History and Heritage
The heart of a small town still beats strong in Irving.
In a city where the crossroads of the world meet and big business thrives, the roots of small-town life still run deep! Welcome to the Heritage District of Irving, Texas. Here, friends are neighbors and neighbors are friends. The pace of life is a little more relaxed. And people take pride in Irving's past -- as well as its future.
The Heritage District of Irving is an area that sometimes gets overshadowed, but is integral to the quality of life we enjoy in Irving. It was in this area that J.O. Schulze and Otis Brown first laid out the design of Irving in 1903 as a railroad town on 80 acres of land acquired from the Britain family. The original section of Irving has gone through numerous changes over the years, but the heart of the city still beats strong in the Heritage District.
Settlers came to the area that is now Irving in the 1850's, and communities such as Sowers, Kit, Shady Grove, Union Bower, Finley, Estelle and Bear Creek sprang up in the last half of the century. Schulze and Brown, who were employed by the Chicago, Rock Island & Gulf Railway, arrived in 1902 to survey a railroad route between Fort Worth and Dallas. Having decided that this area would be an ideal town site, they bought 80 acres from the Britain family in 1902. The co-founders sold the first town lots at a public auction on December 19, 1903. The post office at nearby Kit was moved to Irving in 1904. Irving was officially incorporated April 14, 1914. The City Council adopted author Washington Irving as the city's namesake in 1998.
The history of Irving, Texas is alive in Heritage Park. Located in the heart of the heritage district, the park contains a number of historic relics: Caster Cabin, one of Irving's original cabins, built in 1887 by Henry Caster; Irving's original water tower; a windmill original to the area; a depot symbolizing the Rock Island Depot built in 1903; Irving's first library building, opened in 1941; and a gazebo.
Irving’s Heritage District has been honored as a Texas Main Street by the Texas Historical Commission. Three of America’s best small businesses (as ranked by the US Chamber of Commerce) call the Heritage District home: Big State Drug Store, Glory House Catering and Joe’s Coffee Shop! You can find nearly everything you want or need in the Heritage District including antiques, florists, gifts, and a drug store soda fountain where you can have a hamburger and milk shake for lunch. There is even a bed and breakfast to make your visit memorable.
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