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GARLAND
The community of Garland offers a great deal to families that work, play, go to school, and enjoy cultural events. Residents enjoy a quality environment. The Garland Independent School District has magnet programs and alternative education programs designed to help both gifted and challenged students maximize their potential academically and socially. The city has more than 2,500 acres of parkland, which include award-winning recreation facilities. It also owns a state-of-the-art 63-hole golf course, which attracts tourists and visitors from all over. The Patty Granville Arts Center recently opened its newest facilities: the Atrium banquet facility, and an additional 8,000 square feet in the performing arts center, which includes an impressive glass-lined lobby.
Two medical centers are located in Garland: Baylor Medical Center at Garland, and Leland Medical Plaza. There are several medical facilities close to Garland: Doctors Hospital is seven miles away in Dallas; Mesquite Community Hospital, approx seven miles distance; and Lake Pointe Medical Center is located 6 miles from Garland in Rowlett.
In addition to the extensive services and facilities in Garland itself, residents can take advantage of the many cultural, social, intellectual, and recreational activities found in and around Dallas.
LOCATION
Garland is on State highways 66 and 78, and the Missouri Pacific and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroads, fifteen miles northeast of cosmopolitan Dallas in northeastern Dallas County. The cities closest to Garland are: Sachse (5.8 miles), Rowlett (6.0 miles), and Richardson (6.8 miles).
TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with 2,300 daily flights to nearly 200 worldwide destinations, is third busiest passenger airport in the world. It is located 28 miles away. Dallas Love Field Airport is 16 miles from Garland in Dallas. Fort Worth Alliance is about 48 miles away in Fort Worth.
BRIEF HISTORY
Before Texas attained statehood in 1846, Garland was part of a huge settlement around the area now known as Dallas. This settlement was part of a venture founded by a man called W.S. Peters. More settlers began arriving about 1850, and by 1874, a small community had developed around a store, and a corn mill, built somewhat later on by a man named Moles on Duck Creek. Hence, the name "Duck Creek' was adopted by the settlers. Cotton became the main agricultural product, and by 1867, two cotton gins were built. A post office was established in 1878.
In 1886 the Santa Fe Railroad opened a rail line and station that bypassed Duck Creek by nearly a mile. A village developed around the Santa Fe depot and was called Embree, after a well-known doctor, K.H. Embree. This new transportation center attracted many of the Duck Creek natives - as well as their post office! Also in 1886 the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad (MK&T) built a station nearby giving IT the name 'Duck Creek'.
Rivalry developed between Embree and the new Duck Creek, as each community competed in drawing the settlers from the original Duck Creek to their own locale. It took government intervention to finally resolve the squabbling. Dallas County Judge and local resident, Thomas A. Nash, asked a visiting Congressman, Joe Abbott, to move the post office between the two towns. In 1887, the government moved the post office and by a Congressional bill, and the two railroads were required to deliver mail and merchandise to the new post office. At the same time the name 'Garland' was bestowed on the new location, in honor of then Attorney General A. H. Garland. Duck Creek, Embree, and old Duck Creek were no more, as they combined to form the new town of Garland.
After the fire of 1889 the town rallied by forming its first volunteer fire department. These volunteers used a 2-wheel cart, which carried two 30-gallon soda and acid fire extinguishers. Over time the department grew and added necessary equipment, and the first paid Fire Chief was hired in 1955, Mr. Harry Grantham.
Garland was incorporated in 1891. In May of the same year M. D. Williams was elected as the first mayor along with one marshal, Mr. Tobe Ethridge, and five aldermen: S. E. Scott, J. N. Floyd, J. R. Brown, S. A. Allen, and J. D. Curfman.
From 1950 to 1954, the Garland area suffered the most serious drought in its history. Garland and eleven other area cities formed the North Texas Municipal Water District to reduce the possibility of a future water crisis. Finally, after a fire ravaged the business district for the third time in sixteen years, the town leaders recognized that a municipal water and sewer system would not only help reduce fire insurance rates, but would encourage the community's growth.
Garland officially entered the electric and water utility business in 1923, and shortly thereafter, a much-needed Garland Power & Light emerged. Today GP&L produces 430 megawatts of generating capacity.
With more than 62,000 customers, Garland Power & Light has become the third largest municipal electric system in the State of Texas and the thirty-ninth largest in the nation.
ABOUT EDUCATION
Garland Independent School District (GISD)
Located in one of the fastest growing areas of Dallas County, Garland ISD extends from the Dallas city limits, northeast to the county line, and serves the communities of Garland, Rowlett, and Sachse.
