'On October 22, 1959, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., pastor, civil rights leader and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) made his only visit to Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Vada Phillips Felder, local educator, . . . — — Map (db m129136) HM
Few images of the American West are more enduring than the stagecoach. On July 18, 1856, the United States mail line brought the first stagecoach to Fort Worth on its way to Fort Belknap. The stagecoach stopped at Steel’s Tavern at the present . . . — — Map (db m52279) HM
Born 1796, died at Fort Belknap 1858. Veteran of War of 1812, active in Battle of New Orleans. Veteran of Texas War of Independence 1836, Commander of Ranger Forces of Northwest Frontier 1837. Representative from Red River District in Congress of . . . — — Map (db m52516) HM
The first African-American residents of Fort Worth were slaves who received the delayed news of their emancipation on June 19, 1865. Those who remained in the area began to build a community on the city’s east side. A blacksmith shop operated by . . . — — Map (db m52500) HM
A community school system known as Trinity Bend existed as early as 1876 in what is now the Riverside neighborhood of Fort Worth. Classes were held in a one-room schoolhouse built by Dr. Eagle, a retired physician. The Pendleton District was . . . — — Map (db m189273) HM
Born in Wise County, Texas, on December 11, 1879, Amon Giles Carter left home at an early age and worked at a variety of odd jobs around the country before his arrival in Fort Worth in 1905. Carter became the advertising manager of the “Fort . . . — — Map (db m52831) HM
From his arrival in Fort Worth in 1905 until his death, Amon Carter was the city’s most vigorous booster and champion. At his death, it was said that more than half of the city’s workers were employed by businesses Carter helped establish. As the . . . — — Map (db m52283) HM
In 1901, local business leaders G.W. Simpson and L.V. Niles began negotiating with Armour & Co., one of the nation’s four largest meatpacking firms, to encourage establishment of a branch plant in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Stock Yards Co. offered . . . — — Map (db m56976) HM
Designated as a state archeological landmark in 1987. This plaza honors the meatpacking industry, which helped make Fort Worth the livestock center of the southwest.
In 1901, both meatpackers signed identical contracts with the Fort Worth Stock . . . — — Map (db m56978) HM
In 1861 Benjamin Patton Ayres (ca. 1801-62) and his wife, Emily (Cozart) (ca. 1811-63), bought a 320-acre farm and set aside two acres on this hillside as a family cemetery. Ayres, who had served as the second Tarrant County clerk and who helped . . . — — Map (db m170231) HM
The first Art Deco skyscraper in Fort Worth, the Blackstone Hotel was erected in 1929 for wealthy cattleman C. A. “Gus” O'Keefe, who named it after a visit to the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. The St. Louis architectural firm of . . . — — Map (db m52781) HM
In 1917-18, this roadway was the main artery through Camp Bowie, a World War I training center. Narrow strips of asphalt paving flanked streetcar tracks that ran the length of the avenue, then called Arlington Heights Boulevard. After the war, . . . — — Map (db m30025) HM
Headquarters, 36th Division, United States Army, 1917-1919. Established to train Texas National Guard and Oklahoma National Guard, after the U.S. entered World War I, April 1917. Named for James Bowie (1795-1836), one of the commanders who died at . . . — — Map (db m28979) HM
Car 25 is one of four electric motorcars ordered by the Northern Texas Traction Company (NTTC) in 1913. The cars were manufactured by the St. Louis Car Company. These cars served on the interurban lines between Ft. Worth and Dallas and occasionally . . . — — Map (db m53427) HM
In 1873 when the city of Fort Worth was incorporated, the intersection of 7th & Houston was open fields. But by the early 1900s the corner had become the center of a vibrant business and financial area.
From 1905-1921 Continental Bank & Trust . . . — — Map (db m187769) HM
A. C. (Clayton) Luther (1896-1982), a Tennessee native, began to develop the area in the early 1930s with residential and commercial buildings. In the 1940s, he began construction of the Luther Apartments on Highland Street. The apartments were . . . — — Map (db m79049) HM
Native Americans hunted bison on the plains of North Texas in the 1800s. They traded freely with settlers, but conflicts did occur. Some tribal villages were attacked and some settlers’ homesteads were raided and captives taken.
