Journey back in time with me to the Dove Community Plaque. This marker stands as a testament to the pioneers who shaped this area.
The Dove Community Plaque marks a place rich in history. It tells a story of settlers and community spirit. The 1843 Bird’s Fort Treaty was a key event. It opened this area for new immigrants. Several Native American tribes were part of this treaty.
Families from Platt County Missouri came here. They established the Cross Timbers community. Today we know it as Grapevine. In 1846 residents formed the Lonesome Dove Baptist Church. The church was on the northern edge of the community.
One year later in 1847 members built a long log structure. It stood about four miles northwest of Grapevine. This was in the Eastern Cross Timbers. The Lonesome Dove School also started in 1846. Rev John Allen Freeman was both schoolteacher and church pastor. He served for ten years.
In 1849 the state legislature created Tarrant County. Birdville became the county seat. The US Army established Fort Worth as a frontier fort. By the 1870s the small village of Dove emerged. A general store and post office operated here. They were at the intersection of Dove and Lonesome Dove roads.
The Dove Community became a prosperous farming center. Cotton melon and dairy were its main products. The community included several important places. Lonesome Dove Cemetery lay just north of the church site. Dove Branch swimming hole was for recreation and baptisms. The Dove School consolidated later. It joined other area schools to form the Carroll Common School District. This happened in 1919.
The federal government completed Lake Grapevine in 1952. This forced some families to relocate. They moved from the northern part of the Dove Community. In 1979 the City of Southlake annexed Dove. Yet evidence of the early community remains.
The original Dove Community Plaque was erected in 2006. Sadly it was destroyed. A replacement marker now stands in its place. The Dove Community marker is at Dove and Lonesome Dove roads in Southlake. The Texas Historical Commission owns this marker. It is a subject marker made of aluminum. Its dimensions are 27 x 42 inches.
Standing here you can almost hear the echoes of the past. Imagine the sounds of families working the land. Think of children learning in the Lonesome Dove School. Feel the sense of community that defined Dove. This plaque reminds us of their enduring legacy. It honors the spirit of those early settlers. Their hard work helped to build this part of Texas.