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River Oaks, Texas

Everything River Oaks is known for

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Music in River Oaks

Songs About River Oaks

stockyards
casey donahew
45%

Artists From River Oaks

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Rivers & Roads in Song near River Oaks

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near River Oaks.

Texas State Highway 199 8 songs Interstate 20 13 songs Brazos River 43 songs Trinity River 11 songs Chisholm Trail 8 songs Interstate 35 45 songs

History of River Oaks

A Bomber Factory Turned Farmland Into a City RoadyGoat

1941

River Oaks was not created by an oil boom or a railroad. It was created by the need to house thousands of people building bombers. The very year the town incorporated, 1941, the federal government began throwing up an enormous aircraft plant and military airfield right beside it. The plant opened to build B-24 Liberator bombers for World War II, and the airfield next door grew into Carswell. All those plant workers and military families needed somewhere to live, and River Oaks turned into a bedroom community almost overnight. Its population hit about two thousand by the late 1940s and blew past eight thousand by 1960 as Carswell and the aircraft business expanded. That is why so many of the city's older houses look like they came from the same era: most of them did, going up fast in the postwar years to shelter the people who built and flew the planes.

Why It Is River Oaks and Not Castleberry RoadyGoat

1941

When residents voted, unanimously, to incorporate as a village in 1941, you might expect the new town to be called Castleberry, after the old community. But the boundaries they drew reached beyond the traditional Castleberry area, so naming it Castleberry would have left some people out. The leaders went looking for a name that fit everyone, and they took it straight from the land: the mature oak trees all around, and the nearby West Fork of the Trinity River. It became River Oaks Village, and then the City of River Oaks in 1946. Here is the fun part: unlike Houston's famously fancy River Oaks, this name is completely literal. The city really does sit near a river, in country that was once thick with oaks. No marketing, no mansions, just a town named for exactly what was standing there.

It Began With a Cabin, a School, and a Shared Water Well RoadyGoat

1849

River Oaks began when one settler donated land for a school and another donated the water needed to keep it running. Back in 1849, a man named James Ventioner built a log cabin and started a farm that stretched across a big slice of what is now northwest Fort Worth and River Oaks. He gave land for a school near where Castleberry Elementary stands today. A later settler, Zack Castleberry, let the schoolchildren and the surrounding farm families draw from his water well, which in a dry country was no small gift. The little settlement came to be called the Castleberry community, and that name has outlived almost everything else from those years: it still rides on the Castleberry Independent School District. So before there were bomber plants or boulevards here, there was a cabin, a one-room school, and a neighbor's well that the whole community shared.

Castleberry HS Tornado Damage

2000

F3 tornado tracked NE through west Fort Worth, destroying Castleberry High School's field house and damaging the River Oaks / Westworth / Linwood neighborhoods before climbing the Bank One Tower downtown. Local lore: former student Steven Brown told a TV news crew the wreckage 'looked like a convertible,' a quote he never lived down.

Local Knowledge →

Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr.

1916

Major, United States Army Air Corps Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr. was born on July 18, 1916, to Horace S. and Bertha Rea Carswell of Fort Worth. He attended North Side High School where he excelled in athletics. Graduating in 1934, Carswell entered Texas A&M College and later transferred to Texas Christian University, where he lettered in football and baseball and graduated with a degree in Physical Education in 1939. In 1940, Carswell enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet. He undertook Primary Flight Training in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and at Randolph Field (San Antonio), and Advanced Flying Training at Kelly Field (San Antonio). Upon receiving his wings in November 1940 he served at Randolph Field and Goodfellow Field (San Angelo) where he met and later married Virginia Ede in October 1941. Two months later the U.S. entered World War II. Carswell served in stateside assignments until April 1944, when he was transferred to the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations and to the 374th Bombardment Squadron, 308th Bombardment Group. Major Carswell commanded a unit of radar-equipped B-24J bombers at Liuchow, China. On October 26, 1944, he led a nighttime interdiction mission over the South China Sea. While attacking an enemy convoy, his aircraft was severly damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. Carswell nursed his aircraft to the China coast where he ordered his crew to parachute to safety. When two of his crew could not bail out, he selflessly remained with his aircraft, searching for a spot to land until the damaged plane crashed into a mountainside. Carswell was posthumously awarded the medal of honor, which was presented to his wife and young son. In 1948, his remains were repatriated and buried in Fort Worth. That same year, Army Air Field was renamed Carswell Air Force Base in his honor. Its airstrip is still officially named "Carswell Field."		(2016)

Historical Marker →

William John Marsh

1904

(June 24, 1880 - Feb. 1, 1971) 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 choirmaster for two area churches and one synagogue, and as choral director and Professor of Organ at Texas Christian University. He also composed over 100 pieces of music. In 1929, his composition "Texas, Our Texas" won in competition to become the official state song. Marsh died in Fort Worth at the age of 90. (1985)

Historical Marker →

Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I

1918

During World War I, the 36th nfantry division included Choctaw Nation soldiers training at Fort Bowie. These men fought bravely. When they deployed, their regiments faced difficult losses in October 1918 on the Western Front in France as Central Powers forces intercepted and deciphered Allied artillery orders. Allied officers realized their soldiers had a secret code likely unknown to the Germans–the Choctaw language. Choctaw soldiers transmitted messages in the Choctaw language between headquarters and the front lines. The Germans were never able to decipher Choctaw messages. Within 24 hours of utilizing the Choctaw language, Allied forces managed to turn the tide of the war by keeping communications confidential.
 Because the Choctaw language did not have many of the technical military expressions necessary, a code was developed. Examples included tanampo chito (“big gun”) for artillery, tanamposhi hussatpalhki (“little gun shoot fast”) for machine gun, tanchi nihi achvffa (“one grain of corn”) for first battalion and tvshka (“warrior”) for soldier. In November 1918, the 36th division developed the currently used insignia with a blue arrowhead representing the soldiers from Oklahoma, and a “T” representing the soldiers from Texas. The success of the Choctaw and other native codes during WWI inspired the U.S. to utilize Native American code once again during WWII. The Choctaw code talkers were recognized by the Choctaw Medal of Valor by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (1986), the Knight of the National Order of Merit by the French government (1989), the Lone Star Medal of Valor by the State of Texas (2007), and the Code Talker Recognition Act by the U.S. Government (2008). In 2010, the Code Talker Star was placed on the Texas Trail of Fame.
(2011)


