Irving is turning 122 this year, and the community is invited to celebrate on Friday, December 19. The Irving Archives and Museum will host a come-and-go birthday event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring free root beer floats, a look back at the city’s history, and support for the ongoing effort to restore the iconic Big State Sign.
Guests can explore the museum, learn more about Irving’s past, and take advantage of up to 30% off all items in the museum store, making it an easy spot to pick up holiday gifts. For details, residents can call (972) 721-3700 or visit IrvingArchivesandMuseum.com.
Preserving Irving’s Story
The Irving Archives and Museum has long served as the keeper of the city’s heritage. First created in 1981 within the City Secretary’s Office, the Archives later moved to the public library and ultimately became part of the current museum at 801 W. Irving Blvd. Its collections cover political, social, and everyday life in Irving, including materials from early settlements like Sowers, Kit, Estelle, and Bear Creek, as well as items tied to founding families, local schools, churches, and businesses.
Records date from the mid-1800s to today and include photos, scrapbooks, documents, newspapers, oral histories, videos, digital files, and small artifacts. Many of these materials can now be explored through the new Irving Online Archives at irvingtexas.historyit.com, offering easy access to historic images and documents that track the city’s development from its earliest settlements to the present.
From Railroad Survey to Modern City
Irving’s beginnings stretch back to the 1850s, when small communities and farms dotted the region. The modern city took shape in 1903, when J.O. Schulze and Otis Brown, surveyors for the Chicago, Rock Island & Gulf Railway, selected the area as an ideal town site. After purchasing land from the Britain family, they sold the first town lots at auction on December 19, 1903. Irving was incorporated in 1914 with Otis Brown as its first mayor, and in 1998 the City Council officially recognized author Washington Irving as the city’s namesake.
Over the following decades, Irving grew from a modest farming community into a thriving city. The early 1900s brought essential services like electricity and a water system. Mid-century growth included the creation of the city’s home-rule charter, the arrival of the University of Dallas, and major commercial development. The opening of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1974 further accelerated economic expansion.
Master-planned communities such as Las Colinas and Valley Ranch helped define the city’s modern landscape.
Looking Ahead While Honoring the Past
Today, Irving is home to more than 200,000 residents and a diverse base of businesses and industries. The city’s 122nd birthday celebration offers a chance for residents to enjoy a treat, pick up a gift, and connect with the story of how Irving became the city it is today, all while supporting the preservation of an iconic piece of local history.
