White Settlement Public Library is home to Browser who gained international attention in 2016 when local politicians sought to oust him from the library over the objections of local residents.
History
Even before the beginnings of a nearby military outpost, Fort Worth, white settlers took up refuge along a creek, later named Farmers Branch Creek.[6] Before the end of 1841, settlers began arriving from Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1850 the area's first census showed the population consisted of 599 white Americans and 65 Black enslaved people.[7] By the mid-1850s, many more settlers arrived bringing with them more slaves.[8]
The oldest street in White Settlement is White Settlement Road. This original trail led from the fort to the "white settlement" about eight miles west into Native American territory. As the Native Americans were forced from the area, and the settlement moved westward, the road followed. This was the only public road in White Settlement's early history.[9]
While early life was not easy for the settlers with frequent clashes with indigenous populations, White Settlement became a trading outpost. As the migrating settlers carved out homesteads among the various indigenous tribes, outsiders and Native Americans referred to the area as "the white settlement."[6][10]
In February 1942, Consolidated Aircraft Company began construction on the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber at Air Force Plant #4. Liberator Village, as it became known, consisted of housing units across the city to house aircraft workers.[10]
In modern times, the city of White Settlement is the gateway to national defense, bordered by Lockheed Martin and the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. As federal properties, the White Settlement Police Department has concurrent jurisdiction for calls for service and patrols at the military base and aircraft plant.[11]
Two members of the city's West Freeway Church of Christ were killed by a gunman on December 29, 2019, during a morning service. The shooter was in turn shot dead by a church security guard.[12]
Most recent White Settlement Mayor Ronald White died in office on January 17, 2023. Mayor White was the 19th Mayor of White Settlement. [13] Mayor Pro Tem Amber Muñoz took over as the 20th Mayor of White Settlement, becoming the first female Mayor in White Settlement. On May 6, 2023, citizens of White Settlement elected Faron Young in a special election to fill the office for the remainder of White's term.[14][15]
Name
The city got its name as it was a lone settlement of white colonists amid several Native American villages in the Fort Worth area in the Texas Republic territory in the 1840s.[16][17]
On October 14, 2005, city leaders, citing hurdles in attracting businesses,[18] announced a plan to have local voters decide on a possible name change for the town from White Settlement to West Settlement. In the November 8 election, the name change was overwhelmingly rejected by a vote of 2,388 to 219.[17][19]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,290 households, and 4,010 families residing in the city.
Culture
Castleberry Baptist Church, a Baptist church in White Settlement, September 2018
The city boasts amenities including a city-owned water park, Splash Days, that operates during the summer months.[25] White Settlement Public Library is home to Browser who gained international attention in 2016 when local politicians sought to oust him from the library over the objections of local residents.
The majority of White Settlement residents identify as Protestant Christians; however, there is also a Mormon church as well as a Buddhist temple within the city limits.[27]
Government and infrastructure
The city of White Settlement operates as a city manager form of government overseen by a Mayor and City Council.[28] The suburb of Fort Worth boasts a full-time police and fire department to represent public safety.
The police department is overseen by Chief of Police Christopher Cook, previously the chief spokesperson and deputy police chief for the City of Arlington, Texas.[11][29] The police department provides dispatch services to the cities of Westworth Village and Sansom Park. The department also provides detention services for the cities of Westover Hills, Westworth Village, Sansom Park, White Settlement Independent School District, the United States Marshal's Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2022, the Fort Worth Police Department and Tarrant County Justice of the Precinct 4 Judge Christopher Gregory entered into an Inter-local Agreement with the White Settlement Police Department to establish and authorize concurrent enforcement jurisdiction.[30]
^Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[23][24]
