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Sansom Park, Texas

Everything Sansom Park is known for

1 song mention this city

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Music in Sansom Park

Songs About Sansom Park

stockyards
casey donahew
45%

Artists From Sansom Park

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Rivers & Roads in Song near Sansom Park

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Sansom Park.

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

History of Sansom Park

The Wild Side of the Highway RoadyGoat

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. Hot rods ran it so hard that people called it Thunder Road — a sixteen-mile stream of neon with forty-odd honky-tonks and beer joints, backroom gambling, slot machines and regular gunfire. Airmen and factory hands packed the Skyliner Ballroom and the Rocket Club down in Fort Worth proper, and here in Sansom Park they crowded the Inez 50/50 Club. Louis Armstrong played the strip. So did Willie Nelson and Tina Turner. Gangsters worked it until the last of them were killed off. Sansom Park had incorporated on March 24, 1949, after years of residents organizing against being taxed and annexed by the bigger cities around it — and that independence let the village keep its own hand on what happened here. The neon signs are mostly gone, but the highway itself is a monument to a wilder time.

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The Suburb Built by Bombers RoadyGoat

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 the mile-long, windowless Plant 4 opened to build B-24 Liberator bombers for World War Two - more than three thousand of them passed through. After the war it became home to the Cold War giants: the ten-engine B-36 Peacemaker and the supersonic B-58 Hustler. Later it turned out the F-111, then the F-16, and today the F-35 fighter. Each new program brought thousands of jobs, and it still employs around seventeen thousand people. Those engineers, mechanics and assembly workers needed houses, and the land that became Sansom Park was the perfect affordable spot. This isn't just a suburb; it's a community built by, and for, the people who armed America through the skies.

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Engineering the Cold War RoadyGoat

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 the B-36 Peacemaker, built here from 1945 into the mid-1950s. It carried the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever made - wings so deep that a crewman could crawl through a passage inside them to reach the engines in flight. Six piston engines and four jets: six turning and four burning, the most engines of any mass-produced airplane. Then came the B-58 Hustler, the first operational supersonic bomber, which demanded pioneering new design just to survive flight at twice the speed of sound. Thousands of Sansom Park residents spent their careers inside that plant, solving problems in metallurgy, aerodynamics and electronics. The quiet suburban streets you're driving through were home to the minds and hands that engineered the Cold War.

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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 → · 3.0 mi away

Fort Worth Stockyards

1866

Once the largest livestock market in the Southwest. The Chisholm Trail ended here. Fort Worth earned the nickname 'Cowtown' from the millions of cattle that passed through.

3.3 mi away

Fort Worth Stock Yards Company

1893

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 Cattle Raisers Association and lured the prominent meatpacking companies of Armour and Swift to open plants here. Publicity through the Company's market newspaper and annual Fat Stock Show, both begun in 1896, resulted in a significant increase in the number of animals brought to market. The Stock Yards Co. built the area's livestock-related facilities and had controlling interest in many North Fort Worth businesses and properties. The first five decades of the 20th Century were the most successful for the Fort Worth Stock Yards Co. During World War I, foreign governments purchased draft animals, making Fort Worth the largest horse and mule market in the world. In 1917, overall livestock market receipts reached 3,500,000 and in 1944, sales exceeded 5,000,000 head of livestock. However, by the 1950s, local auctions were drawing sellers away from this central market. Today the Fort Worth Stock Yards Co. continues as a significant part of the city's unique heritage. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.

