John T. White

HISTORY

The John T. White neighborhood is located on the northeastern edge of Fort Worth's eastside, seven to ten miles from the Fort Worth Central Business District. It encompasses eleven surveys made between 1884 and 1896. It is bordered on the north and east by Randol Mill Road, the south by I-30, and the west by Loop 820.

This neighborhood was named after John T. White, the 1929 Superintendent of the Fort Worth school district. This neighborhood includes the Sandybrook area and surrounds a small neighborhood referred to as Cobblestone Square.

Some maps refer to the John T. White neighborhood as Draughon Heights, after J.W. Draughon, who owned land in the area in the late 1920's and developed portions of it in the early 1950's.

One of the main thoroughfares, Randol Mill Road, was named after a grain mill originally built by Archibald Leonard and two partners in the 1850's. The mill burned in 1860, was rebuilt in 1862, and was subsequently bought by W.A. Randol in 1872, retaining his name. A center of trade and news, Randol Mill operated until 1922 and finally burned down in 1933. The road leading to the mill became known as Randol Mill Road.

Just east of the John T. White neighborhood, at the confluence of Village Creek and the Trinity River, the 1841 Battle of Village Creek took place between a group of local Indians and an expedition led by General Ed. H. Tarrant and included Col. Wm. Cooke. The battle was a success for Tarrant and Cooke who extended their influence based on this recognition. When Texas became a state, each man had a county named for him.

One of the main streets running through John T. White was named after Jacob Cooke, who established a camp and trading post in 1870, for teamsters traveling west from Johnson's Station, later renamed Arlington. The teamsters would stop at this ten-acre campground before proceeding north to Birdville (now Haltom City) then west to acquire buffalo hides for later sale in Dallas. The trail these wagons followed later because known as Cooke's Lane.

Much of the Sandybrook area of John T. White was developed by the Fox & Jacobs Corporation, beginning in 1979.

NEIGHBORHOOD DESCRIPTION

John T. White is a very large, diverse neighborhood made up of pastureland, older frame houses and newer ranch style homes scattered throughout the area. Large lots are common in this area with a few tract homes in the Sandybrook area.

Homes in the Sandybrook area must be at least 60 percent masonry, and contain no less than 1,000 square feet of living area. Most homes here have low-pitched roofs and attached two-car garages. No trailers are allowed and only household pets may be kept in yards. Some large trees dot the area but are fewer than in other east side neighborhoods.

SCHOOLS

Elementary
Bill J. Elliott Elementary School, 2501 Cooke's Lane, 817-462-4100

Middle
Handley Middle School, 2801 Patino Rd., 817-496-7450

High School
Eastern Hills High School, 5701 Shelton St., 817-496-7600

WILLIAMS TREW

FORT WORTH REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

Williams Trew is a Fort Worth real estate brokerage specializing in residential real estate and offering some commercial real estate properties throughout Tarrant, Parker and Johnson Counties and serving the following cities: Aledo, Azle, Arlington, Benbrook, Burleson, Crowley, Fort Worth, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Haltom City, Keller, Kennedale, Mansfield, Mid-Cities, North Richland Hills and Watauga.