This year, we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Arista Joyner’s seminal book, “Arlington, Texas: Birthplace of the Metroplex.” This well-loved local history collection was released in 1976 to coincide with Arlington’s Centennial and the American Bicentennial. The book covers Arlington’s formative years (and earlier) from 1838 to 1910, uniquely formatted as a curated scrapbook of newspaper reprints, anecdotes, original documents, and vintage photographs.

In May 1976, an “autograph party” was held at the Arlington Central Library—a celebratory pre-launch book signing before it officially became available later that summer. Imagine the community excitement surrounding this release; at the time, it was one of the few feature-length volumes dedicated to Arlington’s history. For a city preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary, Joyner’s work provided an essential look at the past.

The book is available at the Arlington Public Library.

Arista Joyner (1911–1989) was a tireless supporter of the arts and local history. As an artist, poet, historian, teacher, and newspaper editor, she left a profound legacy. Arista and her husband, Howard, played a foundational role in the Arlington Art Association and what would eventually become the Arlington Museum of Art. In addition to “Birthplace of the Metroplex,” she co-authored “Arlington, Texas: A Pictorial History” (1982) with René Harris. Her research was instrumental in securing the Texas Historical Marker for Marrow Bone Spring.

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Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 05-05-26