Westlake

The town of Westlake is located on State Highway 114 about nineteen miles north-northeast of Fort Worth on the Denton-Tarrant county boundary. In 1956 Dallas attorney Glen Turner founded Circle T Ranch. That year ranchers and homeowners in that area near Grapevine Lake incorporated under the name of Westlake. In 1960 the population was 112. In 1973 Westlake disannexed some of its northern area, which became the upscale development that eventually incorporated as Trophy Club. Oil magnate Nelson Bunker Hunt purchased the Circle T Ranch in the mid-1970s. In 1980 the population of Westlake had increased to 214, and during the mid-1980s a multiuse office complex called Solana was constructed. Ross Perot Jr. purchased the Circle T Ranch in 1993. Controversy developed between the city of Westlake and the development of Circle T Ranch under Westlake's jurisdiction in 1997. After ousting the mayor, members of Westlake's board of aldermen voted to disannex Circle T Ranch and other properties, thereby effectively dissolving the town. This resulted in months of conflicts and lawsuits, while neighboring cities attempted to annex the Westlake land. In July 1998 Perot and the Circle T Ranch agreed to pursue development under the jurisdiction of Westlake, and Westlake eventually won back its disputed properties. In 2000 the population was 207. Major corporations located at the Solana complex have included the Mercedes-Benz Credit Corporation, IBM, and Verizon Wireless.