Historical Marker → · 3.3 mi away

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 → · 3.4 mi away

Fort Worth, TX

1853

Fort Worth is located on the Clear Fork of the Trinity River near its confluence with the West Fork of the Trinity in Tarrant County. It lies at 32º 46' north latitude, 97º 18' west longitude, putting it on the edge of the Great Plains, which explains why the eastern area of the city is part of the Cross Timbers while the western area is flat, arid prairieland. Fort Worth began life on the grounds of an abandoned U.S. Army post ( see FORT WORTH ) in 1853. Local settlers moved into the empty structures on the bluff over the river and began building out into the surrounding area that was once part of the Peters Colony . They first called themselves Fort Town to distinguish their little community from the military post. They numbered less than 100. Among the pioneer settlers were Ephraim Daggett , who generously gave land for civic improvement; John Peter Smith (often referred to as the "father of Fort Worth"), who started the first school in 1854; Henry Daggett and Archibald Leonard , who opened general stores; and Julian Feild , who started a flour mill and served as the first postmaster in 1856. The little village was connected to the outside world by the U.S. mail stage line that began operation to surrounding communities in 1856, followed by the Butterfield Overland stage line two years later. In 1878 mail and passenger service from Fort Worth to Yuma, Arizona, began. The 1,560-mile route was the longest in the United States and took seventeen days to traverse one way. Although Fort Worth was indeed a frontier town for more than two decades and would later call itself "The City Where the West Begins," it was never seriously threatened by American Indians . Virtually all the tribes that came through the area were weak, peaceful groups more interested in gifts and protection from their warlike neighbors than in raiding. Local legend may say otherwise but is not supported by written records. After Tarrant County was created in 1849, Birdville was the first designated county seat. Seven years later, in 1856, the residents of Fort Town challenged the status quo by getting the state legislature to hold a special election to determine the best location. Fort Worth narrowly won amid charges of illegal voting. A second and just as bitter election was held in April 1860, and this time Fort Worth overwhelmingly carried the day. Fort Worth citizens first started to build a courthouse-a three-room, wood-frame structure-on the bluff in 1857. The site, on what is now the west lawn of the current courthouse, was on the block regarded as the center of town and known variously as the public square and the courthouse square. Construction of a more permanent two-story stone courthouse began in the center of the courthouse square in 1860, but the privately funded project moved slowly, stopped with the outbreak of the Civil War , and the building was not completed until 1869. The structure burned on March 29, 1876, destroying most of the county records. Daniel O'Flaherty was hired to design the new courthouse on the same site, which was completed in 1877 and enlarged in 1882 by adding a third story in a mansard roof. It was replaced by the current iconic pink granite building, designed by Gunn and Curtiss, in 1895. Fort Worth was incorporated by act of the state legislature in 1873, giving it the traditional mayor-council form of government . W. P. Burts served as the first mayor. Municipal elections were held in April of every year, and members of the council (aldermen) were elected to represent a particular ward. In 1907 the city adopted the commission form of government , replacing aldermen with commissioners elected at-large, each focusing on a particular aspect of municipal administration. The city's population dramatically increased over the years. From no more than 350 citizens recorded at the beginning of the Civil War, to approximately 2,500 before incorporation and then to possibly 4,000 or more in the fall of 1873 after incor

Tsha Handbook → · 3.4 mi away

Things to Do in Sansom Park

quirky 13.3 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 3.4 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 3.5 mi away
Fort Worth Stockyards

Daily cattle drives down the street. Honky-tonks and rodeos in the old West.
food 4.5 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 10.5 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 10.6 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 13.3 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 19.3 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 Sansom Park

1385 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • The Wild Side of the Highway · 0.2 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 · 0.2 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 · 0.2 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 · 0.2 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…

  • Castleberry HS Tornado Damage · 1.2 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:…

  • It Began With a Cabin, a School, and a Shared Water Well · 1.7 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 Other Chuy's, Three Generations in the Making · 1.7 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…

  • The Ballpark That Became a War Memorial · 1.7 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 Town the Bombers Built · 1.8 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 · 1.8 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…

  • A Bomber Factory Turned Farmland Into a City · 1.8 mi

    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…

  • Gambling on the Highway · 1.8 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
  • Why It Is River Oaks and Not Castleberry · 1.8 mi

    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…

  • The Neighborhood Diner With Plate-Sized Pancakes · 1.8 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…

  • River Oaks, Houston · 1.8 mi · 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…

  • Castleberry School District · 1.8 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…

  • River Oaks, TX · 1.8 mi · 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…

