Mesquite Things to Do Tips by keeweechic

The Mesquite Championship Rodeo was established in 1958 as an experiment in ongoing rodeo and has gone on to become a world class attraction. With 250,000 attendances annually to live performances, television coverage has expanded world wide and now attracts one hundred million viewers per year. The Resistol arena where the rodeo is held connects to the Mesquite Convention Centre by a walkway.

Leave a Comment

Address: Resistol Arena, 1818 Rodeo Dr.
Directions: (near LBJ Freeway (I-635) and military Parkway Exit).

The Florence Ranch Homestead is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark. David and Julia Savannah Florence built the first portion of this ranch house in 1871-72. It is a simple frame structure with an elaborate wood trim which decorates the gallery. The house was enlarged by the 1890’s, when the Florence Homestead at that time covered 730 acres. After Florence retired in 1908, his son Emet and Emet’s wife perle continued to run the ranch, known as Meadow View Farm. The homestead was donated to the cit in 1987.

The homestead has some very original pieces in it including an old piano which was the first piano in Mesquite and was brought to the city by horse and cart. In the kitchen there was a covered inground well for lowering the bucket down into for fresh water.
.

Leave a Comment

Address: 1424 Barnes Bridge Road, Mesquite

The Opal Lawrence Historical Park is a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark Stephen Decatur Lawrence and Fannie Coats Lawrence began building the Lawrence house in 1874, when he completed three rooms. In 1882 an additional 14 rooms were added. Between 1886-1900, the kitchen and tower (belvedere) were added. Opal Lawrence died in 1995 and her last will and testament gave the City of Mesquite the house and two acres. The City then purchased an additional 11 acres to include the barn and outbuildings.

The Historic Society is currently having renovation work carried out on the buildings and the interior is not open for tours. However, weddings have been held within the grounds.
.

Leave a Comment

Address: 701 E. Kearney St, Mesquite

Mesquite Town Square was the centre of Mesquite's beginings back in the 1900's with a handful of businesses, the first being the Interurban Depot in 1923. The stores originally faced the railroad tracks but as the town grew, they changed their openings to face the square. In all honesty, you could almost miss seeing the square its so small and insignificant looking.

There is a Texas site marker here which tells the story of Sam Bass (along with 4 others) who held up a Texas & Pacific train here in 1878. They took $152 but missed a hidden shipment of $30,000. In planning a bank robbery 3 months later, Bass was fatally shot by Rangers.
.

Leave a Comment

Address: Main Street

McWhorter Greenhaw – formerly a hardware store which began in 1943 on the town square. The store has now been turned into an Antique, Collectibles and Music Museum. The Museum part (such as it is), is all about the Light Crust Doughboys (who?) Apparently they helped develop what is (along with Tejano) one of Texas' only original genres of music, and 68 years later, this six-man band lays claim to being the 'world's longest-running Western swing band. The Doughboys still perform today and were named by the 74th legislature as the official music ambassadors of the state of Texas. I however, found the rest of the store more interesting with its old bits and pieces. Three ladies were also there with their canvasses and paint brushes creating new masterpieces to sell. (I believe they have closed now or moved).
.

Leave a Comment

Address: 105 Broad Street, Mesquite

Technically, Samuell Farm is in Mesquite but it comes under Dallas County and part of it is leased by Sunnyvale so everyone has a little piece in the area.

The area was originally deeded to the city of Dallas by Dr W. W. Samuell to be used as parkland and is estimated to be around $60 million. Earlier the property had animals and activities for children such as hayrides, summer camps, horseback riding and fishing but these days its more used as a picnic area and places for school trips.

Leave a Comment

Address: US 80 - off the service road. Mesquite

Right now the decision is being made to either use the property again for a working farm and park to educate city children on life on a farm and Texas history. The new park would also include an equestrian centre.

The other suggestion is to turn a chunk of the farm into more soccer fields - and really, Mesquite has more than enough of them.

Leave a Comment

Address: I-80 on the service road.

The original charter to the Mesquite State Bank was issued in 1962 by the State of Texas and opened in an old lumberyard building just off the square and beside the railroad tracks. The bank opened the November of the same year and then moved to the existing location in 1963. The bank has changed several times over the years as has the name from Mesquite State Bank, to First State Bank, to First State and Savings Bank back to First State Bank.

Many people from Mesquite were the original stock holders.
.

Leave a Comment

Address: West Davis Street, Mesquite

I'm not sure there is any historical interest in this church but its location presents quite an imposing structure and at night the church is flood lit which makes it quite attractive. There are many many churches in Mesquite.

Leave a Comment

Address: 127 East Kimbrough, Mesquite

The Mesquite Arts Center was built in 1995 and hosts 1,400 various events annually. The centre includes an acoustically correct performance hall which has a canopied stage for music and seats 492 - quite a cosy little theatre. There is also a rehearsal hall, theatre and gallery. Surround these areas is a landscaped courtyard Japanese red maples, bald cypress and live oaks.

The Centre is often referred to as a mini version of Dallas' Meyerson Centre - actually inside the auditorium its quite impressive on a small scale. Mesquite even has its own Symphony Orchestra. Throughout the year that have varying exhibits and concerts.. some of them free.

Leave a Comment

Address: Galloway Road, Mesquite