Dave Pearson Collection

Biographical Note

Dave Pearson was a longtime resident of Fort Worth, Texas. In 1950, he graduated from Arlington Heights High School as a mid-term graduate and was voted by his classmates as most popular. Since then, he amassed a large collection of Fort Worth school-related materials, primarily yearbooks and directories.

Pearson was also interested in Fort Worth history, in general, focusing on topics such as his father's, Russel H. Pearson's, aviation company, National Airplane Corporation; World War I and Camp Bowie; and local businesses.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, Pearson worked to restore and preserve the historic Steam Engine Number 610, which was built in 1927. He established the 610 Historical Foundation and served on the board of directors with Amon Carter, Jr. In 1976, the 610 was used to pull the American Freedom Train through Texas as a part of the United States Bicentennial celebrations. The 610 is now part of the Texas State Railroad Museum in Palestine, Texas.

Scope and Contents

The Dave Pearson Collection contains materials from various Fort Worth public schools, his childhood friends, the National Airplane Corporation, Camp Bowie, the Steam Engine Number 610 restoration, and other local history. The items include yearbooks, scrapbooks, photographs, documents, publications, artifacts, ephemera, digital images, posters, and maps. The collection is divided into series based on subject and format. The materials are dated 1873 through 2017, with many undated items.

The collection materials are arranged in the five series listed below. The collection originally had six series. After receiving a large donation in 2026, the Archives staff combined the original Series I and II into the current Series I.

View the Dave Pearson image gallery.

View the Dave Pearson scrapbooks page.

Series I: Fort Worth School, 1912-2005

This series contains a large collection of school-related materials including: Arlington Heights High School class reunion materials, ephemera, event programs and tickets, photographs, and publications; school directories and handbooks from Fort Worth elementary, junior high, and high schools; school ephemera such as student autograph books, a memory book, a ticket to a high school football game, and programs for school events; yearbooks; school newspapers for W. C. Stripling Junior High School and Arlington Heights High School; artifacts, ephemera, and other school publications.

Series II: Fort Worth History, 1914-2017

This series contains items related to general Fort Worth history including materials related to Camp Bowie; Fort Worth organizations and clubs; the National Airplane Corporation; churches; photographs of local businesses; photographs of a military parade circa 1917; aerial photographs of portions of Fort Worth; phone directories; maps; Fort Worth Star-Telegram and other newspapers with notable headlines and funny pages; and posters.

Series III: Scrapbooks, 1909-1968

This series contains scrapbooks created by individual students related to their time at school. One scrapbook from Arlington Heights High School contains clippings on the school, the military, politics, and some local interests such as the 1944 flood in the Samuels Avenue area. One scrapbook focuses on the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frog Band, and contains mostly newspaper clippings and ephemera on the band, and a few related to other local symphonies and orchestras. One scrapbook focuses on the Cub Scouts Den 12, Pack 12, and contains photographs, ephemera, and materials on traveling to South Dakota. One scrapbook focused on the Boy Scouts of St. Alice Catholic School contains clippings, photographs, and ephemera. A scrapbook that has been dismantled has materials related to Texas Christian University (TCU) and the Horned Frog Band and Fort Worth Central High School. The final scrapbook, which has been dismantled, focuses on Sunset High School in Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Series IV: Steam Engine Number 610 and Texas Railroads, 1968-2007

Steam Engine Number 610 was built in 1927 by Lima Locomotive Works. The Texas and Pacific Railroad ran the steam engine between Shreveport, Louisiana and El Paso, Texas until the steam engine was retired in 1950. In 1975, it was restored for the United States Bicentennial in 1976. Steam Engine Number 610 pulled the American Freedom Train throughout the entire state of Texas for the Bicentennial. In 1986, the Texas State Railroad acquired the steam engine and developed a state historical park in East Texas. Donor Dave Pearson was heavily involved in the restoration process with Amon Carter, Jr.

Dave Pearson served as President of the 610 Historical Foundation. The board of directors also included Amon G. Carter, Jr., Blair Lavelle, James T. Blanton, Marc Lowrance, and John T. Brigham. The purpose of the foundation was to raise funding for the restoration and preservation of the 610. Materials related to the Steam Engine Number 610 restoration include correspondence, financial records, fundraising information, ephemera, maps, publications, postcards, and photographs. Materials related to other Texas railroads include postcards, maps, ephemera, and photographs.

Series V: Military and Non-Fort Worth History, 1940-1995

This series contains materials related to military history and non-Fort Worth history, including yearbooks from various schools and military forts; photographs; news clippings; and books about Bonnie and Clyde, Jim Wright, Elvis Presley, Bridgeport history, Celebrity by Thomas Thompson, and two books of Exodus in Hebrew accompanied by photographs, publications related to Dallas living, a handbook and directory for the Dallas Mothers' Club of Pi Beta Phi, issues of The Sunset Stampede Sunset High School newspaper; two military song books; and a Recordio Disc (vinyl) of Benny Thomasson.

Subject Terms

The following lists of subject terms represent the majority, but not the entirety, of the topics within the Dave Pearson Collection.