  • Lake Worth · 1.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving past Lake Worth, a man-made reservoir on the northwestern edge of Fort Worth. <break time="400ms"/> This lake didn't exist before <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1914</say-as>, when a dam was…

  • The Walk-Up Burger Stand With a Mexican Twist · 1.9 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…

  • The Lake Worth Monster · 2.5 mi

    In the summer of 1969, something strange was happening in Lake Worth. It started with a couple parked by the lake who reported a terrifying creature attacking their car. They described it as part-man, part-goat, covered…

  • Dancing on the Water at Casino Beach · 2.5 mi

    Imagine it's the 1930s. You've escaped the Fort Worth heat for a night at the lake, and your destination is the Casino Ballroom. It was never a gambling house, just the anchor of an enormous amusement park that opened…

  • Engineering the Lake · 2.5 mi

    The lake that gives this city its name is no accident of nature. By 1911 Fort Worth was booming and its artesian wells were failing, so the city went looking for a river. The plan, drawn up by consulting engineer John…

  • Lake Worth, TX · 2.5 mi

    Lake Worth sits at a gentle rise, just over six hundred feet above sea level. It's not mountains, of course, but enough to give you a sense of the land rolling westward toward the plains. This slightly elevated perch, a…

  • The Sound of Freedom Next Door · 2.5 mi

    If you hear a thunderous roar overhead, it's not a storm. It's the sound of Lake Worth's most powerful neighbor: the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The base's runways sit just across the water, and its…

  • Meacham Field · 2.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Meacham Field, the airport that put Fort Worth on the aviation map! Back in 1925, the city council leased this land for a brand new municipal airport, replacing an old WWI training field. Just a year…

  • The Bluffs Above River Oaks Are an Ancient Seafloor · 2.7 mi

    The hills above River Oaks are the remains of an ancient seafloor, cut open by the Trinity River. Just northwest of the city, at Marion Sansom Park, pale limestone bluffs rise over the West Fork of the Trinity and Lake…

  • Lake Worth Monster · 2.8 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.

  • Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr. · 3.0 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 · 3.0 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,…

  • 1869 Independence Day Raid · 3.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Fort Worth, and it's July 4th, 1869. A group of eleven Native Americans rode north after gathering horses, pursued by a Tarrant County posse. Along the way, they raided homes and attacked travelers.…

  • Lawrence Clifton Elliott · 3.1 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!…

  • Carswell Field - Where the Cold War Took Flight · 3.2 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…

  • From the B-24 to the F-35 on One Patch of Ground · 3.2 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…

  • Westworth, TX · 3.2 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…

  • Early Site of Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show · 3.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic heart of Fort Worth's legendary livestock industry. Back in the 1870s, this town became a vital hub for cattle drives heading north. By 1896, the first major livestock show was held…

  • Thannisch Block Building · 3.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Thannisch Block Building in Fort Worth. Colonel Thomas Marion Thannisch, an early developer, built the eastern part of this structure in 1906 to serve the Stockyards community. It was designed as…

  • Fort Worth Stockyards · 3.3 mi · Historical Marker

    Once the largest livestock market in the Southwest. The Chisholm Trail ended here. Fort Worth earned the nickname 'Cowtown' from the millions of cattle that passed through.

  • Fort Worth Stock Yards Company · 3.3 mi · Historical Marker

    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…

  • Cowtown Coliseum - First Indoor Rodeo in History · 3.3 mi

    The Cowtown Coliseum hosted the world's first indoor rodeo in 1918, and it has been holding rodeos almost continuously ever since. Built in 1908, this was one of the largest indoor arenas in the Southwest. It was…

  • The Judas Goat Tunnel Under the Stockyards · 3.3 mi

    Walk East Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards and you're crossing over a tunnel built to move livestock, not people. Greenleif Simpson bought the Union Stockyards in 1893 for $133,333 and renamed it the Fort Worth…

  • Billy Bob's Texas - World's Largest Honky-Tonk · 3.3 mi · Historical Marker

    Billy Bob's Texas takes up 127,000 square feet of the Fort Worth Stockyards, making it the largest honky-tonk on earth, and it has an indoor rodeo arena to prove the point. The building started life in 1910 as an…

