romanticism of the cattle drives; however, it is also the 16th largest city in the United States. Driving around, one can see why it is the fifth largest city in Texas, but there is one corner of the city that still holds on to the title of, “Where The West Begins.”
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The Fort Worth Stockyards was the final resting point for drovers along the Chisholm Trail. Because of the large number of cattle being driven through the city, it became known as Cowtown. As the herds rested along the route, the Trail cowboys rode off into Fort Worth, causing a red-light district to arise. Even with the developed “Hell’s Half Acre”, legitimate businesses poured into the area. When the railroad arrived in 1876, the city built the Stockyards to attract more ranchers and cattle to the area. A wealthy Boston investor, Greenleif Simpson, took an interest in the area and purchased the Union Stockyards Company, changing the name to Fort Worth Stockyards Company.
Instead of shipping cattle, Simpson along with other investors, decided to keep the business local. They built nearby meatpacking plants with the help of Armour & Co. and Swift & Co. In 1902, construction began on the plants as well as pens, barns and the new Livestock Exchange Building. An indoor show facility was also constructed, known as the Cowtown Coliseum, and held the first indoor rodeo. The area quickly became a model for such events and locations for around the world.
In 1914 during World War I, an area near Fort Worth served as training grounds for the Canadian military. Once the US entered the war, the fields were taken over and Camp Bowie was built. The 36th Division, which included Texas and Oklahoma troops, trained there. Another growth factor of the area resulted from the discovery of oil. Fort Worth started with three refineries, but by the end of 1920, nine more were developed. The area became a huge attraction for the State, leading to big banks, big office buildings, big homes, big oil rigs, and the slogan “everything’s bigger in Texas”.
t is the one place that still holds the
During World War II, the area still prospered. The Stockyards processed more than five million head of livestock, which was the best year of its operation. New public schools were constructed throughout the Fort Worth area. City offices and buildings were popping up. In 1936, the famous Fort Worth Casa Manana was created by Amon Carter, to hold Broadway musicals and Wild West shows. High costs and WWII led to the dismantling of the building in order to help with the war effort. (It was later recreated as the round, aluminum dome that still stands today.) Also built that year was the Will Rogers Memorial Center.
After the war, things started to change as the businesses started to move toward the trucking industry instead of the railroads. The meatpacking plants began to fail. Swift & Co. was the last to close in 1971. (The Swift Headquarters building still stands today as the corporate offices for XTO Energy.)
As the area has continued to grow, it still holds on to its Western heritage. The area has hosted thousands of visitors and sales in the historic Exchange building. A big attraction for visitors has been the twice-daily cattle drives. For Longhorn breeders who love the history of the beloved animals, Fort Worth has been a must-see city for years. With the original brick walkways to wooden corrals housing beautiful Longhorns, everyone can get a taste of the Wild West.
2017 NOVEMBER i TEXAS LONGHORN JOURNAL 47
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