Fort Worth, Texas
City in Texas, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly 350 square miles (910 km2) into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According to a 2022 United States census estimate, Fort Worth's population was 956,709, the 5th-most populous in the state and the 13th-most populous in the United States.[8] Fort Worth is the second-largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, which is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States, and the most populous in Texas.[9][10]
Fort Worth | |
---|---|
Nicknames: | |
Motto(s): "Where the West begins";[1] "Crossroads of Cowboys & Culture" | |
Coordinates: 32°45′23″N 97°19′57″W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Counties | Tarrant, Denton, Johnson, Parker, Wise [3] |
Incorporated | 1874[4] |
Named for | William J. Worth |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor–council–manager |
• Mayor | Mattie Parker (R) |
• City manager | David Cooke (R) |
• City council | List
|
Area | |
• Total | 355.56 sq mi (920.89 km2) |
• Land | 347.27 sq mi (899.44 km2) |
• Water | 8.28 sq mi (21.45 km2) |
Elevation | 541 ft (165 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 918,915 |
• Estimate (2024)[7] | 995,049 |
• Rank | 33rd in North America 13th in the United States 5th in Texas |
• Density | 2,600/sq mi (1,000/km2) |
Demonym | Fort Worthian |
Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
ZIP Codes | 76036, 761XX, 76244
|
Area codes | 682 and 817 |
FIPS code | 48-27000 |
GNIS feature ID | 2410531[6] |
Website | www.fortworthtexas.gov |
The city of Fort Worth was established in 1849 as an army outpost on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River.[11] Fort Worth has historically been a center of the Texas Longhorn cattle trade.[11] It still embraces its Western heritage and traditional architecture and design.[12][13] USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) is the first ship of the United States Navy named after the city.[14] Nearby Dallas has held a population majority as long as records have been kept, yet Fort Worth has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States at the beginning of the 21st century, nearly doubling its population since 2000.
Fort Worth is the location of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and several museums designed by contemporary architects. The Kimbell Art Museum was designed by Louis Kahn, with an addition designed by Renzo Piano.[15] The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth was designed by Tadao Ando. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art, designed by Philip Johnson, houses American art. The Sid Richardson Museum, redesigned by David M. Schwarz, has a collection of Western art in the U.S., emphasizing Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History was designed by Ricardo Legorreta of Mexico.
Fort Worth is the location of several university communities: Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan, University of North Texas Health Science Center, and Texas A&M University School of Law. Several multinational corporations, including Bell Textron, American Airlines, and BNSF Railway, are headquartered in Fort Worth.
The Treaty of Bird's Fort between the Republic of Texas and several Native American tribes was signed in 1843 at Bird's Fort in present-day Arlington, Texas.[16][17] Article XI of the treaty provided that no one may "pass the line of trading houses" (at the border of the Indians' territory) without permission of the President of Texas, and may not reside or remain in the Indians' territory. These "trading houses" were later established at the junction of the Clear Fork and West Fork of the Trinity River in present-day Fort Worth.[18]
A line of seven army posts was established in 1848–1849 after the Mexican War to protect the settlers of Texas along the western American Frontier and included Fort Worth, Fort Graham, Fort Gates, Fort Croghan, Fort Martin Scott, Fort Lincoln, and Fort Duncan.[19] Originally, 10 forts had been proposed by Major General William Jenkins Worth (1794–1849), who commanded the Department of Texas in 1849. In January 1849, Worth proposed a line of 10 forts to mark the western Texas frontier from Eagle Pass to the confluence of the West Fork and Clear Fork of the Trinity River. One month later, Worth died from cholera in South Texas.[19]
General William S. Harney assumed command of the Department of Texas and ordered Major Ripley A. Arnold (Company F, Second United States Dragoons)[19] to find a new fort site near the West Fork and Clear Fork. On June 6, 1849, Arnold, advised by Middleton Tate Johnson, established a camp on the bank of the Trinity River and named the post Camp Worth in honor of the late General Worth. In August 1849, Arnold moved the camp to the north-facing bluff, which overlooked the mouth of the Clear Fork of the Trinity River. The United States War Department officially named the post Fort Worth on November 14, 1849.[20] Since its establishment, the city of Fort Worth continues to be known as "where the West begins".[11]
E. S. Terrell (1812–1905) from Tennessee claimed to be the first resident of Fort Worth.[21] The fort was flooded the first year and moved to the top of the bluff; the current courthouse was built on this site. The fort was abandoned September 17, 1853.[19] No trace of it remains.
