Fort Worth

In 1840 a treaty was negotiated with Indian tribes that kept the tribes would west of a frontier line drawn across Texas. 1849 General William Jenkins Worth ordered the construction of a chain of 10 forts to protect this frontier. General Worth died of cholera in May 1849 so the northernmost fort was named Fort Worth in his honour. Because of its location, Fort Worth became known as ‘Where the West Begins’. The fort opened in November 1849 but the frontier moved quickly to the west and in 1853 it was abandoned. The  former fort buildings became the basis of a town that developed into a stop for cattle men and little more than 10 years after the fort was abandoned Fort Worth was a major stop on the Chisholm Trail between southern Texas and the railheads in Abilene, Kansas. In 1860 the townsfolk managed to get the county seat moved from Birdville to Fort Worth.  The population of Forth Worth plummeted during the Civil War but after the railroad arrived in 1876, the stockyards area became a major centre for the wholesale cattle trade and Fort Worth returned to the growth trail. The meat packing industry arrived in the early 20th century then by the 1920s oil had been discovered in nearby towns so Fort Worth boomed. Although the meat packing industry closed down in the 1960s, Fort Worth has continued to grow and it now has a population in excess of 500,000.

Active Pool, Fort Worth Water Gardens

The centre of Fort Worth is largely modern but nevertheless there are some interesting features. Adjacent to the Convention Center, the Fort Worth Water Gardens were designed in 1974 by Phillip Johnson and John Burgee. There are three different water features - the aerating pool, the quiet pool and the active pool. The active pool featured in the 1975 film ‘Logan’s Run’.

Sterquel Wagon Collection, Stockyards

There is more to the Stockyards than cows. Stockyards Station is the terminus the Tarantula Train from Grapevine. Although often steam powered, maintenance work meant that the train was diesel hauled when we visited in 2004. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame contains pictures and memorabilia of many rodeo stars, few, if any, of whom are likely to be familiar to those from the other side of the Atlantic. The Hall of Fame also houses the Sterquel Wagon Collection, which  may be more interesting to those who do not have cowboy in their genes. The collection includes a Welsh Funeral Hearse, but how it came to be in Texas is not explained. 

St Patrick Cathedral

Fort Worth became a Catholic parish in 1876 and a small church named St. Stanislaus opened the same year. The Catholic population of Forth Worth grew, so in 1888 the cornerstone of a new church was laid on a plot just north of St. Stanislaus Church. Many of the Catholics in Fort Worth were of Irish descent, so the new church was named St Patrick Church in honour of their patron saint. The church was dedicated in 1892 and in 1953 it became a co-cathedral in the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth.  In 1969 the Fort Worth was established as a diocese with St Patrick as its cathedral.  Today St Patrick Cathedral serves as the mother church for over 600,000 Catholics.  Click Tab 2 to see a view of the altar of the cathedral.

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Cowboy outside Fort Worth Livestock Exchange, Stockyards

About 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) north of the centre of Fort Worth is the Stockyards. This is where cattle trading made the city wealthy, but nowadays it is purely for the tourists. The role that cattle played in the development of Fort Worth is celebrated twice daily by driving Longhorn Cows along Exchange Avenue and the cowboy in the picture is heading past the Livestock Exchange on his way to the cattle drive. The Livestock Exchange was built in 1902 and it became the ‘Wall Street’ for cattle trading. Trading still takes place here, but it is now conducted by satellite instead of parading cows in front of buyers. The building also houses offices and a local Museum. Next door to the Exchange is the Cowtown Coliseum, a rodeo venue built in 1908. There was no show on the night that we stayed in the Stockyards, but the following morning in the spirit of Texas hospitality a man who was clearing leaves outside the Coliseum gave us a comprehensive tour of the building.  Click Tab 2 to see the cattle drive.

Parker Cabin, Log Cabin Village

While the centre of Fort Worth is mainly modern, in the suburbs to the south west you can find a unique group of old buildings. Log Cabin Village was started in the 1950s by  the Pioneer Texas Heritage Committee and members of the Tarrant County Historical Society. Aware that historic log buildings were fast vanishing from Texas they vowed to create a village where such buildings would be preserved.  Six log cabins from across northern Texas were selected and moved to the present site. The village was then donated to the City of Fort Worth who opened it to the public as a living history museum in 1966. Three more houses have since been added, plus a smoke house and herb garden. Attractions include one of the few surviving plantation homes in Texas and a working Grist Mill.  The Parker Cabin, shown here, dates back to around 1848 and was originally located east of Birdville. It is a dogtrot cabin, the dogtrot being the passage or breezeway that separates two log rooms. The breeze through this passage helped to keep the rooms cool in summer. Click Tab 2 to see the kitchen of the Parker Cabin.

Rose Garden, Fort Worth Botanic Garden

 Land for Rock Springs Park was purchased in 1912 and during the 1920s the park was developed in a way that was designed to educate the public about plants and trees. In 1933 a formal rose garden was opened with its design inspired by the  garden at Villa Lante in Italy. In 1934 Rock Springs Park officially became the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the first such garden in Texas. In the 1960s an old gravel pit adjoining the garden was acquired and on that land a Japanese Garden designed by Kingsley Wu  was completed in the 1970s.  The botanic garden now  covers 44 hectares (110 acres) and apart form the Conservatory and Japanese garden there is no admission charge  Click tab 2 to see a picture of the Japanese Garden.

Dress exhibit, Texas Civil War Museum

We have mixed feelings about US Civil War museums because some of them blatantly glorify the Confederate cause and make no attempt to cover the Union standpoint. The Texas Civil War Museum provides balance by having Confederate and Union displays opposite each other.  Inevitably there is a southern perspective in the way the story of the war is told,  but efforts have clearly been made to avoid being partisan. In addition to displays of uniforms and weaponry from both sides. there is a fascinating exhibit of the dresses that ladies wore at that time. 

© Mike  Elsden 1981 - 2025

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