Union Bower Community
Irving, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Attracted to the fertile land along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, settlers first came to this area in the mid-19th century. William and Virginia Smith, of Pennsylvania, arrived in 1879. Soon thereafter, Charles and Lucy (Santerre) Voirin bought land north of the Smith's property. The families worked together to establish what became known as the Union Bower Community. Residents cut wood from the riverbank thickets and hauled the wood and their farm products, including cotton, corn, vegetables, and fruit, to market in Dallas. In 1885, area families organized a non-denominational Sunday school. Later, the Methodist Church sent the Rev. W.E. Hawks to establish a church, which was dedicated in 1907. Originally called Hawks Chapel and later named Union Bower Methodist Church, it continues today as Oak Haven United Methodist Church. After the death of their daughter in 1886, the Smiths established the cemetery for community use. As early as 1890, Mark Callister Lively founded the Lively School at today's Britain and Union Bower Roads. Area Catholic and Church of Christ families held services in the school building. The Union Bower School, established on land donated by the Smiths, opened in 1891 and served the community until the 1960s. When Irving was established along he Rock Island rail line in 1903, the area's rural communities, including Union Bower, declined in population. After the Elm Fork channel was rerouted, various industries developed in the area. By the time Irving annexed Union Bower in 1956, little remained of the agricultural roots of the community. Decades after the Union Bower School losed, alumni continue to meet and share their memories of the once close-knit farming settlement. (2005)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Drawn by fertile land along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, settlers reached this area by the mid-19th century, and after William and Virginia Smith arrived in 1879 the families here built what became the Union Bower Community. They hauled cotton, corn, and produce to Dallas markets, organized a Sunday school in 1885 that grew into a Methodist church, and established schools and a community cemetery. When Irving was founded on the railroad in 1903, Union Bower's rural population declined, and by the time Irving annexed it in 1956 little of its farming character remained.
Why it matters
Its rise and absorption trace the familiar fate of North Texas farm hamlets swallowed by the growth of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolis.
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Related people
- · William Smith
- · Virginia Smith
- · Charles Voirin
- · Lucy Santerre Voirin
- · Mark Callister Lively
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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