Books

Irving Texas, From Rails to Wings, by Norma Stanton. Irving, Texas, 2003. 224 pp. End paper maps. Indexed
On December 19, 1903, over 150 North Texans gathered near a partially finished railroad depot on the Rock Island Railroad in northwestern Dallas County for an auction of city lots in the new community of Irving. Interest was high, with over 150 persons attending. More than twenty lots were sold that day with more sales to follow, and the new town was off to an impressive start. In 2003 the citizens of Irving conducted a yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of this event with multiple historical and social gatherings. A highlight of these festivities was the publication of a new history of Irving written by Norma Stanton.
No better person could have been chosen for the task, for during her forty-seven years as a resident of Irving she has seen it grow from a booming suburb into a mature and diverse city. Already an accomplished speaker and teacher, on moving to the city she took an active role in its affairs, serving as President of the League of Women Voters, a member of the City Council, moderator of public affairs programs, and, in recent years, as Irving's representative on the DART board, including a term as its President. For this work she has utilized her resultant knowledge of the area as well as the outstanding resources of the Irving Archives, interviews with early Irving residents or their descendents, deed records, old maps, the census, and earlier histories.
She begins her story with a description of the area before the town's birth. The communities of Kit, Union Bower, Estelle, Sowers, Finley, Bear Creek and others were already established. Families such as Smith, Haley, Britain, Story, Sowers, DeHaes, Voirin, Gilbert and Caster had discovered the advantages of the area and established productive farms and businesses. Many of them are now remembered as the names of streets or schools. The growth of the early community through its early years, the depression, two World Wars and the post WWII boom is detailed. Especially well told and delightful to read are the many stories recounting the customs and family life of the earlier era. These rich descriptions are what make the volume so superior to the usual local history, which often tends to become a rather impersonal numbering of the memberships of local organizations and officials with little attempt to impart an idea of what the life of the individual family must have been.
Lastly, the book presents a look at modern Irving. Liberal use of photographs accent a tour of the city's modern facilities, and the few remaining structures from our earlier years are pictured. A recapitulation of the Centennial Celebration completes the volume.