In January . . . — — Map (db m52491) HM
The earliest marked grave in this cemetery is that of Amanda Thurmond (1878-1879), granddaughter of Dave Thurmond, who in 1848 first settled this area. Dempsey S. Holt donated three acres in 1887 for a school, church and cemetery. Dr. Isaac L. Van . . . — — Map (db m182115) HM
From the late 1800's, through the 1920's, during a time of Jim Crow segregation, Douglass and McGar Parks served as recreational grounds for African Americans in Fort Worth. In 1895 Thomas Mason, an African-American entrepreneur, with J.D. Johnson . . . — — Map (db m107003) HM
Prior to 1940, Quarter Horses, also called Steeldusts or Billys, did not have an official breed name. However, there were shows where horsemen brought their Quarter Horses to be judged. William Anson of Christoval, TX, sponsored and judged this type . . . — — Map (db m53425) HM
Designed by Howard Messer, this Victorian house was built in 1899 for Sarah C. Ball (1825-1904), widow of Galveston banker George Ball. William H. Eddleman (1850-1932), a local banker, bought the home in 1904 and in 1921 gave it to his daughter . . . — — Map (db m53418) HM
The Fairmount-Southside Historic District is a predominately residential area in the center of Fort Worth's Historic Southside. Located approximately two miles south of present-day downtown, the district is comprised of 22 separate additions . . . — — Map (db m104863) HM
City’s pioneer congregation, organized by the Rev. A.M. Dean, who with hymn book and revolver came in 1855 to the riotous six-year-old hamlet on the Trinity. He held services (at present Belknap and Houston Streets) in a log house built for Post . . . — — Map (db m52834) HM
Initially a wood frame structure constructed in 1874, this “Fourth Street Church” was completed in 1887 of brick and limestone. Admired by many, the building was chronicled as “A very imposing structure in the Town of Fort Worth, . . . — — Map (db m53217) HM
Known in the early 1900s as the tallest building in north Texas. Erected 1907 for the renowned Dr. Bacon Saunders, Dean of City Medical College; Chief Surgeon, Nine Railroads; acclaimed as a pioneer of medicine in Texas.
Designed by firm of . . . — — Map (db m88117) HM
Fort Worth residents got their first sight of flying machines in 1911 when the International Aviators National Tour was lured to town by Amon G. Carter, Sr. That same year the first “air mail” letter was delivered.
During World War . . . — — Map (db m52489) HM
Completed in 1930, this building was constructed to serve as the headquarters of the Texas State Teachers Association. Noted Fort Worth architect Wiley G. Clarkson designed the structure, which features Renaissance Revival styling. In 1949 the . . . — — Map (db m126301) HM
Founded June 6, 1849, as frontier post of Co. F, 2nd Dragoons, 8th Dept., U.S. Army. The commander, Maj. Ripley Arnold, named camp for his former superior officer, Maj. Gen. William Jenkins Worth. In 4 years of operations, the post had but one . . . — — Map (db m52714) HM
On June 6, 1849, Major Ripley Arnold and Company F of the Second Dragoons established a military post on this site. Arnold named the post Fort Worth to honor Major General William Jenkins Worth, Commander of the Department of Texas. Worth died of . . . — — Map (db m121955) HM
Beginning in 1904, the Belt Railway serviced the Fort Worth Stock Yards. The arrival of the railroad in Fort Worth in 1876 moved the cow town from a regional economic player to a national force. The Stockyards Corporation, chartered in 1895, created . . . — — Map (db m90588) HM
Seeking funds for a public library, local women asked the philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, to donate "the price of a good cigar." He gave $50,000. With that and substantial local gifts, including land donated by Mrs. Sarah J. Jennings, the first . . . — — Map (db m88120) HM
Headquarters, one of the greatest cattle markets in the world.
