Aledo, Texas

Everything Aledo is known for

1 song mention this city 3 artists from here

Music in Aledo

Songs About Aledo

Parker County Peach
Songbird Jones
90%
"West on I-20 cross the Tarrant County Line"

Artists From Aledo

D
Dayglow
rock Pop: 63
D
Dan Roberts
country Pop: 55
G
Gatlin Johnson
country Pop: 8

Rivers & Roads in Song near Aledo

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Aledo.

Interstate 20 10 songs Texas State Highway 199 8 songs Brazos River 16 songs Chisholm Trail 4 songs Trinity River 8 songs Interstate 35 27 songs

History of Aledo

Willow Park, TX RoadyGoat

Willow Park wasn't always Willow Park. Some folks still remember when it was known as Willow Springs, a scattering of families drawn to this part of Parker County seeking a different pace. At almost a thousand feet above sea level, the slight rise in elevation offered a bit of relief from the Texas heat, a welcome change. Those early settlers relied on wells, digging deep into the earth for water during the inevitable droughts. The land was everything, and life revolved around it. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo has always been part of this area's fabric, a reminder of its agricultural roots. Things changed with the coming of Interstate 20. Suddenly, Willow Park wasn't so isolated anymore. Access to Fort Worth and beyond opened doors, and the town, officially named for the graceful willow trees that dotted the landscape, incorporated in 1963. Even with growth in healthcare, education, and retail, there's still that sense of wide-open space, a quieter life. And with the Dallas Cowboys just a short drive away, winning Super Bowl XXX in '96, there was a shared sense of pride that stretched from the football field to the front porches of Willow Park.

5.4 mi away

Willow Park, TX RoadyGoat

Willow Park wasn’t always Willow Park, you know. Some folks still remember the days when it was just called Willow Springs, a more loosely defined community. Even now, with the modern homes and businesses, you can feel the echoes of that earlier time, a slower pace rooted in the land. This area, with its slightly higher elevation offering a bit of a break from the heat, always had a draw, but it wasn't until later that it really blossomed. I-20 changed everything. That ribbon of concrete connected Willow Park to the wider world, bringing growth and opportunity that transformed the landscape. Before that highway, life was different. Droughts were a real concern, and families depended on their wells to get by. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo wasn't just a fun event; it was a vital link to the area's agricultural heritage and a reminder of the hard work that sustained the community. Healthcare, education, and retail have become mainstays now, supporting the families who call Willow Park home. It officially became a city in 1963, named for the graceful willow trees that dotted the landscape. And while the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl win in '96 might seem distant, it's a shared memory, a point of pride for a region that's seen a lot of change. Even with all the growth, though, there’s still a peacefulness here, a blend of country living and modern convenience that makes Willow Park special.

5.4 mi away

Willow Park, TX RoadyGoat

Willow Park, even with its modern conveniences and proximity to the Metroplex, carries a strong echo of its agricultural past. While you won't find sprawling fields of wheat these days, the spirit of the rancher and the farmer is woven into the fabric of the community. This connection to the land is partly why the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo resonates so deeply here. It's more than just entertainment; it's a celebration of a way of life that many families still hold dear. The rodeo, the livestock shows – these are reminders of the skills and values that shaped the area long before Interstate 20 brought rapid growth. Even the fact that many older residents still remember Willow Park as 'Willow Springs' speaks to that earlier, more rural era. The droughts that tested the resilience of early settlers, forcing them to depend on well water, also forged a deep connection to the land and its resources. So, while healthcare, education, and retail now drive the local economy, there's an underlying appreciation for the hard work and self-sufficiency that defined the area's beginnings. You can still feel it in the open spaces, the pride in homeownership, and the enduring values of this community.

