Arlington Archives

The newest episode of the Arlington Archives dives into the long and colorful history of sports in Arlington, tracing the city’s athletic roots from early horse racing and high school football glory to the rise of UTA athletics and the arrival of major professional teams.

Veteran broadcaster and Arlington native John Nelson joins host O.K. Carter to help unpack the city’s defining sports moments, legendary players and the evolution that made Arlington one of Texas’ most notable sports hubs.

The episode is hosted by O.K. Carter with co‑host Jock Bethune, a longtime narrator for American Airlines training films and a historian of the airport’s development. Carter and Bethune outline the decades long struggle between Dallas and Fort Worth that delayed the creation of a regional airport, beginning with early debates in 1920s and continued through years of civic competition.

"Arlington Archives" kicks off its newest episode with a spirited exploration of Arlington’s most famous thrill destination: Six Flags Over Texas. Host OK Carter, a longtime local historian known for bringing the city’s past to life, welcomes media veteran Steve Pyburn for a conversation rich with firsthand memories, behind‑the‑scenes insight and a look at how the park helped shape Arlington’s identity.

Hosted by longtime Arlington journalist O.K. Carter and co hosted by historian and content creator Zack Wilson, the episode titled “A Whale of a Tale: Revisiting Seven Seas” explores how Arlington once tried to build a world class marine park complete with orcas, penguins and high diving stunt performers.

“The Evolution of UTA” offers listeners an engaging look at one of the city’s most influential institutions and the people who shaped it. 

The episode explores the property’s evolution from a bustling gambling destination to a place marked by hidden tunnels, high‑profile guests and federal raids before becoming the campus of Arlington Baptist University.

In the newest episode, “Crossroads of Change: How Major Thoroughfares Shaped Arlington,” host OK Carter sits down with two North Texas’ transportation leaders, Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and Victor Vandergriff, executive director of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition. Together, they explore how I-30, I-20, SH-360 and the historic Bankhead Highway reshaped Arlington’s growth, mobility, and identity. From regional planning decisions to on-the-ground impacts, this episode unpacks the pivotal role major corridors have played in transforming Arlington into the modern city it is today.

“Racing Through Time: Arlington’s Open-Wheel Legacy” hits the track as the newest episode of Arlington Archives. Host OK Carter teams up with Erica Rousseau, Processing Archivist with University of Texas at Arlington Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives, to uncover the city’s nearly forgotten racing era just in time for the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington March 13–15, 2026.

In this episode of Arlington Archives, host and local author/historian O.K. Carter dives deep into the city’s earliest chapters long before theme parks, stadium skylines, and booming suburbs. Alongside guest, former Arlington mayor Richard Greene, the two explore Arlington’s transformation from frontier outpost to a growing mid‑century community, tracing the people, places and homegrown brands that defined its identity along the way. From Bird's Fort, Johnson Station and the railroad arrival to the mineral well, gambling hideaways and the industries that fueled local life, this episode uncovers the stories that shaped Arlington’s character up to the 1950s. It’s a journey through the roots of the city we know today, told through the brands and beginnings that built it.