In late 1860s Fort Worth was stop on cattle trails. Market for West Texas organized 1870s. First trader, T.B. Saunders, Sr., soon was joined by others.
First small packing houses . . . — — Map (db m28359) HM
The Fort Worth Post Office was established in 1856 with pioneer settler Julian Field serving as Postmaster. The central offices were moved here in 1933 when this building was completed. Designed by the Fort Worth firm of Wyatt C. Hedrick, it . . . — — Map (db m52509) HM
The Fort Worth Stock Yards Company was created in 1893, when Boston capitalist Greenlief W. Simpson led a group of investors in purchasing the Fort Worth Union Stock Yards. Under Simpson's leadership, the Company earned the support of the Texas . . . — — Map (db m28435) HM
Spanning Exchange Avenue, this gateway to the Fort Worth Stock Yards was completed in 1910. Constructed by the Topeka Bridge & Land Co. for the Fort Worth Stock Yards Co., it was a significant feat of concrete work for that era. The columns are 22 . . . — — Map (db m53414) HM
The Fort Worth Stock Yard Company's wooden horse and mule barns on this site were destroyed by fire on March 14, 1911, opening day of the Feeders and Breeders show (later Southwestern Exposition & Fat Stock Show). The show opened as planned, with . . . — — Map (db m28440) HM
The oldest continuous Zoo site in Texas, the Fort Worth Zoological Park has provided its visitors with many recreational and educational opportunities since 1909. The first Zoo in Fort Worth was a small menagerie then located in an old City Park and . . . — — Map (db m29890) HM
In December 1903, the Wright Brothers achieved powered flight, but by 1910, most people still had not see an airplane. In October 1910, John Moisant of Chicago formed a touring aerial demonstration team known as the Moisant International Aviators. A . . . — — Map (db m71262) HM
On this site in September 1881 Fort Worth's first telephone exchange was founded by Southwest Telegraph and Telephone Company. It initially served 40 customers and employed three local employees. One hundred years later telephone service is supplied . . . — — Map (db m53209) HM
Major General William J. Worth was the commanding officer of the eighth military district including Texas and Mexico. His responsibility was to maintain peace between settlers and the plains Indians. His plan was to establish a new post on the . . . — — Map (db m96405) HM
In the 1880s, Fort Worth, “the queen city of the prairies,” was home to good hotels, restaurants, theaters, banks, 60 saloons and 9 churches. Patrons dined at the elegant White Elephant Saloon with its 40-foot mahogany bar and climbed . . . — — Map (db m52280) HM
Early landowner Baldwin L. Samuel deeded land in this area to his daughter Mary and her husband Isaac Foster in 1876. The Fosters and their daughter Lucy (Lula) and her husband William B. Garvey moved here from Kentucky in 1882 and built a home . . . — — Map (db m189059) HM
South Carolina native Edward H. Tarrant enlisted in the Kentucky Militia in 1814 and served under Gen. Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. Moving to Tennessee after 1816, he was elected Colonel of the Henry County Militia and served as . . . — — Map (db m188852) HM
William Jenkins Worth, a native of Hudson, New York, was severely wounded at Lundy's Lane during the War of 1812. In 1820 he became instructor of infantry tactic and soldierly discipline at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was . . . — — Map (db m52501) HM
This California style Craftsman bungalow was built in 1915 by A.H. Richter and his wife, Violet (Murdock) Richter, in what is now the Fairmount Historic District. It was purchased in 1917 by Mrs. N.E. Grammer, widow of Nathaniel Grammer. Nathaniel . . . — — Map (db m94541) HM
In March 1878, the lavish El Paso Hotel opened on this block. The three-storied, gas-lit, first class hotel featured a telephone and billiard room. It quickly became the major gathering place for city leaders, businessmen, visitors, actors and . . . — — Map (db m52275) HM
Organized in 1880, this fraternal organization was an active force in Fort Worth's black community during the early years of the twentieth century. Associated with a national order that had been chartered in 1843, the local lodge supported seminars . . . — — Map (db m53419) HM