As a stop on the legendary Chisholm Trail, Fort Worth was stimulated by the business of the cattle drives and became a brawling, bustling town. Millions of head of cattle were driven north to market along this trail. Fort Worth became the center of the cattle drives, and later, the ranching industry. It was given the nickname of Cowtown.[22]
During the American Civil War, Fort Worth suffered from shortages of money, food, and supplies. The population dropped as low as 175, but began to recover during Reconstruction. By 1872, Jacob Samuels, William Jesse Boaz, and William Henry Davis had opened general stores. The next year, Khleber M. Van Zandt established Tidball, Van Zandt, and Company, which became Fort Worth National Bank in 1884.
In 1875, the Dallas Herald published an article by a former Fort Worth lawyer, Robert E. Cowart, who wrote that the decimation of Fort Worth's population, caused by the economic disaster and hard winter of 1873, had dealt a severe blow to the cattle industry. Added to the slowdown due to the railroad's stopping the laying of track 30 miles (48 km) outside of Fort Worth, Cowart said that Fort Worth was so slow that he saw a panther asleep in the street by the courthouse. Although an intended insult, the name Panther City was enthusiastically embraced when in 1876 Fort Worth recovered economically.[23] Many businesses and organizations continue to use Panther in their name. A panther is set at the top of the police department badges.[24]
The "Panther City" tradition is also preserved in the names and design of some of the city's geographical/architectural features, such as Panther Island (in the Trinity River), the Flat Iron Building, Fort Worth Central Station, and in two or three "Sleeping Panther" statues.
In 1876, the Texas and Pacific Railway finally was completed to Fort Worth, stimulating a boom and transforming the Fort Worth Stockyards into a premier center for the cattle wholesale trade.[25] Migrants from the devastated war-torn South continued to swell the population, and small, community factories and mills yielded to larger businesses. Newly dubbed the "Queen City of the Prairies",[26] Fort Worth supplied a regional market via the growing transportation network.
Fort Worth became the westernmost railhead and a transit point for cattle shipment. Louville Niles, a Boston, Massachusetts-based businessman and main shareholder of the Fort Worth Stockyards Company, is credited with bringing the two biggest meatpacking firms at the time, Armour and Swift, to the stockyards.[27]
With the boom times came a variety of entertainments and related problems. Fort Worth had a knack for separating cattlemen from their money. Cowboys took full advantage of their last brush with civilization before the long drive on the Chisholm Trail from Fort Worth north to Kansas. They stocked up on provisions from local merchants, visited saloons for a bit of gambling and carousing, then rode northward with their cattle, only to whoop it up again on their way back. The town soon became home to "Hell's Half-Acre", the biggest collection of saloons, dance halls, and bawdy houses south of Dodge City (the northern terminus of the Chisholm Trail), giving Fort Worth the nickname of the "Paris of the Plains".[28][29]
Certain sections of town were off-limits for proper citizens. Shootings, knifings, muggings, and brawls became a nightly occurrence. Cowboys were joined by a motley assortment of buffalo hunters, gunmen, adventurers, and crooks. Hell's Half Acre (also known as simply "The Acre") expanded as more people were drawn to the town. Occasionally, the Acre was referred to as "the bloody Third Ward" after it was designated one of the city's three political wards in 1876. By 1900, the Acre covered four of the city's main north-south thoroughfares.[30] Local citizens became alarmed about the activities, electing Timothy Isaiah "Longhair Jim" Courtright in 1876 as city marshal with a mandate to tame it.
Courtright sometimes collected and jailed 30 people on a Saturday night, but allowed the gamblers to operate, as they attracted money to the city. After learning that train and stagecoach robbers, such as the Sam Bass gang, were using the area as a hideout, he intensified law enforcement, but certain businessmen advertised against too many restrictions in the area as having bad effects on the legitimate businesses. Gradually, the cowboys began to avoid the area; as businesses suffered, the city moderated its opposition. Courtright lost his office in 1879.[30]
Despite crusading mayors such as H.S. Broiles and newspaper editors such as B. B. Paddock, the Acre survived because it generated income for the city (all of it illegal) and excitement for visitors. Longtime Fort Worth residents claimed the place was never as wild as its reputation, but during the 1880s, Fort Worth was a regular stop on the "gambler's circuit" by Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, and the Earp brothers (Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil).[30] James Earp, the eldest of his brothers, lived with his wife in Fort Worth during this period; their house was at the edge of Hell's Half Acre, at 9th and Calhoun. He often tended bar at the Cattlemen's Exchange saloon in the "uptown" part of the city.[31]
Reforming citizens objected to the dance halls, where men and women mingled; by contrast, the saloons or gambling parlors had primarily male customers.
