The History of White Settlement, TX

In 2005, concerns that White Settlement was losing business opportunities because of its name prompted a vote to consider changing it. A name change was overwhelmingly rejected in a vote totaling 2388 against and 219 for. The oldest street in town is White Settlement Road. The Naval Air Station -Fort Worth occupies some of the land. Local schools are overseen by the White Settlement Independent School District.

I realize there’s a history that can’t be found on the Internet. The settlers weren’t the original inhabitants of the land. Even after White Settlement was founded, most of the original inhabitants were forced away. Blood and tears are the legacy of Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine. But today, concern for the church shooting is enough to consider.

Before today’s shooting, the big local news was about a local YMCA opening up and the Christmas tree round-up. This shooting will likely be obscured by the multiple stabbing at a Rabbi’s home in New York. There will be speculation about the shooter’s motive and about the victim and the loss experienced by family members. My curiosity about the name settled for the moment, I’ll say a prayer that this type of news doesn’t keep repeating itself. Amen.