When first used, this one-acre cemetery belonged to Tarrant County pioneer D.C. Harrison. The earliest known grave is that of Mary E. Harrison (1864-71). Several early settlers used this site, including R.A. Randol (1850-1922), the operator of . . . — — Map (db m76641) HM
A notorious red light district known as Hell's Half Acre developed in this section of Fort Worth after the arrival of the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1876 launched a local economic boom. Fort Worth was soon the favorite destination for hundreds of . . . — — Map (db m52502) HM
Engineering innovator who designed this dome for 1936 Texas Centennial. Staked reputation on plan (which uses a unique way of connecting radial arches at peak) despite doubts of many experts. Also designed nearby tower, buildings in major cities, . . . — — Map (db m38758) HM
The Rev. W. Marion Isham (1831-1904) and his family came to Tarrant County from Georgia about 1870. Soon after arriving in the area Isham donated a one-acre plot of land to be used for a community cemetery. The oldest remaining legible grave marker . . . — — Map (db m76640) HM
On the evening of November 21, 1963, President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy arrived in Fort Worth to spend the night at the Hotel Texas. Early the next morning, President Kennedy made an unscheduled outdoor appearance and surprised a crowd that had . . . — — Map (db m52499) HM
A native of Kentucky, John Peter Smith migrated to Fort Worth in 1853. He worked as a teacher, clerk, and surveyor before his appointment as Deputy Surveyor of the Denton Land Department in 1855, for which he received payment in property. Also a . . . — — Map (db m52506) HM
Pioneer architects Haggart and Sanguinet designed this brick sandstone and cast iron building with rounded arched windows and other ornate details. It featured the first known stone carving in Fort Worth, the figure of an owl, and displayed the . . . — — Map (db m88115) HM
(center panel)
Obie Paul Leonard • John Marvin Leonard
Two farm boys, with ingenuity, determination and 600 dollars, built a business empire.
(outer panels)
The history of
John Marvin Leonard and Obie Paul . . . — — Map (db m52790) HM
On July 3, 1925, the Fort Worth city council approved a lease on 100 acres of property on Decatur Road for the city’s new municipal airport. It was built to replace the city’s first municipal airport at Barron Field, a World War I-era flying . . . — — Map (db m97041) HM
This congregation traces its original to the establishment in 1911 of the Sycamore Heights Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Sagamore Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, South. These two small mission congregations, initially led by theology . . . — — Map (db m170297) HM
A Legend in His Own Time
As He Is Today
Midnight was born in Canada, the property of Tim McNabb. McNabb's "Door Key" brand was Midnight's mark throughout his life. He bucked on the American Rodeo circuit from 1923 to 1933 at which time he was . . . — — Map (db m35919) HM
Originally the notorious Wild West watering hole known as the “White Elephant Saloon”. Long-Hair Jim Courtwright who had been both Federal and City Marshall here was shot and killed by Gambler - King Luke Short, February 8, 1887 at the . . . — — Map (db m53212) HM
Encompassing almost 130 acres, the Mount Olivet Cemetery was founded in 1907 by Flavious G. McPeak (1858-1933) and his wife, Johnnie Clara Lester McPeak (1858-1936), who arrived in Fort Worth in 1894 from Tennessee. The land on which the cemetery is . . . — — Map (db m92319) HM
On Dec. 25, 1894, State Evangelist the Rev. Frank Tribune organized this Baptist church with five members: Ella and Lee Brooks, Katie Patterson, Laura Purvis, and Josephine Wells. With help from the Rev. Dr. A.R. Griggs, the members built a frame . . . — — Map (db m71987) HM
The Adelphi, Fort Worth’s first vaudeville theater, opened in 1876 at 3rd & Main but soon closed. Within a month, the “Theatre Comique” occupied the site, attracting audiences to its popular presentations of western-style variety . . . — — Map (db m52274) HM
A native of Greenville, Texas, Ormer Leslie Locklear moved to Fort Worth with his family in 1906. He worked for his father's construction company until 1914, when he and his brother opened an automobile repair shop.
