AVAREN is proud to provide computer repair & IT support consulting services to the businesses of Grapevine Texas.

A Brief History of Grapevine

Grapevine is a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth Texas. It is primarily contained within Tarrant County although it does have small zones that extend into both Dallas and Denton counties. Grapevine has a land area of 35.9 square miles of which almost 10% is water. In 2016, Grapevine had an estimated population of 52,000. A significant portion of Grapevine’s city limits are within the borders of Dallas Fort Worth international Airport. State Highways 26, 114, 121, and 360 all run into or through Grapevine. CNN Money rated Grapevine as one of “America’s Best Places to Live” in 2007.

In recent years the city has become known for its historic downtown area as well as several wineries. The area is also becoming known as an entertainment, convention, and retail district with the recent additions of the Grapevine Mills Mall (with ice rink and movie theater), the Gaylord Texan and Great Wolf Lodge. The Grapevine antique steam train is another favorite attraction, running a historic route between Fort Worth and Grapevine.

Grapevine Lake serves the area both as a water source and as a recreational area. It was created by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1952 when they damned up Denton Creek (a Trinity River tributary). The reservoir’s chief functions were to act as flood control and to serve as a municipal water supply. Many lakes in the area were created in a similar fashion after the passage of the River and Harbors Act of 1945. The lakes became part of a larger coordinated plan for controlling flooding along the Trinity River. When and if needed, any quantity of water can be allowed in or out of these reservoirs to allow for controlled capture or release of excess waters during flooding.

General Sam Houston and other agents of the Republic of Texas camped at Grape Vine Springs in October 1843 to meet with leaders from 10 Indian tribes. This meeting led to a treaty that effectively opened up what is now the ‘Grapevine area’ to settlement; the area taking its name from the wild grapes growing in the area.

Tarrant county having been officially founded in 1849; the first recorded settlements occurred in the 1840s and 1850’s as part of the Peters Colony. Before and after the civil war, General Richard Montgomery Gano was a property holder in the area and an influential citizen. He helped to organize parties to fight against the raiding Comanche’s before leading the “Grapevine Volunteers” on behalf of Texas and the Confederacy.

Growth during the latter half of the twentieth century was slow. It is said that by 1890 approximately 800 residents lived in the area. By the turn of the century Grapevine is reported to have had several cotton gins, a newspaper, post office, railroad, and a school. In 1914 the post office truncated “springs” from the name of the town and began referring to it simply as “Grapevine”. Cotton was the main crop grown in the grapevine area until after the turn of the century when the growing of cantaloupes began to surpass cotton. It is said that roughly 25,000 acres were planted in cantaloupes about the time the city was officially incorporated in 1936. Until the early 1970’s, Grapevine was advertised as the cantaloupe capital of the world. After the opening of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 1974, things began changing more rapidly for Grapevine.

AVAREN is proud to provide computer repair & IT support consulting services to the businesses of Grapevine Texas.