Fort Worth History

Also known as "Cowtown," Fort Worth is the seat of Tarrant County in Texas. Together with its neighboring city Dallas, Fort Worth forms the DFW/Metroplex area. However, where Dallas prides itself on being cosmopolitan and sophisticated, Fort Worth proudly displays its cowboy roots for all to see.

Fort Worth was never actually a fort, but rather a military camp established in 1849 and named for General William Jenkins Worth. Situated at a fork in the Trinity River, the camp was there to protect settlers from Native American attacks. Once Fort Worth became a stop along the Chisholm Trail, it began to grow quickly. Saloons and gambling dens sprang up in "Hell's Half Acre," the name given to Fort Worth's red light district.

In 1873, Fort Worth was hit by economic disaster. The Texas & Pacific Railroad had intended to run tracks to Fort Worth, but their funding failed and they were forced to stop about 30 miles short. This, combined with a hard winter that dealt a blow to the cattle industry, turned Fort Worth into a near ghost town. Robert E. Cowart, a former Fort Worth lawyer, wrote in the Dallas Herald in 1875 that Fort Worth was so dead that he'd seen a panther asleep in the street by the courthouse. According to popular legend, it was this insult that galvanized the remaining citizens of Fort Worth. Defiantly adopting the nickname "Panther City," they formed the Tarrant County Construction Company and went to work extending the railroad line themselves. By 1876, the makeshift track had been completed and the first train arrived in town, establishing Fort Worth as a shipping point.

The city is probably best known for its historic Fort Worth Stockyards, which were at the center of its cattle industry from 1876 until sometime in the 1960s. In 1976, the Stockyards were designated a historical district. The Stockyards are now home to a number of western-themed shops and saloons, including the Cowtown Opry and the famous Billy Bob's Texas. The Fort Worth Zoo, founded in 1909, is widely regarded as one of the finest zoos in the nation and boasts a variety of creatures, "from primates to parrots, from rhinos to raptors."

Despite its Cowtown image, Fort Worth is home to a number of prestigious art museums, including the Amon Carter Museum and the Kimbell Art Museum. Those who don't take their art quite so seriously can skip the museums and head straight for the Palace of Wax. Bass Performance Hall is home to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet, and the Fort Worth Opera, and has been dubbed "the last great hall built in the 20th century."