In the late 1880s, Mayor Broiles and County Attorney R. L. Carlock initiated a reform campaign. In a public shootout on February 8, 1887, Jim Courtright was killed on Main Street by Luke Short, who claimed he was "King of Fort Worth Gamblers".[30] As Courtright had been popular, when Short was jailed for his murder, rumors floated of lynching him. Short's good friend Bat Masterson came armed and spent the night in his cell to protect him.
The first prohibition campaign in Texas was mounted in Fort Worth in 1889, allowing other business and residential development in the area. Another change was the influx of Black and African American residents. Excluded by state segregation from the business end of town and the more costly residential areas, the city's black citizens settled into the southern portion of the city. The popularity and profitability of the Acre declined and more derelicts and the homeless were seen on the streets. By 1900, most of the dance halls and gamblers were gone. Cheap variety shows and prostitution became the chief forms of entertainment. Some progressive politicians launched an offensive to seek out and abolish these perceived "vices" as part of the broader Progressive Era package of reforms.[30]
In 1911, the Reverend J. Frank Norris launched an offensive against racetrack gambling in the Baptist Standard and used the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth to attack vice and prostitution. When he began to link certain Fort Worth businessmen with property in the Acre and announced their names from his pulpit, the battle heated up. On February 4, 1912, Norris's church was burned to the ground; that evening, his enemies tossed a bundle of burning oiled rags onto his porch, but the fire was extinguished and caused minimal damage. A month later, the arsonists succeeded in burning down the parsonage. In a sensational trial lasting a month, Norris was charged with perjury and arson in connection with the two fires. He was acquitted, but his continued attacks on the Acre accomplished little until 1917. A new city administration and the federal government, which was eyeing Fort Worth as a potential site for a major military training camp, joined forces with the Baptist preacher to bring down the final curtain on the Acre.
The police department compiled statistics showing that 50% of the violent crime in Fort Worth occurred in the Acre, which confirmed respectable citizens' opinion of the area. After Camp Bowie (a World War I U.S. Army training installation) was located on the outskirts of Fort Worth in 1917, the military used martial law to regulate prostitutes and barkeepers of the Acre. Fines and stiff jail sentences curtailed their activities. By the time Norris held a mock funeral parade to "bury John Barleycorn" in 1919, the Acre had become a part of Fort Worth history. The name continues to be associated with the southern end of Fort Worth.[32]
In 1921, the whites-only union workers in the Fort Worth, Swift & Co. meatpacking plant in the Niles City Stockyards went on strike. The owners attempted to replace them with black strikebreakers. During union protests, strikebreaker African-American Fred Rouse was lynched on a tree at the corner of NE 12th Street and Samuels Avenue. After he was hanged a white mob riddled his mutilated body with gunshots.[33]
On November 21, 1963, President John F. Kennedy arrived in Fort Worth, speaking the next morning before a breakfast meeting of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, then proceeding to Dallas where he was assassinated later that day.
When oil began to gush in West Texas in the early 20th century, and again in the late 1970s, Fort Worth was at the center of the boom. By July 2007, advances in horizontal drilling technology made vast natural gas reserves in the Barnett Shale available directly under the city,[34] helping many residents receive royalty checks for their mineral rights. Today, the City of Fort Worth and many residents are dealing with the benefits and issues associated with the natural-gas reserves underground.[35][36]
On March 28, 2000, at 6:15 pm, an F3 tornado struck downtown Fort Worth, severely damaging many buildings. One of the hardest-hit structures was the Bank One Tower, which was one of the dominant features of the Fort Worth skyline and which had "Reata," a popular restaurant, on its top floor. It has since been converted to upscale condominiums and officially renamed "The Tower." This was the first major tornado to strike Fort Worth proper since the early 1940s.[37]
From 2000 to 2006, Fort Worth was the fastest-growing large city in the United States;[38] it was voted one of "America's Most Livable Communities".[39] In addition to the reversal migration, many African Americans have been relocating to Fort Worth for its affordable cost of living and job opportunities.[40]
In 2020, Fort Worth's mayor announced the city's continued growth to 20.78%.[41] The U.S. Census Bureau also noted the city's beginning of greater diversification from 2014–2018.[42]
On February 11, 2021, a pileup involving 133 cars and trucks crashed on I-35W due to freezing rain leaving ice. The pileup left at least six people dead and multiple injured.[43][44][45]
Fort Worth is located in North Texas, and has a generally humid subtropical climate.[46] It is part of the Cross Timbers region;[47] this region is a boundary between the more heavily forested eastern parts and the rolling hills and prairies of the central part. Specifically, the city is part of the Grand Prairie ecoregion within the Cross Timbers. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 349.2 square miles (904 km2), of which 342.2 square miles (886 km2) are land and 7.0 square miles (18 km2) are covered by water. It is a principal city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and the second largest by population.
