Bird's Fort, Texas | |
|---|---|
Fort – Garrison | |
  Bird's Fort Location within Texas | |
| Coordinates:32°47′56″N97°5′0″W / 32.79889°N 97.08333°W /32.79889; -97.08333 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Tarrant |
| Built | 1841 |
| Founded by | Major Jonathan Bird,Fourth Brigade of Texas Militia |
| Elevation | 485 ft (148 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
Bird's Fort was a community north of present-dayArlington,Texas (USA).[1][2] In 1841, whenJohn Neely Bryan established Dallas, he invited the settlers at Bird's Fort to come live in his proposed city.[3]
The site was named for Major Jonathan Bird, who established afort there in September 1841 along theTrinity River, for protection of the settlements along the Texas frontier.[4][5] The garrison was constructed after the battle ofVillage Creek which occurred on May 24, 1841.[6] Bird's Fort was occupied until March 1842 when the garrison was abandoned due to the threat of aComanche attack.[7]
The military installation was the site of the 1843 treaty negotiations between tribal Indians andAnglo settlements in theRed River counties.[8]
On August 6, 1843, the ill-fated Snively Expedition was disbanded at Fort Bird.[9]
Bird's Fort was recognized as a Texas historic site in 1936.[1]
Birdville, Texas, (in present-dayHaltom City) was the first settlement inTarrant County and was named after Bird's Fort.[10]