Ed Jones Triangle -- Grand Prairie TX
N 32° 44.693 W 096° 59.247
14S E 688559 N 3624796
A low sandstone wall and square monument in a triangle formed by the intersection of SE 14th St and E Jefferson St/State Hwy 180 in east Grand Prairie TX recognizes the urban renewal efforts of Ed Jones in the 1970s.
Waymark Code: WMGAV9
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/07/2013
Views: 2
From the Nov 2009 edition of the Grand Prairie Historical Organization newsletter:
"As part of our Celebration of 100 Years in Grand Prairie, we are remembering the efforts of the Urban Renewal Agency and its Executive Director, Ed Jones, who served in that capacity from 1964 to 1978, to improve the quality of life for Grand Prairie residents who were suffering extreme hardships at that time.
The Urban Renewal Agency was a non-profit agency that corralled the re-sources of the City of Grand Prairie, the Urban Renewal Agency and the Federal Government to help low income residents make substantial repairs to their homes.
The Grand Prairie Urban Renewal Agency is credited with revitalizing several sections of the city, including Lakeview Heights and the Dalworth Neighborhood. At the time, Mr. Jones was leading the Agency. The residents in these areas were not only living in sub-standard structures, but also lacked electricity, water and sewer, and in some cases adequate roads.
The federal grants Mr. Jones secured, along with cash matches from the City of Grand Prairie that came in the form of infrastructure improvements, helped to improve the quality of life for many families and remove blight for the benefit of all residents." [end]
The memorial to Mr. Jones is composed of a low sandstone wall encircling a part of a traffic island created at the intersection of SE 14th Street and Jefferson Street, which was then US Highway 80. A small concrete pedestal hosts a plaque that reads as follows:
"ED JONES TRIANGLE
This site named in honor of Edward F. Jones, Executive Director of the Grand Prairie Urban Renewal Agency, in recognition of his numerous contributions over more than 18 years to the betterment of this community.
1973" [end]
The fact that this memorial sits on what was at the time the US 80 is significant, and tells us how much Jones' efforts were appreciated by this community. For more on the US 80, its history, its remnants, and its importance to Texas and the nation, see here: (
visit link)