Historical Marker →

Billy Bob's Texas

1981

Billed as the "World's Largest Honky-Tonk" and located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards district, Billy Bob's Texas, which comprises a total interior space of 100,000 square feet, along with twenty acres for parking, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state. Many of the brightest stars in country music have played on its stage. In addition to nightly musical performances, Billy Bob offers live bull riding, dancing, drinking, games, and more to a capacity crowd of 6,000. Billy Bob's has been nominated numerous times and, as of 2011, had won eight titles as the country music "Club of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music. The Country Music Association also has recognized the nightclub with the "Club of the Year" title three times. Billy Bob's Texas was the brainchild of Texas A&M University graduate and professional football player Billy Bob Barnett. Joining Barnett in the venture was nightclub owner Spencer Taylor, a former car salesman. The two chose an abandoned 100,000-square-foot department store that had once been an open-air cattle barn in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The original structure was built in 1910 and underwent several transformations through the years. Additional animal stalls and an auction ring were constructed in 1936, and during World War II the Globe Aircraft Corporation used the building as an airplane factory. With the additional help of investment partners Thomas and Mitt Lloyd, Barnett renovated the facility and opened the doors for business on April 1, 1981. Following on the heels of the early 1980s Urban Cowboy craze and subsequent country music boom, Billy Bob's Texas was an instant hit. The first week featured Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers , Waylon Jennings , Janie Fricke, and Willie Nelson. A host of others followed, including rockers ZZ Top and the Beach Boys and country music legends Marty Robbins and Ernest Tubb . Billy Bob's Texas helped foster many new musical acts. As the club's marketing director, Pam Minick, wrote, "Billy Bob's became the place for country music musicians to hone their skills, build a fan following, and possibly secure a recording contract." George Strait, for example, played first as an opening act at Billy Bob's. Rick Treviño placed in a talent contest at the nightclub. Ty Herndon was a member of the house band, Southern Thunder. However, problems eventually beset the nightclub. In the late 1980s, country music, Billy Bob's biggest draw, declined in popularity. Financial mismanagement and unrealized projects drained the nightclub. Billy Bob's Texas was bankrupt, and on January 8, 1988, it closed, causing great loss to the tourism industry of Fort Worth, especially the Stockyards district. Soon afterward, however, entrepreneur Holt Hickman, a Fort Worth native, sought to revive the Stockyards. Hickman's long-time friend and businessman Steve Murrin encouraged him to reopen Billy Bob's Texas. Hickman and Murrin, along with Donald K. Jury, an original Billy Bob's Texas investor, reopened the place on November 28, 1988. In February 1989, Billy Minick became a partner and manager of the nightclub. He eventually became CEO, with his wife Pam as head of marketing. When Billy Bob's Texas reopened, new headliners took the stage, including Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and Texans LeAnn Rimes and Clint Black. As country music regained popularity, Billy Bob's focused on native talent, especially musicians who had crossover appeal. Such Texas acts as Robert Earl Keen and Pat Green became some of the club's biggest draws. The high-energy environment and close setting of Billy Bob's Texas allowed these performers to interact more with their fans. According to Pam Minick, most stars know they have made it when they have played the main stage at Billy Bob's. The club has a Handprint Wall of Fame that displays impressions of every performer who has played onstage. Many artists have recorded live at Billy Bob's. Among the first to do so were Chris LeDoux and D

Tsha Handbook →

Fort Worth Stockyards

1876

The Fort Worth Stock Yards were officially incorporated on March 23, 1893, and the corporation was dissolved on May 31, 1944, but those who purchased it at the later date continued operations under the same name until November 1, 1981, when they leased the facilities to a company that continued using the same name. The Fort Worth livestock market became the largest in Texas and the Southwest, the biggest market south of Kansas City, and ranked between third and fourth consistently among the nation's large terminal livestock markets for five decades, from about 1905 to the mid-1950s. Texans started calling Fort Worth "Cowtown" soon after the Civil War , when drovers began herding cattle from South Texas northward to connect with the Chisholm Trail in Indian Territory and stopping in Fort Worth for supplies. Not until the Texas and Pacific Railway arrived on July 19, 1876, did promoters build pens to hold cattle, but business leaders of Fort Worth already dreamed of packing plants and stockyards to make their community a permanent focus of the cattle industry. By 1886 four stockyards had been built near the railroads. Businessmen chartered the Union Stock Yards on July 26, 1887, and opened their 258-acre facility north of the Trinity River in midsummer 1889. They also chartered a packing company. Local interests invited Boston capitalist Greenleif W. Simpson to visit, with the hope that he would invest. Simpson, with a half dozen Boston and Chicago associates, incorporated the Fort Worth Stock Yards Company in West Virginia because of more favorable tax laws there, and purchased the Union Stock Yards and the Fort Worth Packing Company in April 1893. A neighbor of Simpson in Boston, Louville V. Nile, bought half the shares. The investors struggled because of the financial panic of 1893 and other problems, but in 1896 the company began a fat-stock show that has survived to the present as one of the largest livestock shows in the nation, the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show . In 1896 stockyard owners also began a market newspaper that still exists today under independent ownership as the Weekly Livestock Reporter , the largest livestock newspaper in the Southwest. In 1897–98 the company, in connection with the Bureau of Animal Industry, gained nationwide attention by experimenting with cattle dipping to kill ticks ( see TEXAS FEVER ). An agreement Simpson and Niles made in 1902 with Armour and Swift brought in two of the nation's largest meatpackers, which constructed modern plants adjacent to the stockyards. In a stock reorganization, each packer received a third interest in the stockyards company, and Simpson, Niles, and smaller investors retained a third. In exchange for stock and land on which to build their plants, the packers agreed that each animal they slaughtered would pass through the stockyards at a standard fee. Boom years followed for the Fort Worth Stock Yards Company after the arrival of Armour and Swift. Immigrants came from Central Europe to work in the plants and settled in a community that stockyard officials incorporated in 1902 under the name North Fort Worth. The first decade of the twentieth century saw great growth in livestock-related industries in Fort Worth-grain elevators, livestock-pharmaceutical companies, and other meatpackers. The Fort Worth Stock Yards Company constituted the hub around which everything else revolved. The reorganized company spent $125,000 for a two-story Spanish-style exchange building and constructed brick-floored pens with a capacity of 24,500 animals. By 1905 the Fort Worth market had grown to fifth in the nation. In 1906 the calf market at Fort Worth ranked second only to Chicago. Because of rapid growth, the yards kept expanding. In March 1908, when a new $175,000 coliseum for the fat-stock show opened, the company hosted the first cutting-horse contest ever held indoors under electric lights. Population in Fort Worth tripled during the first decade after Armour and

Tsha Handbook →

Things to Do in River Oaks

quirky 14.9 mi away
Chewbacca's Grave — May the 4th

May the 4th be with you — and with the Wookiee. Peter Mayhew the seven-foot-three British actor who brought Chewbacca to life in every Star Wars film from 1977…
historical 3.1 mi away
Billy Bob's Texas

Billy Bob's opened in 1981 in an old cattle barn in the Fort Worth Stockyards and at one hundred twenty-seven thousand square feet it is the largest honky-tonk…
historical 3.2 mi away
Fort Worth Stockyards

Daily cattle drives down the street. Honky-tonks and rodeos in the old West.
food 3.7 mi away
Joe T. Garcia's

Joe T opened his little family restaurant behind the packing plant in the Fort Worth Stockyards in 1935. There was no menu. His wife Jessie served whatever she…
historical 11.9 mi away
WWII Marine Glider Base at Eagle Mountain

In 1942 the United States Marines bought 2931 acres of ranchland on Eagle Mountain Lake for a purpose that sounds almost unbelievable now — training pilots to…
quirky 11.9 mi away
The Azle Earthquake Swarm

