Arlington Downs was an American horse-racing track located in Arlington, Texas in Tarrant County , about 20 miles (32 km) from downtown Fort Worth, Texas . The $ 3 million facility, a 1¼-mile track with a 6,000-seat grandstand, was constructed on W.T. Waggoner's Three D's Stock Farm, and opened in November 1929.
54-534: W.T. Waggoner built the track, grandstand and stables for prize-winning horse races before parimutuel betting was legalized in Texas . They also held Quarter Horse shows, rodeos and various civic events on the same property. W.T. and his sons Guy (1883-1950) and E. Paul (1889-1967) campaigned in support of parimutuel betting which helped get the bill passed in the Texas state legislature . E. Paul visited some of
108-610: A Democrat, said that responsibility laid with local and federal officials. Morales was succeeded in 1999, however, by Republican John Cornyn , who proceeded with a federal lawsuit against the tribe. The suit was successful, and the Speaking Rock Casino closed its doors in February 2002. The Kickapoo casino opened in 1996, offering bingo, poker, its own blackjack variant, and electronic pull-tab dispensers designed to look and operate like slot machines. Bush questioned
162-746: A referendum legalizing parimutuel wagering again and creating the Texas Racing Commission, with a local election required in any county to allow a track. Simulcast wagering at tracks was legalized in 1991. Each of Texas's three federally recognized tribes operates a casino. The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas has the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass , the Tigua tribe of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo has
216-572: A small part extending into Johnson county. It is part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . It had a population of 175,396 according to the 2010 census , making it the fifteenth most populous city in the state. Remaining the 15th-most populous city in Texas, the 2020 census reported a population of 196,100. The city of Grand Prairie was first established as Dechman by Alexander McRae Dechman in 1863. He based
270-553: A temporary basis to substitute for the under-repair Texas Treasure ; instead of returning to Freeport, it was then moved to Palm Beach, Florida . The first Texas Treasure moved to Palm Beach in October 2002, replacing its sister ship; for lack of business, it returned to Port Aransas a year later. It continued sailing until May 2008, when it closed for routine maintenance; after a legal dispute between its operator and its owner, it never returned to service. A new gambling boat,
324-711: Is also on the armed forces complex grounds. According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were: Airbus Helicopters, Inc. , the U.S. subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters , has its headquarters in Grand Prairie. In 1978 American Airlines announced that it would move its headquarters from New York City to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The airline moved its headquarters into two leased office buildings in Grand Prairie. The airline finished moving into its Fort Worth headquarters facility on January 17, 1983, when
378-818: Is held by the Gillespie County Fair in Fredericksburg . Class 4 licenses, of which there are currently none, are issued to county fairs and allow 5 racing days. The law allows for up to three greyhound tracks in the coastal counties of Cameron , Galveston , and Nueces . Two tracks, Gulf Coast Racing in Corpus Christi and Valley Race Park in Harlingen , are licensed but are not in operation. A third track, Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque , closed in 2020. From 2010 onward, with
432-465: Is land and 9.0 square miles (23.3 km ), or 11.08%, is water. The West Fork of the Trinity River and a major tributary, Johnson Creek , flow through Grand Prairie. Grand Prairie has a long history of flooding from Johnson Creek. In the 1980s, a major Army Corps of Engineers project was begun to straighten the channel, which has reduced the damage of flooding. Grand Prairie is part of
486-566: Is located along the border between Tarrant and Dallas counties, with a small portion extending south into Ellis County. The city is bordered by Dallas to the east, Cedar Hill and Midlothian to the southeast, Mansfield to the southwest, Arlington to the west, Fort Worth to the northwest, and Irving to the north. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 81.1 square miles (210.0 km ), of which 72.1 square miles (186.8 km )
540-404: Is located on State Highway 360 less than 100 yards (91 m) from the Grand Prairie city line. Dallas County residents are zoned to Dallas College (formerly Dallas County Community College District or DCCCD). Tarrant County residents are zoned to Tarrant County Junior College . Ellis County residents are zoned to Navarro College . Interstate highways 20 and 30 run east–west through
