Last month, Southlake celebrated 70 years since its incorporation in 1956.
Here’s something I didn’t know: the vote to incorporate Southlake was just 30–24. The original town covered only 1.62 square miles and had a population of just over 100.
Think about that for a moment.
An anniversary naturally invites us to look back at what Southlake was, what it has become, and the people, businesses, decisions, and ideas that shaped the community along the way.
But perhaps the most interesting thing about looking back is realizing how much of today’s Southlake once existed only as someone’s vision for tomorrow.
Someone had to imagine what could be. Someone had to invest. Someone had to take a risk. And people had to make thoughtful choices about not only how a city would grow, but what kind of community it wanted to become.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing one very small piece of that process firsthand. Years ago, a Leadership Southlake project I participated in helped bring signage to the Bluebird Trail at the Bob Jones Nature Center. What sounded simple ultimately took nearly two years – a reminder that building something worthwhile often requires collaboration, persistence, and people willing to see it through.
Multiply that by 70 years.
And then consider this: the decisions being made today are doing the exact same thing.
A business owner deciding to expand. A family putting down roots. An entrepreneur taking a chance. Leaders considering not simply what works today, but what will serve people years from now.
Perhaps no part of Southlake’s anniversary captures that idea better than its signature legacy initiative: 2,026 Trees in 2026. There is something beautifully appropriate about celebrating 70 years by planting for the future. Long after the anniversary is over, those trees can still be growing, providing shade and becoming part of the Southlake another generation will call home.
Experience has taught me that we don’t always recognize a consequential moment while we’re living it.
Today’s small business may become tomorrow’s major employer. Today’s young family may become tomorrow’s community leaders. What seems like a small decision now may someday be part of what another generation knows as Southlake.
And if you’d like to continue the anniversary celebration a little longer, I hope you’ll watch a recent episode of my Hometown Banknotes podcast, where we celebrated Southlake, reflected on its story and looked ahead to what comes next.
Because an anniversary isn’t only an opportunity to honor what came before us, it’s an invitation to consider what we’re building – or perhaps planting – for those who come next.
Seventy years ago, 30 people voted yes.
They couldn’t possibly have known everything that would follow.
Neither can we.
Hometown Banknotes – Podcast Feature
Tune in to Hometown Banknotes! Hosted by Janice C. Spooner with NBT Financial Bank. Listen now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts—just press play and tune in!
Janice C. Spooner, Regional President at NBT Financial Bank, has spent over 14 years actively serving the Southlake Community through banking leadership, chamber involvement, and local partnerships.
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