The city of Fort Worth is not entirely contiguous and has several enclaves, practical enclaves, semi-enclaves, and cities that are otherwise completely or nearly surrounded by it, including: Westworth Village, River Oaks, Saginaw, Blue Mound, Benbrook, Everman, Forest Hill, Edgecliff Village, Westover Hills, White Settlement, Sansom Park, Lake Worth, Lakeside, and Haslet.
Fort Worth contains over 1,000 natural-gas wells (December 2009 count) tapping the Barnett Shale.[48] Each well site is a bare patch of gravel 2–5 acres (8,100–20,200 m2) in size. As city ordinances permit them in all zoning categories, including residential, well sites can be found in a variety of locations. Some wells are surrounded by masonry fences, but most are secured by chain link.
A large storage dam was completed in 1914 on the West Fork of the Trinity River, 7 miles (11 km) from the city, with a storage capacity of 33,495 acre feet of water.[49] The lake formed by this dam is known as Lake Worth.
Neighborhoods
Downtown
Downtown Fort Worth consists of numerous districts comprising commercial and retail, residential, and entertainment. Among them, Sundance Square is a mixed-use district and popular for nightlife and entertainment. The Bass Performance Hall is located within Sundance Square. Nearby Upper West Side is also a notable district within downtown Fort Worth. It is bound roughly by Henderson Street to the east, the Trinity River to the west, Interstate 30 to the south, and White Settlement Road to the north. The neighborhood contains several small and mid-sized office buildings and urban residences, but very little retail.
Stockyards
The Fort Worth Stockyards are a National Historic District.[50] The Stockyards was once among the largest livestock markets in the United States and played a vital role in the city's early growth.[51] Today the neighborhood is characterized by its many bars, restaurants, and notable country music venues such as Billy Bob's. Fort Worth celebrity chef Tim Love of Iron Chef America and Top Chef Masters has operated multiple restaurants in the neighborhood.[52][53] There is a mall at the Stockyards Station and a train via Grapevine Vintage Railroad, that connects to downtown Grapevine.[54] Cowtown Coliseum hosts a weekly rodeo and also has the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.[55][56] The world's largest honky tonk is also in the Stockyards at Billy Bob's.[57] At the Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth is the only major city that hosts a daily cattle drive.[58]
Tanglewood
Tanglewood consists of land in the low areas along the branch of the Trinity River and is approximately five miles southwest from the Fort Worth central business district.[59][60] The Tanglewood area lies within two surveys. The western part of the addition is part of the 1854 Felix G. Beasley survey, and the eastern part, along the branch of the river, is the 1876 James Howard survey. The original approach to the Tanglewood area consisted of a two-rut dirt road, which is now Bellaire Drive South. Up to the time of development, children enjoyed swimming in the river in a deep hole that was located where the bridge is now on Bellaire Drive South near Trinity Commons Shopping Center. The portions of Tanglewood that are now Bellaire Park Court, Marquette Court, and Autumn Court were originally a dairy farm.
Architecture
Downtown Fort Worth, with its unique rustic architecture, is mainly known for its Art Deco-style buildings. The Tarrant County Courthouse was created in the American Beaux Arts design, which was modeled after the Texas State Capitol building. Most of the structures around downtown's Sundance Square have preserved their early 20th-century façades. Multiple blocks surrounding Sundance Square are illuminated at night in Christmas lights year-round.