Starting in November 2013 the ground beneath Azle started shaking and it did not stop for 84 days. Twenty-seven earthquakes rattled windows cracked foundations…
quirky 14.9 mi away
Chewbacca's Grave

The seven-foot-three British actor who played Chewbacca in every Star Wars film from 1977 to The Force Awakens is buried right here at Azleland Memorial Park.…
quirky 20.5 mi away
Springtown Dinosaur Tracks

A family went out hunting arrowheads along Walnut Creek in 2017 and found something about 110 million years older than they expected. Pressed into the creekbed…

Everything Near River Oaks

1344 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • A Bomber Factory Turned Farmland Into a City

    River Oaks was not created by an oil boom or a railroad. It was created by the need to house thousands of people building bombers. The very year the town incorporated, 1941, the federal government began throwing up an…

  • Why It Is River Oaks and Not Castleberry

    When residents voted, unanimously, to incorporate as a village in 1941, you might expect the new town to be called Castleberry, after the old community. But the boundaries they drew reached beyond the traditional…

  • River Oaks, Houston · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through River Oaks, a swanky Houston neighborhood. Back in the 1920s, developers Michael Hogg and Hugh Potter envisioned a truly exclusive residential garden suburb. They hired top architects and…

  • River Oaks, TX · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through River Oaks, a community born from a wartime necessity. Back in 1941, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce donated land to the federal government for a plant to build B-24 bombers. Construction…

  • It Began With a Cabin, a School, and a Shared Water Well · 0.1 mi

    River Oaks began when one settler donated land for a school and another donated the water needed to keep it running. Back in 1849, a man named James Ventioner built a log cabin and started a farm that stretched across a…

  • The Ballpark That Became a War Memorial · 0.1 mi

    River Oaks opened its very first public playground in 1947 and called it Thurston Park. In 1962 the city renamed it McGee Park in honor of James David McGee, a local serviceman killed during World War II, and it is…

  • The Neighborhood Diner With Plate-Sized Pancakes · 0.1 mi

    If you want the clearest read on River Oaks at the breakfast counter, it is the River Oaks Cafe. This is the classic neighborhood diner: breakfast, burgers, and American comfort food, served from early in the morning…

  • The Walk-Up Burger Stand With a Mexican Twist · 0.1 mi

    J's Casa Burger started about as humble as a restaurant can: a tiny walk-up window where customers ate standing on the sidewalk, or leaning on a tailgate, or off the hood of the car, before the owner finally added a…

  • Castleberry School District · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through River Oaks, Tarrant County, where a small schoolhouse, Marine School No. 3, opened its doors in 1898. Land was donated, and May Manning taught the first students. By 1919, it was the Rosen Heights…

  • The Town the Bombers Built · 0.2 mi

    Look at the houses on these streets. Many of them, modest and sturdy, were built in the 1940s and 50s for a specific purpose: to house the people building America's bomber fleet. Just west of here stood Air Force Plant…

  • Engineering the Arsenal of Democracy · 0.2 mi

    Just west of where you are now is one of the great marvels of 20th-century engineering: Air Force Plant 4. When it was built during World War II, its main assembly building was nearly a mile long, allowing for the…

  • Gambling on the Highway · 0.2 mi

    As you drive along Jacksboro Highway, picture a different era. In the 1930s and 40s, before the residents here voted in 1941 to incorporate River Oaks as its own city, this road was Fort Worth's own strip — a run of…

Show all 200 nearby places
  • Castleberry HS Tornado Damage · 0.6 mi · Local Knowledge

    F3 tornado tracked NE through west Fort Worth, destroying Castleberry High School's field house and damaging the River Oaks / Westworth / Linwood neighborhoods before climbing the Bank One Tower downtown. Local lore:…

  • The Other Chuy's, Three Generations in the Making · 0.8 mi

    First, clear up the name: this Chuy's is not the Austin-founded national chain. It is a Fort Worth family business, and a good one. A local restaurateur named Jesus Chuy Adame started it in 1982, moved it around the…

  • Westworth, TX · 1.5 mi

    The specific geographic and economic reason for Westworth Village's growth is largely attributed to the construction and development of Carswell Air Force Base. The base, which began in 1941, played a significant role…

  • Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr. · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    Major, United States Army Air Corps Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr. was born on July 18, 1916, to Horace S. and Bertha Rea Carswell of Fort Worth. He attended North Side High School where he excelled in athletics.…

  • Fort Worth Army Air Field · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Fort Worth Army Air Field, a crucial hub for Allied victory in World War II. Negotiations began in January 1941, leading to the construction of an aircraft plant and, adjacent to it,…

  • Lawrence Clifton Elliott · 1.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Fort Worth, passing the former home of Lawrence Clifton Elliott, a true aviation pioneer. Born in 1901, Elliott showed his talent early, even building his own experimental airplane in high school!…

  • The Wild Side of the Highway · 2.0 mi

    The road you may be driving on now, Jacksboro Highway, was once one of the most infamous strips in Texas. From the 1940s into the 1950s this was the playground for Carswell Air Force Base and the bomber plant next door.…

  • The Suburb Built by Bombers · 2.0 mi

    Look southwest of Sansom Park, over on the east side of Lake Worth, and you'll find the reason this city exists: a massive aircraft factory that has been the region's economic heart for more than eighty years. In 1942…

  • Engineering the Cold War · 2.0 mi

    The community of Sansom Park grew up in the shadow of one of the world's great engineering marvels: Air Force Plant 4. This factory solved incredible technical problems to build America's strategic aircraft. Consider…

  • Sansom Park, TX · 2.0 mi

    Sansom Park, just west of Fort Worth, might seem like a sleepy little place if you just drive through on Highway 199. It's true, things are generally quiet here, a nice contrast to the bustle of the bigger city. But…

  • Billy Muth · 2.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising past the birthplace of Billy Muth, a true Texas music legend. Born in Pennsylvania in 1902, Muth was a prodigy, playing church organ at just nine years old. He earned the nickname 'the master of the…

  • William John Marsh · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    (June 24, 1880 - Feb. 1, 1971) 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…

  • Ormer Leslie Locklear · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the resting place of Ormer Leslie Locklear, a Texas kid who became a pioneer of the skies! Born near Greenville, Locklear moved to Fort Worth and even ran a repair shop before the Great War. He…

  • Royal Flying Corps · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a World War I flight training camp. In 1917, American, British, and Canadian governments agreed to train pilots right here in Tarrant County. Camp Taliaferro had three airfields, hosting…

  • Thompson Public Cemetery · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Thompson Public Cemetery, established in 1870 when Captain Henry Thompson allowed his neighbor, Confederate veteran William Terry Allen, to bury his first wife here. This quiet resting place…

  • Carswell Field - Where the Cold War Took Flight · 2.3 mi

    This airfield exists because of a handshake between a aircraft company and the U.S. Army. In 1941, six months before Pearl Harbor, Consolidated Aircraft proposed building a massive bomber plant on the flat prairie west…

