Carver Dixon King
Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born on May 18, 1843 in Tennessee, C.D. "Uncle Dutch" King was an early leader in Arlington. He moved to Texas in 1873 and became Arlington's first mayor shortly after the town was established in 1876; he again served as mayor from 1899-1900. King also worked as a notary, owned a grocery store and icehouse, and served 13 terms as justice of the peace. He was devoted to the community, serving on city boards and organizations when not in office. King had two children with his first wife, Reola Eunice (Buford). After her death, he married Ione Fort. C.D. King died in 1930 and was interred in Parkdale Cemetery. Today, he is remembered as one of Arlington's earliest and most dedicated leaders. (2010)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Tennessee in 1843, Carver Dixon "Uncle Dutch" King came to Texas in 1873 and helped launch the new town of Arlington, serving as its first mayor after its 1876 founding. A grocer, icehouse owner, notary, and justice of the peace across thirteen terms, King wove himself into nearly every civic institution of the growing town. He died in 1930, remembered as one of Arlington's founding leaders.
Why it matters
King's many overlapping roles show how a single dedicated citizen could knit together the government and commerce of a raw frontier town in a single generation.
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Related people
- · Carver Dixon King
Themes & tags
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