With a student enrollment of over 55,000 students, GISD is currently the fourth largest school district in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex, and is thirteenth largest district in the state of Texas. The total district comprises approximately 44 elementary schools, thirteen middle schools, and eight high schools.
In addition to the standard curriculum provided by the district, GISD offers alternative and accelerated programs.
The Garland Alternative Education Center is one such program. The basic assumption of this program is that these students are having difficulty with judgement and making good choices. Professionals and support staff who serve the students at the Center are trained to help students develop a better understanding of the consequences of their actions. Providing choices helps the students have power over their lives and develop discrimination. Daily advisory classes cover topics such as social skills, trust, gangs, drugs and violence. Class sizes are small and one-on-one interaction has been useful in helping students catch up and keep up.
The Classical Center at Brandenburg Middle School is a magnet program that utilizes a classical approach to curriculum, focused on 'developing the whole child', which includes the study of Latin, literature, fine arts, and physical fitness. A positive learning environment is encouraged wherein students can more fully develop their talents. A program emphasizing character development and a standard dress code supports academic studies.
Beaver Technology Center for Math & Science, and its sister school, Watson, serve children in grades 2-5 who evidence talent and a strong interest in science, math and technology. | |
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ROWLETT
"It is the mission of the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce to represent the business community, promote economic well-being, and quality of life."
The residents of Rowlett value their sense of belonging to their community. Evidence the many festivals and events sponsored by the city, which are aimed at fostering community spirit and creating a feeling of cohesiveness. Throughout the seasons families and friends get together to enjoy such festivals as Tree Lighting Festivities, Holiday Parade and Chile Cook-Off, Pecan Fest, National Night Out, and Festival of Freedom.
Because Rowlett is only a short drive to the Dallas Metro Area, residents can spend an afternoon in a stimulating, cosmopolitan environment, then back home to relax and enjoy an evening event in the park. Numerous cultural and artistic events, exposure to new experiences, cultural diversity, haute cuisine, and the latest in fashion trends - all these things are available to Rowlett residents.
Rowlett has an abundance of parks and recreational areas, which residents fully enjoy and make good use of. These areas include in-city developed parks, nature trails, and access to Lake Ray Hubbard. Following are only a few.
Community Park features 138 acres with lighted soccer fields, softball fields, and basketball courts. Picnicking, walking and hiking, fishing in 2 lakes, or playing volleyball or horseshoes are recreational activities available to residents, families and friends.
Seven-acre Lakeside Park along Lake Ray Hubbard is an ideal picnic site for the avid fisherman. Enjoy the fishing pier, playground, sand volleyball court and paved walking trails.Herfurth Park features 24-acres with lighted, tournament quality baseball fields, tennis courts, and boasts the first city-owned and operated Skate Park in the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex. Also take advantage of the picnic areas, playground, wiffleball field, and regulation size in-line lighted hockey rink.
The Skate Zone Skate Park is the newest addition to recreational opportunities in Rowlett. An 18,000 square foot skate park features half-pipes, quarter-pipes, grind rails, and fun boxes.
LOCATION
Rowlett is located near I-30 and Hwy 66, approximately 18 miles northeast of the Dallas. The closest cities to Rowlett are Garland, which has a population of approx. 215,768, and is 6 miles west of Rowlett; Sache is 5.5 away; and Rockwall is 6.1 miles.
Lake Pointe Medical Center is located in Rowlett. Other Hospitals/Medical Centers near Rowlett are: Bariatric Care Center Of Texas (about 8 miles in Wylie); Mesquite Community Hospital (about 9 miles in Mesquite); Baylor Medical Center at Garland (about 9 miles in Garland).
TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Several major airports serve the Rowlett area. They are in order of distance: Dallas Love Field which is 22 miles away in Dallas; Dallas/Ft Worth International is approx 34 from Rowlett in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area; and Fort Worth Alliance, about 54 miles in Fort Worth.
BRIEF HISTORY
Rowlett's history can be traced back to 1835 when a man named Daniel Rowlett led several immigrant families from Kentucky to Texas, and settled near present day Bonham around Red River. Rowlett was awarded a land grant for his military service performed during the Texas revolution, and became a leading citizen of Fannin County. His grave can be seen in the "Old Inglish Cemetary" in Bonham.
Two immigration companies shared the land around what is now known as Rowlett - the W.S. Peters Colony and the Charles Mercer Colony. In the 1840's American settlers moved in to establish their landholdings. By 1844 some French and German-speaking immigrants settled in, and others moved north in the 1850's. The County of Dallas was established in 1846.