  • Mrs. Baird's Bakery · 2.3 mi · Local Knowledge

    You're in Mrs. Baird's country — a name that has been baked into Fort Worth identity for over a century. Mrs. Baird wasn't a marketing concept. She was Ninnie Lillian Baird, a widow with eight kids who started selling…

  • Home of the Fort Worth Titans · 2.4 mi

    Imagine the conversations that happened behind the doors you're passing. For much of the twentieth century, Westover Hills was the address for the families steering Fort Worth. Think of the Kimbell Art Museum - Kay…

  • The Roads That Follow the Land · 2.4 mi

    The winding road you're on isn't decoration - it's the land telling the developer what to do. When A.C. Luther and the Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick bought this ground from Amon G. Carter and drew the first…

  • The Town With No Stores · 2.4 mi

    As you drive around Westover Hills, you might be looking for a charming downtown, a coffee shop, or even a gas station. You won't find one. That's not an accident; it's the law. When Westover Hills incorporated as its…

  • Westover Manor · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Westover Manor in Fort Worth, a grand house built right at the start of the Great Depression. Completed in 1930, it was meant to be the star of the Westover Hills development. In fact, the Fort Worth…

  • Westover Hills, TX · 2.4 mi

    Mary Louise Phillips Elementary School in Westover Hills was built in 1949 and is named after Mary Louise Phillips, the first female board member of the Fort Worth Independent School District.

  • Ahavath Sholom Hebrew Cemetery · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Ahavath Sholom Hebrew Cemetery, the first Jewish cemetery in Fort Worth. The congregation purchased this land back in 1909 to give their community a proper resting place. The first burial here…

  • Smith-Burnett Home · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through a historic Fort Worth neighborhood, a place that became quite fashionable in the early 1900s. Back in 1906, Fort Worth banker Ben O. Smith bought this land and built a home here for his wife,…

  • Williams, Henry M., Home · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former home of Henry W. Williams, a man who made his fortune in Fort Worth drugs and banking. He built this grand Colonial Revival house between 1907 and 1909. Look for the elaborate portico with…

  • Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    During World War I, the 36th nfantry division included Choctaw Nation soldiers training at Fort Bowie. These men fought bravely. When they deployed, their regiments faced difficult losses in October 1918 on the Western…

  • From the B-24 to the F-35 on One Patch of Ground · 2.5 mi

    The aircraft plant beside River Oaks is a living timeline of American aerospace, all on one patch of ground. Picked in 1941 to mass-produce the four-engine B-24 Liberator, the factory rolled out its first bomber in…

  • Camp Bowie · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Camp Bowie, a major World War I training ground right here in Fort Worth. Established in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1917</say-as>, this camp was built to train Texas and…

  • Baldridge House · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Fort Worth, and right here is the Baldridge House. This wasn't just any home; it was built between 1910 and 1913 as a showplace for its time. Take a look at those massive limestone columns on the…

  • Camp Bowie Boulevard · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising down Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth, a street that’s seen some serious history. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1917</say-as> and <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1918</say-as>,…

  • Lake Worth Monster · 2.6 mi · Things to Do

    In 1969 dozens of witnesses reported a half-man half-goat creature prowling the shores of Lake Worth. Police investigated. The monster was never caught.

  • Fairview, Bryce, William J., House · 2.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Fairview House in Fort Worth, a beautiful Chateauesque home built in 1893. It was constructed by William J. Bryce, a Scottish immigrant who came to Texas in 1883 and built a successful brick…

  • Arlington Heights Lodge No. # 1184, A.F. & A.M · 2.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Arlington Heights Lodge in Fort Worth. Chartered in December of 1921, this building was a labor of love for its members. Land was donated by Lodge members W.C. Stonestreet and F.H.…

  • Sanguinet, Marshall R. · 2.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former home of Marshall R. Sanguinet, a major architect in Fort Worth's early days. He built this Shingle Style house around 1894, incorporating an earlier home that had been damaged by fire.…

  • Will Rogers Memorial Center · 2.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Howdy, partners! Get ready to tip your hats to a place that embodies the spirit of the West: the Will Rogers Memorial Center. Named for America's favorite cowboy philosopher, this place isn't just a building; it's a…

  • Hinckley, Herbert M. · 2.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a major engineering feat in Fort Worth. Herbert M. Hinckley staked his reputation on designing this dome for the 1936 Texas Centennial, using a unique arch connection. He went on to…

  • Billy Bob's Texas · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Billed as the "World's Largest Honky-Tonk" and located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards district, Billy Bob's Texas, which comprises a total interior space of 100,000 square feet, along with twenty acres for…

  • Fort Worth Stockyards · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    The Fort Worth Stock Yards were officially incorporated on March 23, 1893, and the corporation was dissolved on May 31, 1944, but those who purchased it at the later date continued operations under the same name until…

  • Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, home to one of the oldest continuous running livestock shows in the country! It all started way back in 1896, right on the banks of Marine Creek. The very first show had no buildings,…

  • WBAP · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is the birthplace of a Texas legend: WBAP radio. On May 2nd, 1922, this station went live, thanks to Amon G. Carter, owner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Herbert…

  • Wills, James Robert · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here, you're passing through the birthplace of a Texas legend. Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing, was born near Kosse in Limestone County back in 1905. He learned fiddle…

  • Fort Worth, TX · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that literally began with settlers moving into an abandoned U.S. Army post right here in 1853. They called themselves 'Fort Town' and were fewer than a hundred souls. John Peter…

  • Lucas, Barbara Inez Barnes [Tad] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Barbara Inez (Tad) Lucas, rodeo champion, was born on September 1, 1902, at Cody, Nebraska, one of twenty-four children of Lorenzo White Barnes. Her mother, Hannah Garthside Barnes, was Lorenzo's second wife. Tad could…

  • Allen, Frances Daisy Emery · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, maybe near Fort Worth, and you're passing the site of a major medical first. Right here, in 1897, Frances Daisy Emery became the very first woman to graduate from medical school in…

  • Arnold, Ripley Allen · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth right now, a city that owes its existence to a tough Army officer named Ripley Allen Arnold. In the summer of 1849, Arnold led his dragoons to the confluence of the Trinity River's West…

  • Atz, John Jacob · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that once boasted the greatest manager in Texas League history: John Jacob 'Jake' Atz. He arrived in 1914, leading the Fort Worth Cats. Legend has it Jake changed his name from…

  • Baird, Ninia Lilla [Ninnie] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Right here in Fort Worth, you're passing the birthplace of a Texas legend: Mrs. Baird's Bakeries. It all started with Ninnie Baird, a woman who turned hardship into a sweet success story. After her husband fell ill,…

  • Baird, Roland Winford, Sr. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of a Texas-sized baking empire. It all started in 1908, right here, when Roland Baird's mother began baking bread for neighbors. Young Roland, standing on a box, helped…

  • Beneke, Gordon Lee [Tex] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of Gordon Lee Beneke, better known to the world as Tex Beneke. Born in 1914, this talented saxophonist and vocalist got his nickname from the legendary Glenn Miller…

