I just had a post earlier today and I thought I was through with what I had to say, but I just got a previous of the new Vote Ken Shetter video put together by Susan Cloud and my previous post was just too morose to put this video in the middle of it.
Wow, this video is great! Susan did an outstanding job! It is so uplifting, so joyful, the Grim Reaper would be dancing. Anyone that watches this video and doesn't have a similar reaction, must really be a sour puss.
First, let me reminisce:
When we moved to Burleson in 1974 there were two stop lights on 174 going through town. Old Town was just that; old. I liked Burleson certainly more than I liked North Richland Hills and Hurst; where we moved after college from Oklahoma. My husband and I both worked downtown so when we decided to buy a house, it really didn't matter if we stayed north or went south - we would drive either way. We couldn't find a lot that we wanted to build the house that we fell in love with, so Bob Johnson told us about some lots he had in Burleson. I knew about Burleson because when I was young and then a teen, I spent time at my aunt's house who lived between Cleburne and Grandview. Of course, as a teen, I heard about drugs and bad behavior - in the late 1960's. So, when the builder mentioned Burleson it was a familiar name I'd heard years before. We took a drive, signed the papers for the lot and away we went. Interestingly, we learned something else about Burleson while building that house. That Burleson was known for being a "white" community. I was shopping one night at Seminary South - one of the nicest shopping centers in Ft. Worth (long before Hulen and even Rigmar). I told a clerk where I was moving and she said something to the effect that I was wanting to get away from minorities. What a shock. I was a Child Protective Services Worker at the time and was appalled that someone would think that I was picking my home based on that! I like to think that if our decision and money had not been so heavily invested, we might have made a different choice upon learning of that, but we will never know. We like to think of ourselves as free of racism, but are any of us ever evolved as much as we think we are? I certainly know that I have grown in the interceding 35 years. Yes, Burleson has changed in that way too; for the better.
Our house was on the corner of Rand and Ann Lois. There was a house across from us, and two houses at the other end of the street. There was nothing else. Nothing. Alsbury was just a two lane worn out road and Sierra Estates and Brown's Mountain were non-existent. Wow how times have changed. Rooftops are evident all the way up and down the back side of that hill, taking you into Crowley.
Whenwe wanted to go eat, you pretty much had to leave town. We always went to Bill Martin's Seafood located half way back into Ft. Worth on Sundays. Later he sold his interest and I guess his recipes and had a no compete clause that enabled him to open a new restaurant, but it was down near CR 921 and I35W. We had some fast food around, but mainly locally owned with Pizza Chains such as Pizza Inn and Pizza Hut. Oh, and I can't forget the Dairy Queen and the Dairy Twin,"Home of the Bacon Burger". We were here and attended the free pizza night at Pizza Inn when it first opened. We were there the last day they served a few years ago, too. Who that was here could forget the opening of McDonald's on the Freeway. We were really up-town. Yet, most clothes shopping still had to be done in Ft. Worth, at least until Beall's Department Store showed up. That was realy nice. Gave my daughter a job all through high school and college!
The fun part was getting to Burleson in the early years we were here. I-35 was like a Parkway; two lanes going each way, with a cross over that was as dangerous as any road you would ever drive on. Shortly after we moved, they began building the freeway we have now and I spent at least 5 years driving on access roads into Ft. Worth to work. I was just glad it was over before my youngest learned to drive.
As for the schools, what we had was all on the west side of I-35 because there were no city utilities (or at least the kind needed to service a school) on the East side. It was a big deal in the late 1990's to finally be able to place an elementary school on that side of town. Norwood was a brand new school the day my oldest started school. There was a little skinny tree standing outside in the front. It's was a giant oak the last time I was there.
I remember Walmart in those days. A small friendly store that never had any open check out lanes. Now its a big impersonal store and still doesn't have any check out lanes.
So, I could go on, but never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined a Burleson like this that you will see on this newest video. Never. Burleson will celebrate its Centennial this year and this video certainly contrasts days gone by with today.
Mr. and Mrs. F.A. Shad, may have voted to take Burleson back to its "roots". but I think I'd rather have Ken Shetter who gave it wings and at the same time kept the roots!! Why can't we all just enjoy the ride.
Watch me please!
Just sayin... Enjoy!
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