5.4 mi away

Gratz, Lawson Daniel

1864

Lawson Daniel Gratz, African-American Civil War veteran and Buffalo Soldier , was born a slave in Kentucky. Sources give his birth date variously as 1834, 1836, and 1839. When he gained freedom and volunteered for service in the Union Army on June 24, 1864, enlisting officers recorded his birthplace as Fayette County, Kentucky, and his age as thirty, making 1834 possibly the year of his birth. The 1900 United States census recorded the time of his birth as September 1839. A Texas Historical Marker lists Gratz as a native of Mason County, Kentucky, and born on the “plantation of Benjamin Gratz” on September 15, 1839. Gratz (or Gratts, as his name was written at times) became a sergeant in Company C of the 114th United States Colored Troops, a unit that was ordered to Virginia in January 1865 and participated in Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s campaign that forced the surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee ’s Confederate army at Appomattox in April. The 114th USCT remained in Virginia until July 1865 and were then ordered to the Rio Grande as part of the United States Army guarding the border with Mexico. Gratz and his fellow soldiers were mustered out of service in April 1867. Gratz moved for a brief time to Washington, D.C., before joining the newly-created Tenth United States Cavalry in August 1867. The Tenth Cavalry under the command of Col. Benjamin Grierson campaigned against the Plains Indians, especially the Comanches , from 1867 to 1875 and earned the nickname “Buffalo Soldiers” for their skill and tenacity. Gratz suffered an accidental wound that destroyed vision in his right eye in 1868, but he learned to aim with his left eye and remained in the Tenth Cavalry until 1872, when he was discharged at Fort Richardson, Texas. Following his discharge, Gratz moved to Albany, Shackleford County, Texas. He worked as a farmer and as a teamster, hauling hides eastward to Fort Worth and Dallas. On September 24, 1877, Gratz married sixteen-year old Rosa Ann (or Rosanna) Cass in Shackleford County, and the couple began a family that eventually included fourteen children. The family moved to a small farm near Annetta, Parker County, in 1892. The 1900 United States census listed Gratz (age sixty) with his wife Rosa and nine children in the household. They lived in Annetta until Gratz’s death from a heart attack on June 18, 1909. He was buried at Willow Springs Cemetery in Parker County. Lawson D. Gratz is honored by a marker erected in Parker County by the Texas Historical Commission , and his name is found on the Wall of Honor at the African American Civil War Monument in Washington, D.C.

Tsha Handbook → · 3.9 mi away

First Baptist Church of Aledo

1879

First Baptist Church Of Aledo This congregation was organized on September 25, 1879. The first church building was located on land (2.5 mi. SE) donated by a Mr. Middleton, who asked that the structure be named Alma Hall in memory of his daughter. The hall was shared with a Masonic Lodge and a Methodist congregation. Elder Isaac McMurray served as pastor of the Alma Hall Church until 1884, when it merged with the Ebenezer Church. Soon after the consolidation, the congregation moved to the railroad town of Aledo. Here the members worshiped in the community schoolhouse until a sanctuary was completed at this site in 1891. In 1913 it was replaced by a larger structure, built under the supervision of Joe Hopkins and with the assistance of church members. Later additions to the site were made to meet the demands of the congregation's continued growth. For over a century the First Baptist Church of Aledo has been instrumental in the development of the surrounding area. Pastors here have included many prominent Baptist preachers, and church members have actively served as leaders of the community. The church's programs continue to reflect the ideals of its pioneer founders. (1983)

Historical Marker →

Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc.

