About the Benjamin R. Wall Memorial

Benjamin R. Wall lived on the east side of Grapevine’s Main Street, Ida Stults on the west side. Both attended Grapevine College. Ida went to Howard Payne College in 1892-93 while B.R. spent a ‘pleasant and profitable year” at Baylor University, 1893. On May 16, 1897, the couple were married at the home of her mother.

B.R. had a number of different jobs and businesses over the years. He worked in the County Surveyor’s Office, founded the Grapevine Sun in November 1895, “began working for Z.T. Wall in Drug Store September 1, 1986 at a salary of $20 per month,” organized the Farmer’s & Merchants Milling Company in 1902, in 1907 entered into a partnership with John B. Wood under the name of Wood-Wall Realty Company, and in 1915 he passed the Texas State Bar Exam and became a practicing attorney.

In April, 1912, B.R. Wall was elected Mayor of Grapevine, “receiving all the votes polled except Bud Dean’s and my own.” He served in this office a total of 25 years. From June 1917, until March 1919 he served on the Tarrant County Local Draft Board – “One of the most trying periods of my life, but I came through it unscathed.” He had other appointments to offices in the Democratic Party, the Redman Lodge, and the I.O.O.F. Lodge, and there were numerous trips both in and out of the state to attend local and national conventions.

Ida spent most of her time taking care of five daughters and their home on the corner of Smith and Franklin Streets, built in 1904.