594-699: The Aransas Queen Casino , began sailing out of Corpus Christi in May 2015. It moved to Galveston in April 2017 and became the Jacks or Better Casino . The boat moved to Georgia in 2018. [REDACTED] Media related to Gambling in Texas at Wikimedia Commons Grand Prairie, Texas Grand Prairie is a city in the U.S. state of Texas , located in Dallas , Tarrant , and Ellis counties with
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#1732779536235648-797: The Arlington , Cedar Hill , Irving , Mansfield , and Midlothian school districts. Portions in Dallas County are in the Grand Prairie, Cedar Hill, and Irving school districts. Portions in Tarrant County extend into the Arlington and Mansfield school districts. Portions in Ellis County are in the Midlothian school district. In Texas, school district boundaries do not follow city and county boundaries because all aspects of
702-618: The National Indian Gaming Commission issued an opinion that the Tigua and Alabama-Coushatta tribes could legally conduct gaming, contradicting the earlier court rulings. This led to the Alabama-Coushatta reopening their casino, and the Tiguas converting their facility, which had been operating as a sweepstakes parlor , back into a casino. The state filed suit in 2017 to shut them down. Ultimately,
756-779: The Port of Freeport in January 1991, but both it and the Pride closed for business in April, after federal prosecutors said they would enforce a 1948 law requiring gambling ships to visit a foreign port or sail for at least 24 hours. Casino cruises returned to Galveston in November 1993 with the Star of Texas , which gained the blessing of the U.S. attorney 's office by devoting less than half of its space to casinos, and emphasizing non-gaming activities. The business failed in November 1994, and
810-814: The Texas Racing Commission . Class 1 horse tracks can be granted an unlimited number of racing days. Up to three are allowed, in the state's three largest metropolitan areas. They are: Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie , Retama Park in Selma , and Sam Houston Race Park in Houston . Class 2 tracks can be granted a maximum of 60 racing days per year. Several class 2 tracks are under development, but none are currently operating. Class 3 licenses are issued to county or nonprofit fairs, and allow 16 racing days at most. The only current class 3 license
864-708: The U.S. Department of Justice runs the Grand Prairie Office Complex on the grounds of the Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex . Within the complex the BOP operates the Designation and Sentence Computation Center (DSCC), which calculates federal sentences, keeps track of the statutory "good time" accumulated by inmates and lump sum extra "good time" awards, and detainers. The BOP South Central Office
918-534: The humid subtropical region. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 196,100 people, 62,679 households, and 46,391 families residing in the city. According to the city's 2007–2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $ 275.5 million in revenues, $ 236.4 million in expenditures, $ 1,003.2 million in total assets, $ 424.9 million in total liabilities, and $ 305.9 million in cash and investments. The Parkland Health & Hospital System (Dallas County Hospital District) operates
972-718: The Arlington ISD and their feeder elementary schools and junior high schools. The Mansfield ISD contains the third highest portion of the Grand Prairie's K–12 student population. Grand Prairie residents in the Mansfield ISD are located generally south of the intersection of Camp Wisdom and Lake Ridge, and west of Joe Pool Lake to the Tarrant and Ellis County line in southwest Grand Prairie. Three Mansfield ISD schools, Anna May Daulton Elementary; Louise Cabaniss Elementary; and Cora Spencer Elementary, are currently open within
1026-499: The Arlington ISD are located generally west of the Dallas-Tarrant County boundary and north of the intersection of Camp Wisdom and Lake Ridge in southwest Grand Prairie. One of the Arlington high schools, James Bowie High , has more Grand Prairie residents than Arlington residents that are students at the school. Grand Prairie student/residents in the Arlington ISD attend Bowie, Sam Houston , or Lamar High School in
1080-531: The E. Carlyle Smith, Jr. Health Center in Grand Prairie. Grand Prairie as of 2012 has 320 municipal police officers. The city of Grand Prairie is a voluntary member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) , of
1134-841: The Speaking Rock Entertainment Center in El Paso , and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe has Naskila Gaming in Livingston . All three are Class II facilities, offering electronic bingo games that are similar to slot machines . The latter two were the subject of extensive litigation over their legality. In the 1980s, court decisions and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) established the rights of Indian tribes to operate any kind of gambling permitted elsewhere in