Locklear enlisted in the . . . — — Map (db m175154) HM
This burial ground was started in the summer of 1850 upon the deaths of Sophie and Willis Arnold, children of Major Ripley A. Arnold (1817-1853), commander of the troops at Fort Worth. Arnold's friend, Doctor Adolphus Gouhenant, set aside a . . . — — Map (db m188851) HM
This building was constructed in 1908 as a saloon with "Guest" rooms on the top floors. It belonged to Winfield Scott, one of Fort Worth's most prominent citizens who amassed a small fortune in the cattle business. A popular lodging place for . . . — — Map (db m52278) HM
Comanche chief Quanah Parker was a son of two cultures. He was born about 1845 along Elk Creek, Indian Territory (Oklahoma). His Anglo mother was Cynthia Ann Parker, taken captive in a May 1836 raid and adopted by Qua-Ha-Di (Antelope) Comanches, and . . . — — Map (db m26908) HM
Racial Terror Lynching in America
Racial terror lynching claimed the lives of thousands of Black people and created a legacy of injustice that can still be felt today. After the Civil War, many white people remained committed to an ideology . . . — — Map (db m190272) HM
Raymond C. Morrison was born on Sep. 13, 1900 in Alworth, Illinois, to Phillip Huntley and Edith Adella (Cleveland) Morrison. On Jun. 9, 1924, he graduated from the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. Morrison married Helen . . . — — Map (db m93814) HM
Catholics in Fort Worth began meeting together for regular worship services by 1875. They met in private homes, and were served by traveling priests. In 1876 Bishop Claude Dubuis of the Diocese of Galveston assigned a young Irish priest, Farther . . . — — Map (db m52504) HM
After many years of debate, Fort Worth researchers identified this site in 1957 as the location of the city's first Masonic lodge. For more than twenty years, lodge members met in a two story hall at this location. The group organized in 1854 and . . . — — Map (db m52716) HM
The Forth Worth Medical College was established as the medical department of Fort Worth University in 1894 by a group of prominent area physicians. Among those in its small charter class was Frances Daisy Emery, the first woman medical school . . . — — Map (db m53215) HM
This congregation, initially led by Dr. I.L. Van Zandt and other elders, was established in a fast growing southern area of Fort Worth in 1892. Named Southside Church of Christ, the new congregation experienced several decades of steady growth . . . — — Map (db m189253) HM
Fort Worth Stock Yards Company publicist Charles C. French and local cattleman Charles C. McFarland organized the first livestock show in north Fort Worth in 1896. Members of the Texas Cattle Raisers Association (TCRA) participated in the initial . . . — — Map (db m38756) HM
The first Catholic School in Fort Worth, St. Ignatius Academy was organized by the sisters of St. Mary of Namur in 1885. The first classes were held in a house purchased from Jacob Smith. This four-story limestone structure, used for classrooms and . . . — — Map (db m52505) HM
Erected 1888-1892 under the direction of the parish priest, the Rev. Jean M. Guyot, a native of France. Stone for walls was quarried locally. Improvised, horse-powered lathes were used to turn and polish the eighteen interior pillars. Ceilings and . . . — — Map (db m52523) HM
A leading national meatpacking firm by the 1880s, Swift & Co. adopted a practice of opening branch plants nearer the source of supply. Attracted to Texas by the state’s vast livestock herds. The company chose this site for a new operation as the . . . — — Map (db m56974) HM
Designed by firm of Gunn & Curtis and built by the Probst Construction Company of Chicago, 1893-1895. This red Texas granite building, in Renaissance Revival style, closely resembles the Texas State Capitol with the exception of the clock tower. . . . — — Map (db m121876) HM
Built in 1917-18, this structure is located on land upon which old Camp Worth was constructed in 1849. The noted Fort Worth architectural firm of Sanguinet and Staats designed the building, incorporating elements of the Beaux Arts and Classical . . . — — Map (db m52720) HM
(South Face)
This memorial is dedicated
to the honor of
Tarrant County citizens
who served their country during
World War I
World War II
The Korean War
The Vietnam War
The Persian Gulf War
May 25, 1980
(North . . . — — Map (db m92318) WM
Texas Christian University and Fort Worth's partnership dates to 1910 although the connection began in 1869 when Ida Addison, and Randolph Clark established TCU's forerunner academy in the area known as Hell's Half Acre. The rowdiness of the area . . . — — Map (db m121907) HM
The eastern portion of this structure was built in 1906-07 by Col. Thomas Marion Thannisch (1853-1935), one of north Fort Worth's early developers. Designed for use as a hotel and office space to serve the Stockyards community and trade, the . . . — — Map (db m53416) HM
Developer Thomas S. Weaver had this structure built about 1905. Named "Atelier", the French word for an artist's studio, it has housed the offices of architects and contractors, a restaurant, and financial institutions, including the banking firm of . . . — — Map (db m118253) HM
Until 1908, The Annual Fort Worth Fat Stock Show was held in a variety of locations. As interest increased in the event and its educational and promotional values were realized, livestock exhibitors sought a permanent home for the show. The coliseum . . . — — Map (db m53426) HM
W.M. "Bill" Pickett (1870-1932) originated the rodeo event of Bulldogging, known today as steer wrestling.
