FORT WORTH

FORT WORTH is located in the north-central area of Texas. Recognized as where the West begins, Fort Worth has maintained its reputation as a frontier cow town. Established originally as an army fort along the Trinity River in 1849, Fort Worth represented the farthest point west of the settled frontier. Although its population continued to grow, it was not until after the Civil War that Fort Worth began to prosper. The cattle industry was a major part of the local economy, from the cattle drives of the 1870s to the meat-packing businesses of Armour and Swift in the 1900s. Just as important was the Texas and Pacific Railroad, which reached Fort Worth in 1876. With the discovery of oil in Texas, Fort Worth became the "wildcat center" at the turn of the twentieth century, serving as a railroad crossroads for pipeline and refinery companies. During World War II, Fort Worth became a center of aviation, with Carswell Air Force Base, General Dynamics, and Dallas–Fort Worth Airport. In the 1980s, Fort Worth began renovation and renewal of the city's downtown and north side in an effort to preserve and retain its Old West heritage.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Knight, Oliver. Outpost on the Trinity. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1990.

Sanders, Leonard. How Fort Worth Became the Texasmost City, 1849–1920. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1986.

Schmelzer, Janet. Where the West Begins: Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Northridge, Calif.: Windsor, 1985.