1935

Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc., is a member-owned electric utility with administrative offices at 200 Bailey Ranch Road in Aledo, Texas, and offices in Azle, Keller, Granbury, Seymour, and Munday, Texas. By late 2020 the cooperative was the fourth largest electric cooperative in Texas, had more than 94,000 members, and served over 120,000 meters in sixteen Texas counties: Archer, Baylor, Denton, Foard, Haskell, Hood, Jack, King, Knox, Palo Pinto, Parker, Stonewall, Tarrant, Throckmorton, Wilbarger, and Wise. Like other electric cooperatives , Tri-County was created to serve rural residents in areas deemed cost-prohibitive by investor-owned utilities. The region that it was originally organized to serve was designated as "Texas 101-Parker" by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), a federal agency signed into existence by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May 1935 (see RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ) . A temporary cooperative was organized at a meeting attended by more than 100 people on October 25, 1938, at Liberty School, north of Azle. L. E. "Bud" Moran and James Knox Peden, both of Azle, were elected president and secretary, respectively, and authorized to file a preliminary application with the REA to build 200 miles of line to serve their communities. Tri-County was incorporated on March 20, 1939, with Samuel Dowell Walker of Springtown as president, J. W. Shivers of Keller as vice-president, Peden as secretary-treasurer, and Mac Hall "Mack" Skidmore of Azle as superintendent. The meeting was held in Azle at a stone building at 124 West Main Street, which served as the cooperative's first office and which in 2020 housed the city's historical museum. The cooperative was officially chartered in August of 1939. The cooperative secured loans through the REA to build sections of line as membership grew. In 1971 it began to use the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC)-a member-owned lending co-op-to supplement REA financing. In June 1994 Tri-County Co-op "bought out" its loans from the REA's successor, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), and began to use the CFC as its sole lender. The cooperative grew steadily for its first 40 years. After starting with 574 members in 1940, it had 3,533 in 1950, 4,345 in 1960, and 6,405 in 1970. By 1980 membership topped 14,000, and in 1990 membership stood at more than 22,000. In 1998 Tri-County merged with the B-K Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Seymour. That move, which added nine counties to the cooperative's existing seven-county service area, coupled with explosive growth in north Tarrant County, brought membership to 35,000 by 2000. By 2010 the cooperative's membership was almost 70,000. As of 2020 Tri-County employed a workforce of more than 200, with Darryl Schriver holding the office of president/CEO and Jorden Wood as chair of the board of directors. Albert Porter, first elected to the board in 1941, served on the board for forty-four years, including forty-two as president of the board. A bylaws change in 2020 altered the rules for director nominations and expanded the board to nine members, with members drawn from four urban districts, four suburban districts, and one rural district. Two new members, Margaret Koprek and Kevin Ingle, were appointed to fill the two newly-created urban districts in north Tarrant County in February 2021. Koprek was the first woman board member in the cooperative's history. Total income for the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2020, was $260.4 million, with electric energy sales exceeding 2.8 billion kilowatt-hours. The cooperative's diverse member base included data centers, financial and investment hubs, major retailers, and sprawling residential developments in its urban and suburban areas, as well as farmers and ranchers, deer camps, irrigation wells, and oil and gas installations in the rural areas. In 1964 the cooperative moved into a new office on Northwest Parkway in Azle. It opened district offices i

Tsha Handbook →

Hood Family Cemetery

1820

South Carolina native A.J. Hood (b. 1820) migrated to Cherokee County, Texas, about 1846. Ten years later, after representing that area during two terms of the state legislature, he moved his family here. Hood opened a law office in Weatherford (11 miles northwest) and later served as district judge. This family cemetery was first used in 1865 for the burial of Hood's wife Elizabeth (McEwen) (b. 1827). Located on land near their original home, this site was her choice for the construction of a future house. Her grave is marked with a stone from the nearby creek. (1980)

Historical Marker →

Annetta, TX

1876

Annetta is on Farm Road 1187 six miles southeast of Weatherford in southeastern Parker County. Settlement began there in the late 1870s, when a Mr. Fraser established a station for the convenience of freighters who traveled east to Dallas and on to Jefferson. Fraser named his station Annetta after his daughter. In the early 1880s, after the tracks of the Texas and Pacific Railway passed near his station, Fraser built a general store on the rail line, and gradually a community developed at the site. An Annetta post office operated from 1876 until 1907. By the mid-1890s Annetta had a population of twenty-five, three churches, a public school, and a general store; it was a shipping point for cotton and local crops. For most of the twentieth century Annetta served area farmers as a school and church community. The number of residents remained well below fifty until the late 1970s. At that time the community grew suddenly, probably as a result of the dramatic growth of nearby Fort Worth. By the 1980s the northern and southern sections had split off from central Annetta. Annetta North incorporated in the mid-1980s and reported 281 residents. Annetta South also incorporated during the 1980s and claimed a population of 115. In 1990 Annetta had a population of 678; Annetta North had 265, and Annetta South had 413.

