Every Friday we take a break from our regular blogging schedule to allow the authors an opportunity to feature a certain topic they are passionate about. In the past you’ve read about art, studying abroad, experiencing culture through food, and the great burger adventure. Through this and other future posts we hope you’ll enjoy reading, we hope to share with you our personalities, passions, and interests on a more personal level.
Did you know I enjoy history? I do. Knowing and understanding the history of something helps me to appreciate art, people, buildings, cities, culture, and traditions all the more. Today I want to share with you a brief segment on the history of Fort Worth. I’ve muddled through a few different resources and have condensed the information to be able to share it with you today.
I should also note: I’m a timeline person. It probably has to do with being instructed to “make a timeline” with pictures when I was a child plus, I appreciate the linear format for easy reading/understanding. Here goes nothing!
- 1840: A settlement was established by Jonathan Bird three miles east of what is now Birdville.
- 1843: Sam Houston initially came to Birdville to establish a parley with Native American chiefs, however it was led by Gen. Edward H. Tarrant and George W. Terrell. A line through Fort Worth was established during the parley wherein Native Americans agreed to use the territory west of the agreed-upon line; the slogan “Where the West Begins” was born.
- 1849: In order to close the defensive gap between the Brazos and Red Rivers, Col. William S. Harney, acting commander of the Department of Texas after the death of Maj. Gen. Williams Jenkins Worth, directed Maj. Ripley Arnold up to the Trinity River. Arnold took a small party, connected with Middleton Tate Johnson, and rode to a spot near the joining of the Clear and West forks of the Trinity deciding the location of the fort. By the end of 1849, Fort Worth was complete and no more than 100 people lived in the surrounding Tarrant county.
- 1853: Fort Worth was vacated as troops made another push of the Western frontier toward the Pacific.
- 1850s: Birdville was the largest town and county seat in Tarrant County, however most settlers moved into Fort Worth after it had been vacated ready to make use of the empty buildings. A bitter debate between the two towns arose and a vote was cast to determine that Fort Worth should be the new county seat.
- 1870s: Fort Worth boomed in anticipation of the railroad heading West. The investor for the building of the railroad failed, and with it Fort Worth saw a mass exodus of citizens. Convinced that the railroad would be Fort Worth’s redemption, the citizens who remained took it upon themselves to build the T&P Line.
- 1873: Fort Worth elects its first mayor, Dr W.P. Burts.
- Late 1800s: Fort Worth boomed in population and was known for its cattle drives, rodeos, strong banking,
- 1900-1920s: A major boom of gas and oil took place in Fort Worth, the first gas line served 3840 customers in 1909 and by 1920 eight refineries had been built with four in progress.
- 1936: Developed by Amon Carter, Casa Manana was constructed, opened; it featured an outdoor amphitheater and restaurant, but was closed shortly after so that scraps could be used for the war effort.
- 1941-1945: Construction of the Marine Air Base, aircraft plant, and air field was a significant milestone for the city as they aided in the war effort, building over 3000 B-24 bombers.
- 1958: Casa Manana would be rebuilt per a bond election and the approval of the City Council.
- 1960s & 1970s: Fort Worth boomed with economic activity: among the buildings constructed were the Tarrant County Convention Center, DFW Airport, the Amon Carter Museum, and the Kimbell Art Museum.
- Mid 1980s: Revitalization of the downtown area and Sundance Square was constructed.
So, I guess I tried to make that brief. There is seriously SO much information out there about the history of Fort Worth and of Texas! Below are the sources I cited, all having A LOT more content than what I gave you here. If you’re interested or you read something that you want to research further, feel free to check them out!
Sources:
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