snow Drive water tower is now and the other was north of the new park between Glenview, Dawn Drive and Harmonson Road.

We had inside plumbing. Most of our neighbors had out-houses. We had a septic tank with lateral lines running in the back patch. All these lots were 1.25 acres. We had no police or fire departments, County and school tax only. The only school was on Carson Street and Texas 121. We had two children: Betty Ann, 2, and Jimmy Wayne, 2 months, when we moved and three more since then. Their names are Rodney William Joseph, Patrick Tommy and Albert.

There was a little store in front of McGee’s garage, run by the Wallers. At the corner of Pipeline Road (now Glenview) and the Grapevine Highway, there was a service station and Red Shack Café, both were run by Marvin Richardson families. Guynn’s Grocery at Carson and 121 was where people shopped, except for Leonard Brothers in downtown Fort Worth. Then in 1950 Wehrings Grocery was built at the corner of 183 and Rufe Snow, and then later the Buddies opened in Greater Richland Shopping Center at Blaney and 121.

We used to hunt rabbits and quail in and around old Broadway Road, below Birdville Hill, from the end of Dawn Drive all through the woods to Fossil Creek. The bridge washed out on old Broadway Road and the road was closed. There was a wrecking yard for cars where the big pecan trees and picnic tables are now. On the opposite side there was a county dump ground. There was a man killed by another man at the dump. Also, there were two World War II airplanes that crashed in midair. Parts were scattered all over the area. I was told by a neighbor that was living here then. This area became Richland Plaza.

In 1953, the Civic League was formed. The first meeting was at Herb and Maude Arnold’s office with about six members. Then we started meeting at the hall back of the Methodist Church on Glenview (in 1956). At that meeting, 21 of us were elected to be reserve police and were given two badges each. We were to help evacuate the school on the third Wednesday of each month, at 10:00 a.m. Joe Sayers was chief. Joe had to move to Fort Worth and I (W.W. White) was appointed to take his place by Mayor Don Denney.

Later I was appointed Civil Defense coordinator. I had to use PTA ladies to help. I had to go to meetings at City Hall in Fort Worth to get instructions as to what to do. In case of an attack alarm, we were to evacuate to a small town up in the Texas Panhandle. Thank the good Lord we didn’t have to go.

We had a car raffle in 1955 and 1956. In 1955, it was a Buick Special. In 1956, it was a Chevrolet Del Ray coupe. At the drawing, Mr. Clarence Jones’ name was drawn. He gave the car back to the Civic League and it was sold and the money was put into a building on Glenview Drive and Morgan Circle. The lot was donated as was most of the labor and lots of material. Roy Kelley and I put up the frame and soffit around the building. Most all of the Civic League members did something. We had a meeting in the new building in October 1956 and it was kinda breezy. After the windows and doors were put in, we had our Civic League meetings there and others used it for meeting. I used it for civil defense meetings. Afterwards the city used it for the fire department and now it is a senior citizens meeting place and some city offices are located there.

Some of our reserve police worked in Richland Hills moving people out of the flooded area, cleaning out silt, washing walls down and keeping looters out. Water was up to the eaves on some houses.

In the last 10 years, I have gotten older and slowed down. I don’t do much civic work anymore. Rufe Snow’s old home place was where the big trees are at Rufe Snow Drive and Shauna Drive. He used to ride to Fort Worth with me sometimes. He was a nice old fellow. He liked to ride in my Model-A Ford. I also knew Will Snow, his son. He worked for the county. He had four sons: Louis, Nimmo, Weldon and Lonnie, and one daughter, Dorothy. Weldon was in the concrete business and Lonnie sold cars.

There is a little brass plaque at the Broadway Bridge built in 1938 and it was put back in the new bridge. It names the county judge and commissioners for 1938-1940.