Village Creek Natural Area's Sad History of Eminent Domain Abuse

There is a park in west Arlington that I frequent that's only about 3 miles from my abode. The park is called Village Creek Natural Area, despite what you see on the entry sign.

Actually it would make more sense to call this an historical area rather than a natural area. It's not all that natural. But it's loaded with history.

The Village Creek valley was the home of one of the largest groups of Native Americans in Texas. Indians had farmed this area for 1000s of years. The tribes that lived here were the Anadarko, Bidais, Caddo, Keechi, Tawakoni, Waco, Waxahachie and Wichita. The tribes were all part of what was known as the Caddo Confederacy.

When the Republic of Texas came into being the Village Creek Indians were soon to lose their villages. By 1830 the United States had removed all Indians living east of the Mississippi. Many of the natives did not like the new Indian Territory, now known as Oklahoma. Tribes like the Cherokee, Biloxi, Ioni, Delaware and Chickasaw headed south to Texas, joining the Caddo Confederacy in signing a peace treaty with the Republic of Texas.

I don't know what the Caddo Confederacy got out of a peace treaty. Likely more misery.

By the time of the signing of a peace treaty the Caddos had been pretty much run out of Village Creek by repeated expeditions (battles) with the Texas militia who were clearing the area of Indians to make way for settlers who by 1841 were eager to get a piece of land grants.

Before being destroyed in the Battle of Village Creek, in 1841, a whole series of villages lay on either side of the creek for about 5 miles. 300 acres of corn grew near the villages. These were peaceful natives who's villages and homes the Texans destroyed. Shameful.

I hadn't realized til I connected the dots that Arlington has such a long long sad history of cowboys destroying native's homes.

The photos were taken this afternoon. There are huge oak trees and a lot of shade. You can stay comfortable under those trees even when it is real hot. Paved trails run through the 'natural' area. There are a lot of picnic tables, that I've seldom seen used. Like the ones in the last photo.