The first post office, opened in 1880, and named Morris for Postmaster Austin Morris, was later changed to Rowlett, after Rowlett Creek, a major tributary of the Trinity River. Post Civil War settlers traveled in more easily than their predecessors, as railroads spread westward. In 1889 the Greenville & Dallas Railroad reached Rowlett, and by the turn of the century, Rowlett was a thriving farm community, with many stores and services along with its own school and churches.
Much later after the successful advent of the automobile, the Bankhead Highway, the second transcontinental paved highway in America, passed through Rowlett in 1921 on its way from Washington D.C. to San Diego. The City of Rowlett was incorporated in 1952.
Rowlett continued on its way to growth and to developing its own unique character. In the 1960's Interstate Highway 3 was completed. It provided a direct route to Dallas and bypassed Rowlett. Lake Ray Hubbard, completed in 1971, made Rowlett a desirable lakefront community. Since the 70's Rowlett has grown considerably to its present-day size.
ABOUT EDUCATION
Excellence in Education is a top priority in Rowlett.
Students living in the Dallas County portion of Rowlett are served by the Garland Independent School District. Students living in Rockwall County attend schools in the Rockwall County Independent School District. Both school districts have exemplary-rated campuses, and both districts routinely achieve above state average scores on statewide standardized achievement tests.
The Garland Independent School District is proud of the achievement level of its students, and values the community's continual commitment to excellence in education. Eighty-four percent of students pass the statewide standardized achievement tests. Residents have approved every school bond issue, and the GISD is one of only 38 districts nationwide and only 3 in Texas to earn an AA1 bond rating from Moody's Investor Service.
The Rockwall Independent School District is one of only 36 school districts in Texas to be accredited district-wide by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The SACS accreditation indicates compliance to standards of excellence exceeding state requirements .All of Rockwall's schools are rated "high performing" by the Texas Education Agency.
There are many institutions of higher learning in the area: The University of Texas at Dallas, Southern Methodist University, Eastfield College, Richland College, El Centro College, Brookhaven College, and Collin County Community College - all are within 25 miles of Rowlett. | |
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MESQUITE
Mesquite might be best known for the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. Started in 1958 this highly entertaining and challenging sport has since grown in popularity and doubled its seating, and is now held at the new Resistol Arena. It is now televised and enjoyed by sports lovers worldwide. The Rodeo perhaps typifies the Texas spirit more than any other activity. Rough riding cowboys and rodeo riders display the skills that made the old West come alive in bull riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping and more. Texas barbecue and country swing add to the festivities.
Mesquite residents also enjoy the arts and culture. The Mesquite Arts Center is home to more than 16 arts groups, which include the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, Mesquite Community Band, and Mesquite Community Theater. The Center also has a large art gallery, which exhibits works of local and national artists.
The restored Florence Ranch Homestead attests to Mesquite's pride in their heritage, and is only the first in a number of important historical structures and grounds that are being restored. This fascinating home from the late 1800's was donated by one of oldest families in the area.
Contemporary Mesquite is a city of approximately 126,57 residents, full of business and industry, which is continually attracting new families. It has come a long way from the small agricultural community with one poorly made dirt road to a thriving community just outside the cosmopolitan city of Dallas.
LOCATION
Mesquite is located near the junction of I-635 and Hwy 80, just east of Dallas.
About 12 miles west of Mesquite lies Dallas, which has a population of over one million. Garland has a population of over 200,000 and is only 8.8 miles away. The two closest cities to Mesquite are Sunnyvale (3.1 miles), and Balch Springs (4.5 miles).
TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Several major airports serve the Mesquite area. They are in order of distance: Dallas Love Field which is 17 miles away in Dallas; Dallas/Ft Worth International is approx 31 from Rowlett in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area; and Fort Worth Alliance, about 51 miles in Fort Worth.
BRIEF HISTORY
The beginnings of Mesquite revolve around railroads. In 1873, the first plat of the townsite of Mesquite was recorded at the Dallas County Courthouse by A.R. Alcott, a Texas & Pacific Railroad Company engineer and planner of depot towns. The railroad company bought a square mile of land, built a depot, and offered business property and residential lots for sale. In that same year, the Texas & Pacific out of Shreveport chugged through Mesquite to Dallas. Thus began an important period of development.
Though several families, whose surnames are known, had previously settled in the area now known as Mesquite, it is Major William Bradfield whom historians recognize as the first settler. Bradfield was from North Carolina, and arrived in 1873 with the railroad. He was the first stationmaster and first postmaster. Mesquite was the second town outside Dallas in Dallas County to incorporate - in 1887.