Climate
Fort Worth has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) according to the Köppen climate classification system, and is within USDA hardiness zone 8a.[61] This region features very hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. The hottest month of the year is August, when the average high temperature is 96 °F (35.6 °C), and overnight low temperatures average 75 °F (23.9 °C), giving an average temperature of 85 °F (29.4 °C).[62] The coldest month of the year is January, when the average high temperature is 56 °F (13.3 °C) and low temperatures average 35 °F (1.7 °C).[62] The average temperature in January is 46 °F (8 °C).[62] The highest temperature ever recorded in Fort Worth is 113 °F (45.0 °C), on June 26, 1980, during the Great 1980 Heat Wave, and June 27, 1980.[63] The coldest temperature ever recorded in Fort Worth was −8 °F (−22.2 °C) on February 12, 1899. Because of its position in North Texas, Fort Worth is very susceptible to supercell thunderstorms, which produce large hail and can produce tornadoes.
The average annual precipitation for Fort Worth is 34.01 inches (863.9 mm).[62] The wettest month of the year is May, when an average of 4.58 inches (116.3 mm) of precipitation falls.[62] The driest month of the year is January, when only 1.70 inches (43.2 mm) of precipitation falls.[62] The driest calendar year since records began has been 1921 with 17.91 inches (454.9 mm) and the wettest 2015 with 62.61 inches (1,590.3 mm). The wettest calendar month has been April 1922 with 17.64 inches (448.1 mm), including 8.56 inches (217.4 mm) on April 25.
The average annual snowfall in Fort Worth is 2.6 inches (66.0 mm).[64] The most snowfall in one month has been 13.5 inches (342.9 mm) in February 1978, and the most in a season 17.6 inches (447.0 mm) in 1977/1978.
The National Weather Service office, which serves the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, is based in northeastern Fort Worth.[65]
Climate data for Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1940–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
97 (36) |
96 (36) |
102 (39) |
101 (38) |
107 (42) |
112 (44) |
110 (43) |
112 (44) |
106 (41) |
95 (35) |
90 (32) |
112 (44) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 78.1 (25.6) |
81.1 (27.3) |
86.0 (30.0) |
89.5 (31.9) |
95.5 (35.3) |
99.6 (37.6) |
103.6 (39.8) |
104.3 (40.2) |
99.3 (37.4) |
92.7 (33.7) |
83.2 (28.4) |
78.1 (25.6) |
105.7 (40.9) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.4 (13.6) |
60.5 (15.8) |
68.0 (20.0) |
75.6 (24.2) |
83.5 (28.6) |
91.5 (33.1) |
95.7 (35.4) |
95.9 (35.5) |
88.3 (31.3) |
77.9 (25.5) |
66.2 (19.0) |
57.8 (14.3) |
76.4 (24.7) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) |
49.8 (9.9) |
57.3 (14.1) |
64.7 (18.2) |
73.3 (22.9) |
81.4 (27.4) |
85.1 (29.5) |
85.2 (29.6) |
77.7 (25.4) |
66.9 (19.4) |
55.7 (13.2) |
47.5 (8.6) |
65.9 (18.8) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35.3 (1.8) |
39.1 (3.9) |
46.5 (8.1) |
53.8 (12.1) |
63.1 (17.3) |
71.2 (21.8) |
74.6 (23.7) |
74.5 (23.6) |
67.1 (19.5) |
55.9 (13.3) |
45.3 (7.4) |
37.3 (2.9) |
55.3 (12.9) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 19.9 (−6.7) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
37.6 (3.1) |
49.1 (9.5) |
62.0 (16.7) |
68.8 (20.4) |
66.8 (19.3) |
53.9 (12.2) |
39.7 (4.3) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
16.5 (−8.6) |
Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) |
−2 (−19) |
10 (−12) |
28 (−2) |
38 (3) |
52 (11) |
60 (16) |
58 (14) |
40 (4) |
24 (−4) |
19 (−7) |
10 (−12) |
−2 (−19) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.05 (52) |
2.41 (61) |
3.16 (80) |
3.06 (78) |
4.02 (102) |
4.02 (102) |
2.18 (55) |
2.23 (57) |
2.59 (66) |
4.46 (113) |
2.52 (64) |
2.64 (67) |
35.34 (898) |
Average precipitation days | 7.2 | 6.1 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 9.3 | 7.2 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 7.1 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 79.8 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 186.0 | 169.5 | 217.0 | 240.0 | 248.0 | 300.0 | 341.0 | 310.0 | 240.0 | 217.0 | 180.0 | 186.0 | 2,834.5 |
Percent possible sunshine | 60 | 55 | 58 | 62 | 57 | 71 | 79 | 77 | 67 | 64 | 60 | 60 | 64 |
Average ultraviolet index | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Source 1: National Climatic Data Center[66] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weather Atlas [67] (sunshine data, UV index) |