Native Texan Pickett developed a unique style of bulldogging, which made him world famous as a Wild West Show and Rodeo Performer. . . . — — Map (db m52777) HM
Neil P. Anderson (1847-1912) lived in Fort Worth by 1882. A talented broker, he helped this city set the pace for cotton trading in the inland markets of the southwest. His firm had Sanguinet & Staats design this “Cotton Exchange” with . . . — — Map (db m52830) HM
This stone marks the site of Camp Worth, a United States Military Post named in Honor of General William J. Worth and Commanded by Major Ripley A. Arnold 1849-1853. The camp protected the frontier against Indians, and was the beginning of the City . . . — — Map (db m52717) HM
When professional photographer John Swartz snapped this famous photograph of five young men in 1901, he had no idea it would end up on a “wanted” poster. Swartz and his brothers, considered Fort Worth’s premier photographers, were unaware that the . . . — — Map (db m52284) HM
A native of North Carolina, Thomas Bailey Saunders (1816-1902) migrated to Texas in 1850 and started a cattle ranch near Gonzales. After the Civil War he completed cattle drives to markets in New Orleans and Kansas before settling in Bexar County. . . . — — Map (db m53413) HM
Timothy Brian Cole, born in Brenham in 1960, served in the U.S. Army and attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock. While there, Cole was accused of assaulting a fellow student in September 1986. A jury convicted him and sentenced him to 25 years . . . — — Map (db m186622) HM
Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate)
Thanks the citizens of Fort Worth, Texas for their unwavering support during the Vietnam War. Fort Worth will forever be in the hearts of the men of Charlie . . . — — Map (db m156913) WM
The Roy A. and Gladys Westbrook House is a 2½ story Tudor Revival style home constructed in 1928. The house sits on a 1.5 acre blufftop site in the Park Hill neighborhood that overlooks the Fort Worth Zoo and Forest Park. The Park Hill . . . — — Map (db m94351) HM
Many of the individuals buried in this pioneer cemetery are descendants of Edward Willburn (1805-82) and his wife Nancy (Overton) (ca. 1811-87), immigrants from the upper south who settled here in the 1850s. The earliest marked grave, dated 1867, . . . — — Map (db m185103) HM
A native of England, William Sanderson came to Texas in 1841. He obtained a Republic of Texas land grant and in 1847 settled in Tarrant County with his wife, Isabella Francis (Ayres). Sanderson soon established himself as a farmer and stock . . . — — Map (db m170229) HM
Born near Liverpool, England, William John Marsh was an accomplished organist and musician when he came to Fort Worth in 1904 to enter the cotton business. In addition to his bookkeeping work, he served as organist and choir master for two area . . . — — Map (db m146804) HM
Camp Bowie was established as a training facility for the 36th Infantry Division after the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917. Construction began on July 18, 1917 and it was officially opened on August 24, 1917. Among the camp's . . . — — Map (db m187623) HM
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