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#17327795362351188-613: The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that the language of the Restoration Act allowed the tribes to offer bingo games free of state regulation, allowing the casinos to remain open. "Game rooms" throughout the state feature slot machine-like devices commonly called "eight-liners". The machines are legal if they offer only non-cash prizes valued at less than $ 5, but law enforcement officials say that illegal cash payouts are near universal. Enforcement of existing laws regarding
1242-425: The U.S. subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters . In 1953, the mayor and city council of Grand Prairie attempted to annex nearly 70 square miles (180 km ) of then-unincorporated and largely undeveloped land in southern Dallas and Tarrant counties. Vehement debate ensued, and the legal pressure from cities such as Arlington , Duncanville and Irving wound up overturning part of the annexation attempt. Grand Prairie
1296-762: The Vought moniker. The plant was the production site for the F-8 Crusader and the A-7 Corsair II aircraft of the 1950–1989 time period. The LTV Missile and Space division produced missiles such as the Scout and MLRS . This division was eventually sold to Lockheed Martin , which continues to operate in Grand Prairie. Grand Prairie was also the North American headquarters for Aérospatiale Helicopter. This company eventually became Airbus Helicopters, Inc. ,
1350-534: The airline left its Grand Prairie facility. Most of Grand Prairie's K–12 student population attends schools in the Grand Prairie Independent School District , which serves most areas of Grand Prairie in Dallas County. The Mansfield Independent School District serves areas of Grand Prairie in Tarrant County and operates six elementary schools within the Grand Prairie city limits. Other portions of Grand Prairie reside within
1404-767: The buildings were razed. In 1978, a Texas historical landmark was placed on the site. Gambling in Texas Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of Texas include the Texas Lottery ; parimutuel wagering on horse and greyhound racing ; charitable bingo and raffles ; and three Native American casinos . Other forms of gambling are illegal in Texas. Bills to legalize sports betting legislation in Texas have not received favorable attention. Sports betting—whether via "bricks and mortar" or online—remains illegal in Texas. The Texas Lottery, begun in 1992, offers scratch-off and drawing games, including
1458-458: The city limits of Grand Prairie. The Mansfield ISD is the fastest growing ISD in Tarrant County, and the population growth in far southwest Grand Prairie is a major factor in the Mansfield ISD's subsequent growth. Grand Prairie students/residents in the Mansfield ISD attend Mansfield Timberview High School , Lake Ridge High School or Mansfield High School in the Mansfield ISD or their feeder elementaries and middle schools. Timberview High School
1512-464: The early 1980s, but was a latecomer to Texas because of a state law prohibiting the docking of ships with gambling equipment unless they first stopped at a foreign port of call. The first such operation in the state was Le Mistral , which began sailing out of Port Isabel in 1988, nominally to the Mexican village of Mezquital, though it typically did not approach within a mile of the port. Le Mistral
1566-450: The fall of 1931 for openly betting on the races, the resulting publicity and court case allowed racing proponents to make their case public. In 1933, the Texas legislature legalized parimutuel betting and issued the first permit to Arlington Downs. The racetrack thrived as Thoroughbred owners from across the country sent their horses to compete at Arlington Downs. During its first year of full operation with legal wagering, 650 horses ran on
1620-723: The family to settle in Bryan . In 1876, Dechman traded half his "prairie" property to the T&;P Railroad to ensure the railroad came through the town. The railroad named the depot "Dechman", prompting its namesake to relocate his home from Bryan to Dechman. His son Alexander had been living in Dechman and operating a trading post and farm. The first church in the area was the Good Hope Cumberland Sabbath School, established in 1870 by Rev. Andrew Hayter. The church
1674-523: The greyhound industry on the decline, live racing was held primarily at Gulf Greyhound Park, with the other two tracks focusing on simulcast betting. Texas first legalized parimutuel betting in 1933 as a way to raise revenue during the Great Depression . Four major tracks operated in the state, until 1937, when betting was banned again at a special legislative session called by Governor James V. Allred . In 1960, gambler Virgil "Red" Berry
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1728-522: The highway located north of SH 180 are depressed while the portion south of SH 180 runs at-grade then becomes elevated. Frontage roads remain at-grade throughout. The frontage road intersection at Main Street will open sometime in 2013. Belt Line Road is a major north–south thoroughfare in the city. The section of the road south of Main Street is dual-labelled as FM 1382, which travels south, past I-20 and continues south to Cedar Hill . The section of