  • Bowman, Euday Louis · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of Euday Louis Bowman, composer of the unforgettable "Twelfth Street Rag." Born in 1886, Bowman learned piano from his sister and played in local joints, even working as…

  • Boyce, Albert Gallatin · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city with a reputation for grit and a history of wild tales. Right here, in the lobby of the Metropolitan Hotel, a dramatic end unfolded for Albert Gallatin Boyce, the general…

  • Boyce-Sneed Feud · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here, you're passing through the heart of a wild story that played out over a century ago. It all started in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1911</say-as> when John…

  • Brower, Cecil Lee · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that became the cradle for a whole new sound in Texas music: western swing. Right here, Cecil Lee Brower, born in Bellevue back in 1914, took violin lessons meant for classical…

  • Bruton, Turner Stephen · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that nurtured a true Texas music legend: Stephen Bruton. Born in Delaware, he landed here as a boy, growing up surrounded by music in his father's record store. He wasn't just…

  • Burchill, Kate Belle Murray · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where a woman named Kate Belle Burchill made her mark. Arriving in Texas in 1874, she founded a private school that, by 1876, became the very first free public school…

  • Burnett, Mary Couts · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is the legacy of Mary Couts Burnett. Around 1892, she married wealthy rancher Samuel Burk Burnett. Their marriage was famously troubled, with Mary eventually believing…

  • Byers, Chester Allen Arthur · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that was home to one of the greatest trick ropers the world has ever known: Chester Allen Arthur Byers, or Chet as he was known. Born in Illinois in 1892, Byers learned his…

  • Byrne, James J. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Fort Worth, a city that owes some of its early development to James J. Byrne. This Irish-born officer rose through the ranks during the Civil War, fighting in Louisiana and earning brevets to…

  • Carswell, Horace S., Jr. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the hometown of Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. He was a decorated pilot in World War II, known for his bravery in combat. On October 26, 1944, flying a B-24 bomber over the South China…

  • Carter, Amon G., Sr. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that owes a massive debt to Amon G. Carter, Sr. Born just a bit west in Crafton, Carter arrived in Fort Worth in 1905 and quickly made his mark. He bought the Fort Worth Star…

  • Cellar · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, and you might be passing near a place that was truly one of a kind: The Cellar. Starting around 1958, this unique club popped up in cities like Fort Worth, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.…

  • Coleman, Ornette · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of a musician who would change jazz forever: Ornette Coleman. Born here in 1930, Coleman was largely self-taught, picking up the saxophone around age fourteen. He honed…

  • Courtright, Timothy Isaiah · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the city once patrolled by the legendary two-gun marshal, Timothy Isaiah Courtright, known as 'Longhair Jim.' Born in Illinois in 1845, Courtright served with distinction in the Civil…

  • Crystal Springs Dance Pavilion · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here on White Settlement Road, you might have passed the site of the Crystal Springs Dance Pavilion. Opened in March 1916, this honky-tonk was more than just a place to dance…

  • Ealey, Robert · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that became the home base for one of Texas's most influential blues musicians, Robert Ealey. Born in Texarkana in 1925, Ealey found his calling in the blues after starting his…

  • First Baptist Church, Fort Worth · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is the site of a church that became famous, or infamous, for its fiery pastor, John Franklyn Norris. He took the helm of First Baptist Church in 1909 and stayed for the…

  • Freese, Simon Wilke · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here is a story about water, engineering, and a man named Simon Wilke Freese. Born in Blossom back in 1900, Freese became a brilliant civil engineer. After studying at MIT…

  • Gladney Center for Adoption · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is the Gladney Center for Adoption. It started way back in 1887, not as a formal agency, but as a group of women worried about homeless kids in this booming railroad…

  • Gladney, Edna Browning Kahly · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city forever changed by Edna Gladney. Born in Wisconsin, Edna moved to Fort Worth in 1904 and quickly became involved in society. But her true calling emerged when she discovered the…

  • Glenn, Darrell Orvis · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that became the unlikely birthplace of a song that would echo across generations: 'Crying in the Chapel.' It was here, back in 1953, that a young Darrell Glenn, still in high…

  • Great Southwest Strike · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, right where one of the biggest labor showdowns in 19th-century American history went down. It's 1886, and the powerful Knights of Labor are clashing with railroad baron Jay Gould.…

  • Harris, Abraham · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that owes its very existence to a cabinetmaker named Abraham Harris. Born in England, Harris enlisted in the U.S. Army and, with his carpentry skills, helped build the barracks…

  • Hayes, James Anthony · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, where Jim Hayes turned a life-changing accident into a lifelong mission. On his eighteenth birthday in 1967, a diving accident left him paralyzed. But instead of giving up, Hayes,…

  • Hell's Half Acre, Fort Worth · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth right now, passing through the legendary Hell's Half Acre. Back in the late 1800s, this was the wild, wide-open red-light district, the first thing trail drivers saw coming into town.…

  • Jim Hotel · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where a legendary music venue once stood: the Jim Hotel. Built in the late 1920s by millionaire William Madison McDonald, it became a premier "Negro" inn. But the…

  • Jones, Morgan · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth right now, a city that owes its very existence to a railroad race against time. Back in 1876, the tracks for the Texas and Pacific Railway had stalled just sixteen miles away. The city,…

  • Kimbell Art Museum · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is the Kimbell Art Museum. It all started back in 1931 when Kay Kimbell's wife, Velma, convinced him to buy a British portrait. That sparked a passion, and by the time…

  • Kimbell, Kay · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that owes much of its cultural wealth to a man named Kay Kimbell. Born in Oakwood, Leon County, Kimbell was an entrepreneur who built a vast business empire, heading over…

  • Kruger, Sam · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, maybe near Fort Worth, where a young immigrant named Sam Kruger arrived around 1907. He came from Ukraine with dreams of a better life, and he brought his watchmaking skills with him.…

  • Law, Robert D. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that's home to heroes. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1969</say-as>, Specialist Fourth Class Robert D. Law was on patrol in Vietnam. His unit was…

  • Leonard, Obadiah Paul · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here, you're passing the historic site of Leonard Brothers department store. This place was a Texas innovator, installing the state's first escalator after World War II! And…

  • Light Crust Doughboys · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and right here, back in 1931, a band that would become a Texas legend was born: The Light Crust Doughboys. Sponsored by a local flour company, they hit the airwaves…

  • Marsh, William John · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the city that became home to William John Marsh, a composer with a Texas-sized talent! Born in England, Marsh moved here in 1904 and eventually became a professor at TCU. But you might…

  • Miller, Roger Dean · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of Roger Miller, the singer-songwriter behind "King of the Road." He was born here in 1936, but spent his early years raised by relatives in Oklahoma. Miller had no…

  • Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the "Cradle of Western Swing." Right here, Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies were making some of the earliest sounds of the genre in the early 1930s. Brown, a former cigar…

