This group of musicians played for square dances in the Union Bower community. Dances were held in the fall and winter because the weather was too hot during the summer. Left to right are: Tom Owens, Earl Steele, Lillie Owens, and Tom Wright. Lloyd Smith called the square dances, but is not in the picture. Union Bower was a farming community on the eastern edge of the city of Irving. The community was established about 1880.

An unidentified couple enjoys an afternoon in the Union Bower community, c. 1910. Union Bower was a farming community that today is part of eastern Irving.

The Doug Lucas family in a surrey. Doug Lucas holds his daughter Lorene while his wife holds their son Howard.

Virginia Tucker Schulze, wife of early Irving settler, C. P. Schulze, is seen on horseback with friends on an outing in Pyote, Texas, c. 1910. C. P. Schulze was the brother of Irving's co-founder J. O. Schulze.

Photograph of people on the bank of the Trinity River, surrounded with trees.

Cotton gin, Irving, Texas

Major T. G. Robinson opened the Palace Drug Store in Irving's first brick building in 1906. In 1908, he added a soda fountain to the establishment. The store was in business until 1939, when Major Robinson retired.

Dr. John Roberts and his wife Etta Williams Roberts in their horse-drawn buggy. Dr. Roberts was one of Irving's first physicians. He died at the age of 35 in 1918. The couple had three sons, one of whom became a physician and was instrumental in the development of Irving's first hospital during the 1950s and 1960s.

The Story livery stable and feed store was located just west of the corner of Main and First (Irving Blvd.) streets during Irving's early years.

Earl Steele delivers the mail in Irving in his horse-drawn two-wheeled vehicle, c. 1910.

R. M. Hudson began publishing the "Irving Index" in December 1903. He worked from his home in Dallas for five years. In 1908, he moved into this house in Irving. Hudson and his wife Mary had four children. Youngest son Tom can be seen at the fence in this photo. R. M. Hudson published the "Irving Index" from 1903 until 1916.

This building served as the home of the "Irving Index" in Irving. It was built behind the home of the newspaper's owner, R. M. Hudson.

R. M. Hudson operated Irving's first newspaper the "Irving Index." He ran the paper from 1903 until 1916. His home was on the northwest corner of Fourth and Jefferson streets. He is pictured here in front of his house with his wife Mary and daughter Veda. Not pictured are their sons Robert, Andrew, and Tom.

Essie Jones and Joe Keeling's wedding picture. Essie Jones and Joe Keeling were married in 1910. Both lived most of their lives in Irving. They had three children: Helen, Weldon and Clyde.