Rogers Family

Details

  • Marker: Rogers Family
  • Location: Marker is located at Founders Plaza – 102 W. Abram Street – in Arlington.
  • Date Visited: 04-18-21
  • Notes: Founders Plaza pays tribute to Andrew Hayter (the Father of Arlington) and six of Arlington’s founding families.

Rogers Family

Marker text:

Caroline “Carrie” Coleman Rogers (1861-1947) spent her fifteenth birthday, (July 19, 1876) celebrating the first train to stop at what would become Arlington. Between 1876 and 1880, Reverend Lewis King, Carrie’s maternal grandfather, opened a small store, built a hotel on Main Street, and moved the family permanently into the town from nearby farmland. Carrie, involved in the daily operations of the family business, acquired skills that served her well throughout her life. In 1877 the family became charter members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Andrew Jackson “A.J.” Rogers (1860-1919) came to Arlington in 1881, establishing the A.J. Rogers Dry Goods Company by 1882, later to become Rogers-McKnight Company, located on Main Street close to the King Hotel. A.J. and Carrie married March 27, 1883, and were blessed with five children. The couple eventually owned the largest chain of dry goods stores west of the Mississippi River, as well as, the Rogers Brick factory and interests in Arlington Cotton Oil Company, a cattle ranch, and an oil well. Their successful business ventures enabled the couple to become deeply involved in building Arlington socially, culturally, and philanthropically.

The couple built a seven-and-one-half-acre estate that included a barn, pasture land, several orchards, large vegetable gardens, large and extensive flower gardens, a green or hot house, a stock pond, Arlington’s first swimming pool built in 1892, and a structure in the front yard known as the “Owl’s Nest”– a dramatic spiral staircase ascending into a treehouse. The grounds of the estate were the site of many lavish social functions for the entire town, as well as, annual hosting of Juneteenth celebrations.

A.J. served as the first city secretary of the Town Council in 1884; as trustee, purchased the first stock certificates in Arlington College in 1895. By 1900 he was president of the Board of Directors of the College.

Carrie served her church, volunteered at the Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls, began the Ladies Aid Society, the Cemetery Society, the first Arbor Day, the Social and Dramatic Club, the Improvement Society, the Civic League, a “Flower Ministry,” wrote many articles for the Journal and other newspapers, and tirelessly urged the town council to focus on the betterment of the community.

After her divorce in 1902, Carrie remained in Arlington, retaining title to all the real estate the couple owned in Arlington. She continued to be a civic and business leader, especially in real estate, building rent houses and a second hotel. In 1914 she became the first woman City Marshall, later renamed Chief of Police, the first woman in the state of Texas to achieve that office in a time when women could not vote. Another first for the woman who was the “first woman” in so many other things.

Inscription and Rogers Family photos by Deborah “Deb” Gardner, Great Granddaughter of Carrie and A.J. Rogers.