  • Norris, John Franklyn · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the heart of a forty-four-year ministry that shook Texas. John Franklyn Norris, a fundamentalist preacher, took over the First Baptist Church right here in 1909. He wasn't shy about…

  • O'Daniel, Wilbert Lee [Pappy] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the city that W. Lee 'Pappy' O'Daniel called home when he first hit the big time. He wasn't a politician then, but a flour salesman. In 1928, he took over his company's radio ads and…

  • Ousley, Curtis [King Curtis] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, not far from Fort Worth, the birthplace of a true music legend. "King Curtis" Ousley, born here in 1934, became one of the most influential saxophonists of the 20th century. He honed…

  • Oxsheer, Fountain Goodlet · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that was home to F.G. Oxsheer, a titan of the Texas cattle industry. After the Civil War, Oxsheer started by driving longhorns north. By the 1890s, he controlled a staggering…

  • O’Brien, George Herman, Jr. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Fort Worth, and right here, we remember George Herman O'Brien, Jr. On October 26, 1952, during the Korean War, Chinese forces threatened a critical Marine position known as 'The Hook.' The very next…

  • Panther Hall · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here, you might have passed Panther Hall. Opened in 1963 as a bowling alley, it quickly transformed into a legendary music venue. It started with rock and roll, but found its…

  • Pendleton, Charles F. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that sent Corporal Charles F. Pendleton to the Korean War. On July 16th and 17th, 1953, near Choo Gung-Dong, Pendleton was a machine gunner holding a key position. Under heavy…

  • Richardson, Sid Williams · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, maybe heading towards Fort Worth. Right here, you're passing through the territory of Sid Richardson, a man who built an empire from oil and cattle. By 1935, he opened the rich…

  • Schwarz, Edwin G. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that owes a lot to the pioneering spirit of Dr. Edwin G. Schwarz. Born in Lockhart in 1894, Dr. Schwarz came to Fort Worth after serving in World War I. In 1919, he opened a…

  • Skyliner Ballroom · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through north Fort Worth, on what used to be called "Thunder Road." Right here, this stretch of Jacksboro Highway was lined with nightclubs and motels back in the late 1930s. One of the wildest was the…

  • Smith, John Peter · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city practically built by the man whose name is on the hospital you might pass soon: John Peter Smith. Arriving in Texas in 1853 with a solid education, Smith quickly made Fort Worth…

  • Smith, William Arthur [Major Bill] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the city that became the launching pad for "Major Bill" Smith's improbable music career. Born William Arthur Smith in Oklahoma, he served as a B-17 pilot in World War II, eventually…

  • Swift and Company · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where a revolution in Texas food processing kicked off. It's the early 1900s, and entrepreneur Greenlief Simpson is trying to make Fort Worth the livestock capital.…

  • Tandy, Anne Valliant Burnett · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the home of Anne Valliant Burnett Tandy, a woman who was as comfortable in the saddle as she was in the boardroom. Born in 1900, she grew up on her family's vast ranches, learning the…

  • Tandy, Charles David · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the city that became the headquarters for a retail empire. Charles Tandy took over his father's leather business right after World War II, but he didn't just stick to shoes. He had a…

  • Television · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here in Fort Worth, you're passing through history. On September 27, <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1948</say-as>, the very first television station in Texas,…

  • Terrell, Joseph Christopher · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that owes a bit of its early legal foundation to a man named Joseph Christopher Terrell. He was a lawyer, a businessman, and a Civil War officer, but his story really takes off…

  • Texas Spring Palace · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where, back in 1889, they built something truly spectacular: the Texas Spring Palace. Imagine a building, constructed in just 31 days, covered inside and out with the…

  • Van Cliburn International Piano Competition · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the home of one of the world's most prestigious piano competitions. It all started back in 1958, right after a young American pianist named Van Cliburn stunned the world by winning the…

  • Van Zandt, John Townes · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of John Townes Van Zandt. He was born here in 1944 into a wealthy family, destined for oil and law. But Van Zandt chose a different path – a rootless life as a…

  • Waggoner, William Thomas · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here is the legacy of William Thomas Waggoner. He started out on his father's ranch, even hiding from Indians in the cornfield as a boy. But Waggoner wasn't just a rancher;…

  • Stevenson, Ruth Carter · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is the legacy of Ruth Carter Stevenson. After her father, Amon Carter Sr., passed away in 1955, Ruth took on the ambitious task of building a museum to house his…

  • English, Robert Paul, Sr. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through the heart of Texas, and right here, in what was once Fort Worth's wilder side, you're passing through the territory of a man named Paul English. Before he became Willie Nelson's legendary drummer…

  • Bowen, Temple Gayle · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the heart of Texas aviation history. Right here, Temple Bowen was a true transportation pioneer. In 1925, he and his brother launched their first bus line, connecting Amarillo and…

  • Meadows, Earle Elmer · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that produced an Olympic champion! Earle Meadows, born in Mississippi, grew up right here. He learned to pole vault in his own front yard, getting paid a nickel for every inch…

  • Mehl, Benjamin Maximillian · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that became the unlikely hub for a man who turned coin collecting into a national obsession. Benjamin Mehl, born in Poland, arrived here as a boy and developed a passion for…

  • Meacham, Henry Clay · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that once saw its mayor caught in the crossfire of a sensational murder trial. H.C. Meacham, a successful merchant who became mayor in 1925, found himself in a bitter public…

  • McCafferty, Clara Sue Blackstock · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here, you're passing through the historic Stockyards district. This area owes much of its preservation to Clara Sue Blackstock McCafferty. In 1975, she and her husband…

  • McCafferty, Charles Edward · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here, you're passing through a place that holds a special piece of Texas history: the Stockyards. In the early 1970s, this iconic area was in serious decline, with businesses…

  • Keith, Camille Tigert · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here in Fort Worth, a woman named Camille Tigert Keith was breaking ground in the airline industry. Born in 1945, she became the first female officer of a major domestic…

  • Perkins, Karen Sue Holmes · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city forever changed by Karen Sue Holmes Perkins. She wasn't just an educator; she was a fierce advocate for women's rights. In 1978, Perkins left her teaching career to tackle…

  • Paxton, William [Bill] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the hometown of actor Bill Paxton. On November 22nd, <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1963</say-as>, a young Bill Paxton and his brother stood right here, watching President John…

  • Mrs. Baird's Bakeries, Inc. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is the birthplace of a Texas institution: Mrs. Baird's Bakeries. It all started back in 1908 with Ninnie Baird. Her husband's health was failing, so Ninnie began selling…

  • Butler, Henry Harrison · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that owes a lot to pioneers like Henry Harrison Butler. Born into slavery in Virginia around 1848, Butler escaped to freedom and fought for the Union Army during the Civil War.…

  • Pitts, Viola Marie Hamilton · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, in the historic Como neighborhood. Right here, Viola Marie Pitts, known as 'the unofficial mayor,' dedicated over forty years to championing this community. Born in Winnsboro in 1914,…