1782-435: The larger race tracks to see how they were built and to learn how the races were conducted. By the second racing season, the track was expanded and included additional amenities, and a large training stable that was built atop the hill overlooking the racetrack. Waggoner lived to see the early success of Arlington Downs, and died in 1934. When two racegoers, O. O. Franklin and J. B. Coulter, were arrested at Arlington Downs in
1836-520: The legality of these "Lucky Tab II" machines at the same time as he was pushing for action against the Tigua casino, so the tribe filed a preemptive lawsuit, and won a ruling that they qualified as class 2 devices. The original facility, constructed of modular buildings , was replaced in October 2004 with a new 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m ) casino and an arena. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe had voted against gambling operations in 1994 on moral grounds, but it reversed that decision in 1999 after seeing
1890-743: The machines has been inconsistent, and legislative efforts to ban them have failed. In response to past frustrations, in April 2013 state and federal police launched Operation Bishop to crack-down on the illegal "eight-liner" operations in the Brownsville area. Eight-liners began to proliferate following passage of the 1993 "fuzzy animal law", which was intended to clarify that amusement games that award low-value prizes or tickets were legal. Gambling boats have operated at times out of Texas ports, taking passengers on one-day "cruises to nowhere" in international waters, where there are no gambling laws. The casino cruise industry developed in other states in
1944-626: The multi-jurisdiction Mega Millions and Powerball games. Non-profit organizations and other community groups may operate bingo games and sell pull-tabs (referred to as "Instant Bingo"), with a license from the Charitable Bingo Operations Division of the Texas Lottery Commission. Bingo sessions are limited to three per week, with a maximum prize value of $ 750 for a single game. Local referendums, required to allow bingo, have passed in 226 of
1998-514: The name of the town on Big Prairie, Ohio . Prior to then, he resided in Young County near Fort Belknap . The 1860 U.S. Federal Census—Slave Schedules shows an A McR Dechman as having four slaves, ages 50, 25, 37 and 10. Dechman learned that he could trade his oxen and wagons for land in Dallas County. In 1863, Dechman bought 239.5 acres (96.9 ha) of land on the eastern side of the Trinity River and 100 acres (40 ha) of timber land on
2052-622: The northern and southern parts of the city. Texas State Highways Spur 303 (named Pioneer Parkway ) and 180 ( Main Street ) also run east–west in the northern and central portions of the city. SH 360 runs for almost three miles in the northwestern portion of city; most of the highway runs just west of the city limits in Arlington . SH 161 , named the President George Bush Turnpike , runs north–south through western Grand Prairie. The main lanes were opened in late 2012 with frontage roads open since 2010. Portions of
2106-678: The present-day Vought plant on Jefferson Avenue is part of a small strip within the Dallas city limits, it was originally in Grand Prairie. During World War II , the North American Aviation Plant B produced the Consolidated B-24 Liberator and the P-51C and K Mustang variants. After the war, Vought Aircraft took over the plant. This later became Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV), then eventually returned to
2160-471: The road north of Main Street keeps its name, continuing north into Irving . The city declined membership in 1984. In April 2022, Grand Prairie launched " Via Grand Prairie", an "on-demand, shared public transportation" which connects to DART's West Irving station . In the era of private operation of passenger trains prior to the onset of the Amtrak era in 1971, Texas and Pacific Railway trains such as
2214-519: The school district government apparatus, including school district boundaries, are separated from the city and county government entirely, with the exception of the Stafford Municipal School District in the Houston area . The Arlington ISD has the second highest portion of Grand Prairie's K–12 student population. Six Arlington ISD elementary schools are within the city limits of Grand Prairie. Grand Prairie residents in
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2268-709: The ship was moved to Miami. Two new gambling boat ventures began in the Brownsville area in the fall of 1999: Casino Del Mar on the Island Dawn , sailing out of Port Isabel; and Casino Padre on the Entertainer , out of South Padre Island . Casino Del Mar failed in January 2000, but then moved to Port Aransas under new management as the Texas Treasure . Casino Padre ceased operations in November 2000. In 2001, three casino boats were launched along
2322-562: The state refused to negotiate. Courts sided with Texas, ruling that the Restoration Act that gave federal recognition to the Tiguas and Alabama-Coushatta in 1987 specifically forbade gambling, and took precedence over the IGRA. Despite the ruling, neither federal nor state authorities tried to close the casino, and the tribe expanded operations further by adding slot machines in 1996. Republican Governor George W. Bush asked Attorney General Dan Morales in 1998 to take legal action, but Morales,