Tsha Handbook → · 3.9 mi away

All Saints Episcopal - 2025 Texas TAPPS Division II state football champion

2025

All Saints Episcopal defeated Houston Second Baptist 34-16 for the 2025 Texas TAPPS Division II state football championship.

Sports News → · 7.0 mi away

Things to Do in Aledo

quirky 17.6 mi away
Chewbacca's Grave — May the 4th

May the 4th be with you — and with the Wookiee. Peter Mayhew the seven-foot-three British actor who brought Chewbacca to life in every Star Wars film from 1977…
historical 14.1 mi away
WWII Marine Glider Base at Eagle Mountain

In 1942 the United States Marines bought 2931 acres of ranchland on Eagle Mountain Lake for a purpose that sounds almost unbelievable now — training pilots to…
quirky 14.1 mi away
The Azle Earthquake Swarm

Starting in November 2013 the ground beneath Azle started shaking and it did not stop for 84 days. Twenty-seven earthquakes rattled windows cracked foundations…
historical 16.2 mi away
Billy Bob's Texas

Billy Bob's opened in 1981 in an old cattle barn in the Fort Worth Stockyards and at one hundred twenty-seven thousand square feet it is the largest honky-tonk…
historical 16.2 mi away
Fort Worth Stockyards

Daily cattle drives down the street. Honky-tonks and rodeos in the old West.
food 16.3 mi away
Joe T. Garcia's

Joe T opened his little family restaurant behind the packing plant in the Fort Worth Stockyards in 1935. There was no menu. His wife Jessie served whatever she…
quirky 17.6 mi away
Chewbacca's Grave

The seven-foot-three British actor who played Chewbacca in every Star Wars film from 1977 to The Force Awakens is buried right here at Azleland Memorial Park.…
quirky 19.1 mi away
Springtown Dinosaur Tracks

A family went out hunting arrowheads along Walnut Creek in 2017 and found something about 110 million years older than they expected. Pressed into the creekbed…

Sports in Aledo

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 5A · Football · 1998–2025

Aledo Bearcats — 12 football state titles — the most in Texas history

12 UIL state titles · 2025 state finalist (14–1)

If Texas high school football has a dynasty, it wears Aledo's black and gold. Out in Parker County west of Fort Worth, the Bearcats have won 12 state championships — the most by any school in Texas — with 11 of them across the 2009–2024 seasons. They're the only UIL program to win three or more in a row twice.

The recent haul alone is staggering: titles in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, including back-to-back wins over Fort Bend Marshall (55–19 in 2018, a 45–42 thriller in 2019) and a pair of 50-burgers to close it out — 52–14 over College Station in 2022 and 51–8 over Smithson Valley in 2023.

And the deep runs never stop. Even in the years they don't take it home, Aledo gets all the way there: in 2025 they went 14–1 and came within a single game of a 13th state title, their only loss coming in the championship game itself — and back in 2017 they reached the 5A-DII final before falling to College Station 20–19. Players like Jase McClellan and JoJo Earle carried the program on to major-college and pro football.

State titles
12 (most in TX)
2025 season
14–1, state finalist
Recent title
2023, 51–8
Also
2017 state finalist
Key Players
  • Jase McClellan — Running back — Alabama, then the NFL
  • JoJo Earle — Wide receiver — Alabama / TCU
The moment

Even the near-misses run deep: in 2025 Aledo went 14–1 and came within one game of a 13th title, falling only in the state championship.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Aledo

733 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Explore Aledo on the Map
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