  • Lewis, Erma Mozelle Duffy · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where a generation of Black performing artists found their voice. Erma Mozelle Duffy Lewis saw a need for Black youth to express themselves creatively, but segregated…

  • Riley, Polly Ann · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that once had a true golf prodigy in Polly Ann Riley. Born in San Antonio in 1926, she was playing in local tournaments by age twelve. By thirteen, pros were calling her a…

  • Goldthwaite, Aniela Priscilla Gorczyca · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that was home to one of Texas's greatest golfers, Aniela Gorczyca Goldthwaite. Born here in 1912, she discovered golf at fourteen and quickly became a star. By 1933, she'd won…

  • Fisher, Vernon Lane · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the hometown of Vernon Lane Fisher, a nationally recognized artist and educator. Born right here in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1943</say-as>, Fisher's art blended pop…

  • Holliday, Carranza Adair · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that made history back in 1963. That year, Reverend Carranza Adair Holliday, a respected pastor and community leader, was appointed to the Texas Board of Corrections. He was the…

  • Morrison, Mary Francine Reese · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that's been graced by the powerful voice of Mary Francine Reese Morrison. Born in Paris, Texas, she moved here in 1950 and quickly became a fixture in the gospel music scene. In…

  • Ryan, Frank Beall · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Right here in Fort Worth, you're driving past the hometown of Frank Ryan, a guy who proved you can be a star quarterback and a math whiz at the same time. Ryan played for Rice, even winning the Southwest Conference…

  • Marion, Anne Burnett Windfohr · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the heart of the sprawling Burnett Ranches, a legacy built by Anne Burnett Windfohr Marion. Taking the reins in 1980, she inherited a multi-billion dollar empire, including the famous…

  • Duvall, Shelley Alexis · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of Shelley Duvall, the actress who became a Hollywood icon almost by accident. Raised in Houston, Duvall had no interest in acting until a director saw her at a party…

  • Casa Mañana · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where, back in 1936, a splashy spectacle called Casa Mañana opened for the Texas Frontier Centennial. Broadway producer Billy Rose brought in showgirls, a revolving…

  • Casino Beach · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving past what used to be a legendary Texas playground: Casino Beach on Lake Worth. In 1917, the city of Fort Worth transformed this stretch of sandy shore into a municipal beach, complete with a bathhouse and…

  • Tinslee Lewis Case · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here, the Tinslee Lewis case unfolded, a heart-wrenching legal battle that put a spotlight on Texas end-of-life medical treatment laws. Tinslee Lewis, born prematurely in…

  • Wachtel, Paul Horine · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here, you're passing through a baseball legend's stomping grounds. Paul Wachtel wasn't just any pitcher; he was the "Iron Man" of the Texas League. From 1919 to 1928, he was…

  • Saam, Byrum Fred [By] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where Byrum Fred Saam got his start. Born in 1914, Saam became one of baseball's most enduring voices, but he spent his career broadcasting for teams that, well,…

  • Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation Plant No. 4 · 2.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past where America's arsenal for the air took shape during World War II. Back in 1940, the U.S. needed to ramp up military aircraft production, and Texas wasn't a major player yet. But Fort Worth went all…

  • Fort Worth's First Flight · 2.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Fort Worth Driving Park, where aviation history took flight in North Texas! While the Wright Brothers flew in 1903, it took a few more years for most Texans to see an airplane. But on…

  • Bewley, Anthony · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Anthony Bewley, abolitionist Methodist minister, was born on May 22, 1804, in Tennessee, the son of John Bewley, a Methodist preacher. While still a young man he decided to enter the ministry. From 1829 to 1834 he…

  • Justin Industries · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Justin Industries, a diversified enterprise that began in boot manufacturing, is based in Fort Worth. The corporation consists of the Acme Brick Company, one of the nation's largest building-materials operations;…

  • Leonard Brothers · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Leonard Brothers, a downtown Fort Worth department store founded by John Marvin Leonard and Green Thomas Leonard, opened on December 14, 1918. G. T. Leonard soon left to form his own business, but another brother,…

  • Rolla, Lenora Butler · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Lenora Butler Rolla, teacher, journalist, political activist, community leader, and humanitarian, was born on March 4, 1904, in Palestine, Texas. She was the daughter of Richard and Amanda Butler. The granddaughter of…

  • Rouse, Fred · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Fred Rouse was the only Black person known to have been lynched in Fort Worth. Many details of his life are uncertain. According to his death certificate, he was the son of Charles and Matilda (Smith) Rouse and was born…

  • Ridglea Wall · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    The "Ridglea Wall" in Fort Worth, Texas, was a barbed wire-topped fence that spanned about ten blocks and separated the Black Como neighborhood from the White Ridglea neighborhood. The six-foot-tall chain-link fence ran…

  • Gipson, Mary Keys [Mollie] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Mary Keys "Mollie" Gipson (Gibson), the first certified African American nurse in the South, daughter of Sam Keys and Judie (Stump) Keys, was born in Carrollton, Mississippi, around 1854. Mary Keys grew up in slavery…

  • Bell Helicopter · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Bell Helicopter, rebranded as "Bell" in 2018, is a subsidiary of Textron Inc. and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The "aerospace and defense" company, which came to nearby Hurst, Texas, in 1951, expanded through the…

  • Lary, Robert Yale · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Robert Yale Lary, Pro Football Hall of Famer, businessman, and Texas state legislator, was born on November 24, 1930, to Kathryn (Capps) Lary and Yale Buster Lary in Fort Worth, Texas. Lary, called by his middle name…

  • Amon Carter Museum of American Art · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, home to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. It was founded in 1961 by Amon G. Carter Jr. and Ruth Carter Stevenson, honoring their father, a powerful publisher and city developer.…

  • Amon G. Carter Foundation · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city shaped in part by the vision of one man: Amon G. Carter. Back in 1945, he and his wife Nenetta established the Amon G. Carter Foundation, initially funded by his oil interests.…

  • AMR Corporation · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Fort Worth, the home of AMR Corporation. It was formed in 1982 as a holding company for American Airlines, giving the airline more flexibility in financing and investment. AMR wasn't just a shell…

  • Applewhite, Charles Edwin · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here is where a voice bigger than life got its start. Charlie Applewhite was born in Fort Worth in 1932. After high school, he marched into Milton Berle's office and…

  • Armstrong, George Washington · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Tarrant County, and right here in Fort Worth, you're passing through the stomping grounds of George Washington Armstrong. He started out as a lawyer and even served as a county judge, earning the…

  • Ashlock, Jesse · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that was once the stomping ground for a legendary western swing fiddler. Jesse Ashlock started playing violin at nine, but it was at the Crystal Springs Dance Pavilion in the…

  • Blackie Simmons and the Blue Jackets · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where a piece of Texas music history unfolded with Blackie Simmons and the Blue Jackets. This western swing band, led by Fort Worth fiddler Tumpie Lee 'Blackie'…

  • Bloodrock · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where a hard rock band with a dark side got its start. Bloodrock formed in 1969, influenced by giants like Jimi Hendrix and Cream. They even opened for Hendrix…

