Fort Worth, Texas

History

Fort Worth was founded as a military camp in 1849, named after General William Jenkins Worth, during the closure of the Mexican-American War. It was established to protect 19th century settlers from Indian attacks. The fort then became a bustling town when it became a stop along the legendary Chisholm Trail, the dusty path where millions of cattle were driven North to market. Fort Worth became the center of the cattle drives, and later, the ranching industry. The hey day of the cattle drives was the wild era of "Hell's Half Acre," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/HH/hph1.html an area of town filled with gambling parlors, saloons, and dance halls. In 1876, the Texas & Pacific Railway connected to Fort Worth and transformed the Fort Worth Stockyards http://www.fortworthstockyards.org/ into a premier livestock center. When oil began to gush in West Texas, Fort Worth was at the center of the wheeling and dealing.

Related Topics:
William Jenkins Worth - Mexican-American War - Indian - Chisholm Trail - Hell's Half Acre - Texas & Pacific Railway - Fort Worth Stockyards

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Fort Worth is portrayed as more old-fashioned and laid-back than Dallas. Known as "Cowtown" for its rough-and-rowdy roots, Fort Worth still celebrates its colorful Western heritage today and bills itself as "Where the West begins."

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