Sunday, December 1, 2013

Finding A Ripley Arnold Revisionist Historical Marker At One Of Fort Worth's Boondoggle Confluences

On my walkabout in the downtown Fort Worth zone the day after Thanksgiving, near the area where the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle encourages people to go float in the Trinity River, I came upon the historical marker type installation you see on the left.

Due to the sun being too bright, and the text contrast on the sign being too slight, I was unable to read this sign til I got it off my camera and onto my computer.

The text was unreadable in the bright sun, but I was able to tell that this historical marker was about the Ripley Arnold public housing development which I thought had been destroyed by eminent domain abuse by the City of Fort Worth and Radio Shack, so that Radio Shack could have land to build a new corporate headquarters Radio Shack could not afford, which eventually became the new downtown Fort Worth Tarrant County College campus in an amazing Fort Worth boondoggle confluence.

I'll copy for your reading pleasure what is written on this historical marker....

RIPLEY ARNOLD PLACE
Fort Worth's first public housing development completed in 1940, was named to honor Major Ripley Arnold, commanding officer of the fort on the bluff overlooking the Trinity River that became Fort Worth (1849).

Six local architects designed the apartments in 1938  to provide affordable housing for low-income white tenants. Butler Place, several blocks east, was built at the same time for African-American residents. Funding for the 252 modernistic brick and concrete dwellings came from the United States Housing Authority and the sale of City of Fort Worth Housing Authority Bonds. Twenty-eight new homes were added in 1962. Units were racially integrated in the 1960s and air conditioning was added in 1996.

Ripley Arnold Place was sold in 2001, its proceeds provided seed money for mixed income developments in neighborhoods throughout the city. This new housing created better environments for residents and their families.
_____________________________________

Air conditioning was not added until 1996? When was indoor plumbing added, I can't help but wonder?

That last paragraph on the propaganda, I mean, historical marker, does not match my memory.

No mention is made that this public housing development was removed so that Radio Shack could build its headquarters.

I do not remember mixed income developments developing as a result of this "sale".  What I do remember is a big controversy erupting when an apartment complex was bought to which to move the displaced public housing residents, with people in that apartment complex's neighborhood objecting to low income people moving in amongst them.

This new housing created better environments for the displaced residents? Really?

Well, I am guessing that the new location of their public housing is much closer to grocery stores and other big city amenities than what they had closely available to them when they lived in downtown Fort Worth....

2 comments:

Steve A said...

The loser in all this is poor Major Arnold's reputation.

Durango said...

I thought the same thing, Steve A. They named this public housing project after Ripley Arnold to honor him? When eminent domain abuse was used to remove this public housing project was Ripley Arnold being dishonored?