  • Bonner, Moses J. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where Moses J. Bonner, a Texas fiddle legend, was making history. Born in Alabama in 1847, Bonner moved to Texas as a boy and became one of the state's earliest…

  • Byrd, Robert James, Sr. [Bobby Day] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of Bobby Day, a rhythm and blues singer who brought us the classic "Rockin' Robin." Born Robert James Byrd, Sr., in 1928, he started his career in Los Angeles in the…

  • Camp Bowie · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where, back in 1917, Camp Bowie sprang up almost overnight. <break time="400ms"/> This massive World War I training ground, named for the legendary James Bowie, was…

  • Carroll, Benajah Harvey · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Tarrant County right now, home to the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. But its roots go back to the 1870s with a man named Benajah Harvey Carroll. He was a powerful Baptist preacher and…

  • Carter, Amon Gary, Jr. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of Amon Carter, Jr. He wasn't just the publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; he was a prisoner of war during World War II.…

  • Carter, John · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of John Carter, a jazz composer and clarinetist who started making music right here. Influenced by church hymns and jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Carter began…

  • Cliburn, Rildia Bee O'Bryan · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the city that was home to Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn, the mother and first teacher of the legendary pianist Van Cliburn. Born in McGregor in 1896, Rildia Bee was a gifted pianist…

  • Dabbs, Ellen Lawson · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that Ellen Lawson Dabbs helped shape. Born in Rusk County in 1853, Dabbs was a physician, a journalist, and a fierce advocate for women's rights. After escaping an abusive…

  • Daggett, Ephraim M. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth right now, a city that owes a lot to Ephraim Daggett. He arrived here in 1854, already a seasoned trader and legislator from East Texas, and immediately set his sights on making this…

  • Dawson, Alonzo N. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here, in what is now Johnson County, you're passing through the legacy of Alonzo N. Dawson, a prominent architect. Back in the 1880s, he designed the Johnson County Jail and…

  • Deen, Edith Alderman · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here is where Edith Alderman Deen spent her career as a newspaper columnist and later became a best-selling author. Starting in 1925 at the Fort Worth Press, she wrote for…

  • Dunn, Robert Lee [Bob] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that became a crucial stop for a musical innovator. Robert Lee 'Bob' Dunn, a pioneer in jazz steel guitar, arrived here in 1934. He met Milton Brown and joined his legendary…

  • Federal Music Project · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here, you're passing through a place that played a vital role in keeping music alive during the Great Depression. The Federal Music Project, part of the WPA, was created to…

  • Flatiron Building · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth right now, and you might be passing a building that was a true Texas pioneer. Back in nineteen-oh-seven, the Flatiron Building went up, one of the very first skyscrapers in the…

  • Fort Worth · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, but did you know this city started as a U.S. Army outpost? Right here, on May 18, 1849, soldiers under Major Ripley Arnold planted a flag on this bluff overlooking the Trinity River.…

  • Fort Worth and Denver Railway · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, maybe heading towards the Panhandle, and you might want to thank the Fort Worth and Denver Railway. Chartered way back in 1873, this railroad's main goal was ambitious: connect the Gulf of…

  • Fort Worth Star-Telegram · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the home of a newspaper that literally helped define the West. The Fort Worth Star began in 1906, but by 1908, it was in trouble. Amon G. Carter, Sr. and his partners bought out their…

  • Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, home to a symphony orchestra with a long and sometimes interrupted history. It first performed publicly way back in 1912, but World War I caused it to disband. Re-founded in 1925, the…

  • Fowler, Manet Harrison · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that was home to Manet Harrison Fowler, a remarkable African-American artist and educator. Born right here in 1895, Fowler showed incredible musical talent from a young age,…

  • Fundamentalism · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here, in the early 1920s, a battle for the soul of faith was raging. Fundamentalists, believing the Bible was literally true and non-negotiable, saw modern ideas like…

  • Garrett, Jess Jenkins · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city shaped in part by the passion of Jenkins Garrett. Born in Caldwell, Garrett came to Fort Worth and was inspired by a UT history professor to deeply love Texas history. He became…

  • Gracey, Joe · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of Joe Gracey. Born in 1950, Gracey had a voice deep enough to be heard on the radio from a young age. By fifteen, he was in commercial radio, but his real impact came…

  • Greble, Edwin St. John · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Fort Worth, and right here is where a pivotal moment in Texas military history unfolded during World War I. Edwin St. John Greble, a decorated artillery officer, was tasked in 1917 with a monumental…

  • Gruen Plan · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is where a bold vision for the future was unveiled back in 1956. It was called the Gruen Plan, a radical idea to make downtown a pedestrian paradise. Imagine this: cars…

  • Guyot, Jean Marie · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here, you're passing by the site of a significant Catholic landmark. In 1884, Father Jean Marie Guyot arrived to find only fifteen Catholic families. He led the construction…

  • Hawley, John Blackstock · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that owes much of its modern infrastructure to John Blackstock Hawley. He arrived here in 1891, tasked with building the city's very first modern water system. Imagine that – no…

  • Hillbilly Boys · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of the Hillbilly Boys! In 1935, former governor and senator Pappy O'Daniel founded this western swing band. He used them to promote his Hillbilly Flour, broadcasting…

  • Hurley, Clyde Lanham, Jr. · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, a city that birthed a trumpet player who blew a solo on one of the most iconic jazz tunes ever recorded. Clyde Lanham Hurley, Jr. was born right here in 1916. After studying music, he…

  • Inman, Samuel Guy · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Trinity County, Texas, the birthplace of Samuel Guy Inman. Born in 1877, Inman would go on to become a missionary, educator, and a key architect of the U.S. "Good Neighbor" policy toward Latin…

  • Irons, Martin · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, and right here, you're passing through a place that was once the heart of a massive labor dispute. In 1886, Martin Irons, a Scottish immigrant and machinist, became the national leader of…

  • Keller, Martha Ellen Lockhart · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, where Dr. Martha Ellen Keller practiced medicine in the late 1800s. She wasn't just any doctor; Keller was an inventor who patented a device called the electrovitalizer. This wasn't…

  • Kimbell, Velma Fuller · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, home to a world-class art museum, and you owe a lot of that to Velma Fuller Kimbell. Born in Whitewright, she met her future husband, Kay, in public school. It was Velma who sparked…

  • LaGrave Field · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, and right here is the site of LaGrave Field, a baseball park that hosted the Fort Worth Panthers for decades. It was built in 1926 to replace an older park, and it was designed to hold…

  • Lawsha, William B. [Prince Lasha] · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the birthplace of jazz innovator Prince Lasha. Born William B. Lawsha in 1929, he and his childhood friend Ornette Coleman saved up money working as waiters to buy their first…

  • Leonard, John Marvin · 2.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Right here in Fort Worth, you're driving past the legacy of J. Marvin Leonard, a man who built an empire from salvaged goods and a passion for golf. He turned a small store into the biggest retailer in town, but his…

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