  • Coliseum · 3.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Fort Worth Coliseum, built in 1907-08. Funded by packing companies and the Stock Yards Company, it became the permanent home for the Fat Stock Show for 34 years. This place is also…

  • Fort Worth Stock Yards Exchange · 3.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the iconic gateway to the Fort Worth Stock Yards, completed way back in 1910. Built by the Topeka Bridge & Land Company for the Stock Yards Company, this massive concrete structure was a marvel for…

  • Fort Worth Stockyards Hog and Sheep Markets · 3.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, a place that became a national hub for livestock. In 1903, the stockyards launched a big push to get Texans raising more hogs, offering prizes and even a youth Pig…

  • Saunders, Thomas B., Family · 3.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the home of a Texas cattle dynasty. Since the 1850s, members of the Saunders family have been deeply involved in the state's cattle industry. Thomas B. Saunders, II, became the first cattle dealer at…

  • Woody-Kutch Livestock Commission Company · 3.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, a place that was once called the 'Wall Street of the West.' In 1920, brothers-in-law Joseph Woody and Jefferson Kutch were already working here. By 1923, they…

  • Billy Bob's Texas · 3.4 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, TX · 3.4 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Fort Worth is located on the Clear Fork of the Trinity River near its confluence with the West Fork of the Trinity in Tarrant County. It lies at 32&ordm; 46' north latitude, 97&ordm; 18' west longitude, putting it on…

  • The Last Daily Cattle Drive in America · 3.4 mi

    Twice a day, a dozen Texas Longhorns are driven down Exchange Avenue by mounted drovers in period dress. It is the only daily cattle drive on a public street anywhere in the world. The tradition started in 1999 as a way…

  • Fort Worth Stockyards · 3.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Howdy, partner! You're rollin' up on a place that helped earn Fort Worth its nickname: Cowtown. The Stockyards are more than just a tourist spot; they're where the Wild West lived and breathed. From 1866, cattlemen…

  • William John Marsh · 3.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the birthplace of a man whose music is heard by every Texan. William John Marsh was born near Liverpool, England, but came to Fort Worth in 1904 to work in the cotton business. He was also a gifted…

  • Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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…

  • Quanah Parker · 3.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Quanah Parker. 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…

  • Billy Bob's Texas · 3.4 mi · Things to Do

    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…

  • Fort Worth Stockyards · 3.4 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…

  • Lucas, Barbara Inez Barnes [Tad] · 3.4 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…

  • How You Hide an Airplane From Radar · 3.4 mi

    Stealth is one of the strangest ideas in engineering: hiding something the size of a fighter jet. It starts with how radar works. A radar sends out radio waves, those waves hit an object, and a faint echo bounces back.…

  • Allen, Frances Daisy Emery · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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,…

  • Fort Worth Stockyards Horse and Mule Barns · 3.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Fort Worth Stockyards Horse and Mule Barns. On opening day of a major show in 1911, a massive fire destroyed the original wooden barns. But they rebuilt immediately with fireproof…

  • Fort Worth Livestock Exchange · 3.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Fort Worth, the heart of a legendary cattle market. Back in the late 1860s, this was a crucial stop on the cattle trails. By the early 1900s, this very building, erected in 1902, housed the…

  • Bewley, Anthony · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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…

  • Mule Alley - From Livestock Pens to Luxury · 3.4 mi

    Mule Alley stretches along Marine Creek at the edge of the Stockyards, and for decades it was exactly what the name suggests: rows of brick-and-timber barns where mules and horses were penned before auction. The…

  • A Flying Computer · 3.4 mi

    People call the F-35 a flying computer, and they mean it almost literally. A modern fighter carries a whole crowd of sensors at once: radar, infrared cameras that see heat, and electronic sensors that pick up radio…

  • Ormer Leslie Locklear · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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…

  • Amon Carter Museum of American Art · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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. · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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] · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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 · 3.4 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…

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