2376-399: The state's 254 counties. As of 2011, there were 1,227 organizations authorized to conduct bingo, and they awarded $ 533 million in prizes. Qualified organizations can hold up to two raffles per year with non-cash prizes. Prize value may not exceed $ 50,000 (or $ 250,000 if the prize is a house), unless the prize is donated to the organization. The Legislature in 1971 exempted charities from
2430-478: The state's anti-lottery statute, but the act was struck down in 1973 by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals , which ruled that it violated the state constitution's requirement for a ban on lotteries. Voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing raffles in 1989, and enabling legislation went into effect at the beginning of 1990. Parimutuel wagering is allowed at horse and greyhound tracks, overseen by
2484-426: The state. Taking advantage of the legality of bingo in Texas, the Tiguas opened their Speaking Rock high-stakes bingo hall in 1993. Over the following year, its offerings expanded to include poker and "Tigua 21", a non-banking variant of blackjack. The Tiguas sought a compact with the state under the IGRA to allow casino-style, or "class 3" gaming, citing the state's acceptance of a lottery and parimutuel betting, but
2538-590: The success of the Grand Casino Coushatta, run by a related tribe in Louisiana. The tribe opened its "Entertainment Center" in November 2001, with slots, blackjack, and poker, even as the Tiguas were appealing their loss in court. Cornyn filed suit against the Alabama-Coushatta two months later, citing the Restoration Act. Courts sided with Cornyn, and the casino was closed in July 2002. In 2015,
2592-410: The track, profits averaged $ 113,731 a day, and the average daily attendance was 6,734. Waggoner died of stroke on December 11, 1934, and the racing industry lost one of its most fervent boosters. At the end of the 1937 regular session, the state legislature repealed the parimutuel laws and Arlington Downs was sold to commercial developers. The racetrack was used for rodeos and other events until 1958, when
2646-588: The upper Texas coast. The Talisman , out of Galveston, set off in April, but lasted only a month. The Surfside Princess began excursions from Freeport in June, but in October was seized by its owner for failure to pay charter fees. The operators of the Port Aransas boat expanded to Freeport in November with the Texas Treasure II . It lasted until February 2002, when it was moved to Port Aransas on
2700-672: The west side of the river for a broken-down wagon, oxen team and US$ 200 in Confederate money. He tried to establish a home on the property, but ran into difficulties, so he returned to his family in Birdville before joining in the Civil War . In 1867, Dechman filed a town plat with Dallas County, consisting of 50 acres (20 ha). After the war, Dechman returned to Birdville for two years before selling that farm in 1867 and moving to Houston , where yellow fever broke out, causing
2754-422: Was based on maps drawn from around 1850 through 1858 that labeled the area between Dallas and Fort Worth "the grand prairie of Texas". In order to alleviate the confusion, the Postal Service named the post office "Grand Prairie". The town of Grand Prairie was eventually incorporated as a city in 1909. During World War I and since, Grand Prairie has had a long history with the defense and aviation industry. While
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#17327795362352808-430: Was closed by bankruptcy in 1992. Galveston officials pushed for a repeal of the foreign port of call requirement, succeeding in 1989. Two casino ships, the Pride of Mississippi and the Europa Jet , began operations out of the Port of Galveston later that year. The Europa Jet ran into financial problems and left for Mississippi in September 1990. Another boat, the Sea Palace , began offering cruises out of
2862-506: Was elected to the Texas House of Representatives on a pro-parimutuel platform. His efforts made little headway, and in protest, he proposed in 1969 to split the state in two, with horse betting legal in South Texas. Nonbinding statewide referendums to revive parimutuel betting were defeated in 1962, 1968, 1974, and 1978, with opposition led largely by Baptist churches. A poll on the Republican primary ballot in 1982 found majority support for betting. Finally, in 1987, Texas voters approved
2916-452: Was later renamed West Fork United Presbyterian Church and remains an active church. The first U.S. post office opened in 1877 under the name "Deckman" rather than "Dechman", because the U.S. Postal Service could not read the writing on the form completed to open the post office. Later that same year, after the Postal Service had adopted the "Deckman" name, confusion resulted from the T&P Railroad designation "Grand Prairie". This name
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