Education was important to these early pioneers, and different field schools were started on family farms: the Oates school opened during the 1870s; the Bennett School served the community until 1894; the Murphree School began operation in 1881. The Mesquite Community School served school children from 1887 to 1902 on the current site of the First Baptist Church. Rufus Cole, a Mesquite resident who attended the school for his first year of education, told Mesquite historians that the school was a two-story frame building and that the country school children walked to class through miles of mud, snow and rain. The Mesquite Independent School District was formed in 1901.
Mesquite served a growing farming community whose main crops were cotton, hay, corn, and sugar cane. From 1900 to 1920 hay replaced cotton as the moneymaking crop. Cattle were also raised for sale in the area, and both animals and crops were transported to outside markets on the Texas & Pacific Railroad.
During the early 1870s, the main business area of Mesquite consisted of a post office, railroad depot, confectionary store, a saloon, blacksmith shop, gin, and four dwellings. In 1890, the town's total population was 135. Because the town was relatively isolated from the larger Dallas, over time more local goods and services were developed. General merchandise stores, a hardware and farm implements outfit, a grocery and drug store, a barbershop, hotel, and two saloons sprang up. In 1904 the first manufacturing plant, the Dallas Pressed Brick Company, provided employment.
By the 1920's Mesquite had developed a variety of entertainment and social events, the most popular of which was the Mesquite Fair. Agricultural exhibits and crafts, livestock and crops were displayed by the farmers while local companies displayed their products. There were also concerts and bands, amateur talents shows, and traveling road shows for these hard-working families to enjoy.
The growth of Mesquite can be divided into two eras the quiet agricultural town between the 1870's to the late 1950s and the post-World War II building boom that brought phenomenal growth, increased population, and housing subdivisions. Big Town Mall was constructed in 1959 and was the first enclosed mall in the Southwest. The first public library was built in 1964.
In 1970, LBJ Freeway connected Mesquite to its neighboring communities, bringing increased economic growth to the city.
In 1986 the Mesquite Historical Commission was formed as interest in preserving the city's cultural and historical heritage took hold. The first house to be restored was one originally built in 1871 by David Florence, and today the renovated house and grounds provide a peek into the agricultural lifestyle of an earlier time. Several other projects are in the works, which include restoration of homes, plans for an 11-acre park, and the restoration of other notable structures that tell of Mesquite's cultural and historical heritage.
ABOUT EDUCATION
The Mesquite Independent School District was rated "Academically Acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency for its TAKS scores and dropout rate. The district's 44 schools serve 33,833 students from grades K-12.
Following is a quote by parents of an Austin elementary school student:
"Austin is a great school in getting the students ready to move up to middle school. The students have a strong foundation and are ready for a more challenging education. The school leadership has a genuine love for students and it is evident in their interactions with the students and their families."
Eastfield College in Mesquite has a full time enrollment of 4,457 students, and there are many other colleges and universities near Mesquite: Southern Methodist University; Richland College and El Centro College, both in Dallas; The University of Texas at Dallas is about 16 miles away in Richardson; Brookhaven College, Mountain View College, and Dallas Baptist University are all approximately 20 miles from Mesquite. | |  Request my Free Garland, Rowlett and Mesquite Relocation Package. It's packed full of useful and important information about the Garland, Rowlett and Mesquite, Texas area. Don't move here without it! Remember: I'll send it to you for free and without obligation. Just fill out the form and I will send it right out... It's my job to know EVERYTHING about Garland, Rowlett and Mesquite! Ask me any question. Or request a FREE information package. There's no obligation, and I promise to get back to you quickly...  |  | | | | |
Real Estate Contracts >Clean Contracts
"Clean" is a term that is often used to describe an offer on a house. A "clean" offer does not refer to the price of the house, but to the terms of the agreement. If you really want a particular house, the "cleaner" you can make your offer, the better.
What are the characteristics of a clean contract? A contract is considered "clean" when the buyers are paying cash or are clearly qualified for a mortgage, the sale isn't contingent on the sale of another home, the buyers don't ask the sellers to carry any of the financing, and if the closing date coincides with the sellers' needs. A clean contract doesn't have any unusual requests for repairs or insistence that certain articles convey that would not ordinarily stay in the house. A clean offer has an important competitive edge if you are offering less than full price or if you are in a situation where there is more than one offer on the property.
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| Q |
What area in the United States has the highest per capita income?
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| A |
The New York/New Jersey/Long Island area has a per capita income of over $750,000, according to the most current available U.S. census data. |
 See More Real Estate Trivia > |
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