Fort Worth
Home on the range!

The Fort Worth of today is a modern city with Interstate highways, an attractive skyline, theater, opera, ballet, and fine dining places..  A visitor cannot be in the area very long, however, without realizing this is a city deeply rooted in a part of  history that excites young and old alike.  Memorialized in American folklore, this is the land of cowboys, cattle drives, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, stockyards.....  It all began back in 1849, after the end of the War with Mexico, when the U.S. Army was assigned the task of  protecting settlers from Indian attacks.   They established a camp for that purpose on the Trinity River and named it Camp Worth after a hero of the Mexican War, Maj. Gen William J. Worth.   The "camp" was upgraded to a fort during the 1850's, and the name was changed to Fort Worth.  After the danger of Indian attacks subsided, the soldiers moved out, the settlers moved in, and Fort Worth was on its way to becoming a thriving settlement.   During the 60's and 70's  the settlers began trading with the cowboys who drove cattle over the Chisholm trail to Abilene and Wichita, and Fort Worth was destined to be a Cowtown.  An important "watering hole" for the cattle and the cowboys as well, saloons and gambling halls sprang up as downtown Fort Worth became known as "Hell's Half Acre".  When the railroads reached the area in 1876, it was no longer necessary to continue the cattle drives on to Kansas.  Large stockyards were developed, cattle were shipped by rail, and Fort Worth became the world second largest cattle market in the world.  This operation continued until the 1950's when it became faster and cheaper for large trucks to haul the cattle to market.

A good model for revitalization, much of the downtown historic architecture has been restored in a 20-block district, now called "Sundance Square", as the entertainment and shopping district, and it seems to mesh very well with the modern glass skyscrapers nearby.  Looking north on Main Street one sees The Tarrant County Court House, an imposing structure built of Texas red granite during1893-95.  Its cost of almost $409,000 was considered so extravagent by the Fort Worth citizens that an entirely new County Commisioners Court was elected in 1984.   This court house resembles the Texas State Capitol building except for the clock tower.

Many cities have wall art painted on the outside of buildings, but Fort Worth boasts an impressive and large trompe l'oeil mural entitled "The Chisholm Trail" appropriately depicting the early cattle drives.    Do click on this thumbnail at the left to see a larger picture of this mural.  Even then, it is hard to capture the beauty the this real work of art with a photograph.  For visitors who have a passion for outlet shopping, the Fort Worth Outlet Square contains over 40 outlet stores and is located adjacent to Sundance Square.

Encompassing a five acre area, the Water Gardens combine massive concrete walls, abundant flowing water, quiet pools, concrete ramps and walkways, as well as a lot of shady green space from a variety of shrubs and trees (150 live oaks!), all of which provide a unique park atmosphere for sitting or strolling in downtown Fort Worth.  The highlight of the Water Gardens, of course, is the major waterfall pictured at the left.  Few visitors to this place can resist the temptation to walk down the steps to the bottom. 

Three miles from downtown Fort Worth is the Stockyard district.   Approximately five years after the close of the big meat packing plants in 1971, the Fort Worth Stockyard area was designated a National Historic District, thereby preserving the architecture and the atmosphere of the stockyards.  In an effort to promote tourist dollars, Stockyards Station evolved as a "festival marketplace" which now occupies the old hog and sheep pens.  Here the visitor may browse through many specialty shops and art galleries, as well find things to eat at a variety of restaurants.  Not to be outdone by Las Vegas, there is even a Wedding Chapel.  Stockyards Station also serves as the depot for the Tarantula Excursion Train, a well-kept 1896 steam engine.  Walking tours are offered to help the visitor explore all the many features of the Stockyards.  Rodeos are available every Friday and Saturday at the Cowtown Coliseum, built in 1908 and home of the world's first indoor rodeo.  Billy Bob's is billed as the "world's largest honky tonk", featuring food, entertainment, casino arcade, and bull riding.   The former Armor Swift building is now a restored Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant.   And if you have ever wondered what it feels like to sit on a Texas Longhorn, there will never be a better time or place to find out.  It is not easy to climb aboard, and the longhorn is indeed a very broad animal!  For a price, Shiloh was the obliging Longhorn in this case, and Shiloh's owner provided a necessary boost into the saddle.  Since a trip to the Stockyards hardly would be complete without a steak dinner, the Cattlemen's Steakhouse is the place of choice.  Their filet is reasonably priced and superb!  It is not from a Texas Longhorn!

The Fort Worth Cultural District lies between University Drive and Montgomery and encompasses a variety of attractions, as well as Trinity Park with its long biking/jogging trail along the Trinity River.  The Fort Worth Museum of Science & History  fascinates both young and old with its exhibits, Omni Theater, and Planetarium.  The Will Rogers Memorial Center is a facility providing family entertainment and shows, while nearby the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth features works of Picasso, Warhol, etc.

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is 109 acres of pure beauty that was born of the Great Depression.  Located on University Drive just a "stone's throw" north of Interstate 30, the visitor enters through the large wrought iron gates and sees attractive flower beds and reflection pools featuring two Texas-sized bronze frogs in front of  the main building.   Inside the grounds are many gardens with their accompanying ponds and waterfalls, but the most outstanding features are the 7.5 acre famous Japanese Garden and the lovely rose garden.  A more detailed description with several photographs of the highlights of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden will be available soon from this link.

For those who enjoy walking, jogging, or biking, the city fathers of years past made that possible by establishing a wonderful system of parks along the Trinity River.  The Trinity River Trails system covers several miles, and if one is "in shape" it is possible to walk or cycle from the Stockyards to Downtown to the Cultural District and beyond!  There are myriads of ducks paddling in the river, as well as an occasional heron standing in the shallow water, oblivious to the foot and bike traffic on the trail.  There are several small dams which provide good fishing areas.   On a nice day young and old alike populate these areas to fish for trout and catfish.  A fishing license is required, and the daily limit is five of each.

About one mile south of I 30 and considered one of the top zoos in the United States, the Fort Worth Zoo features lions, tigers, and bears..(oh, my!)..and also gorillas, a herpetarium, an aquarium, Raptor Canyon (birds of prey), and a rain forest--all of which may be enjoyed from tree-shaded wandering paths.

There is a lot of outlet shopping around the Fort Worth area.   Grapevine Mills is located in nearby Grapevine and contains many major outlet stores in an enclosed mall.  Another feature of this mall is a favorite theme restaurant called the Rain Forest Cafe.   Its rainforest decor, complete with lifesized animated animals and occasional thunder storms, is a big hit with adults as well as children--and the food is excellent, too!.

We observed many men wearing Stetson hats and rugged jeans as they shuffled along in their boots with spurs jingling.  Obviously, these were cowboys!   At least, they certainly fit the classic description!  One realizes, though, the cowboy's lifestyle surely has changed drastically.  These "cowboys" were not sleeping out under the stars, nor were they on horseback.  They were driving large, powerful pick-up trucks to pull their rather luxurious horse trailers, and they were sleeping at the Ramada!

Fort Worth is a big city, but through public and private efforts it boasts a well patrolled downtown area that is safe for tourists.  It also is an easy city in which to drive.  There is a Fort Worth trolley that travels between the three major tourist areas (Downtown, Stockyards, and Cultural District) except during the winter.   So put on your boots and spurs and grab your hat.  Let's go back down to Fort Worth!