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Overview
Originally established in 1849 as an army fort alongside the Trinity River, one of a series of encampments designed to delineate west Texas borders and protect against attacks by Native Americans, the young city nearly vanished after the Civil War. But it soon became a stop on the Chisholm Trail, as cowboys drove cattle to Abilene and Kansas stockyards. In 1876 the Texas and Pacific Railway arrived and with it came thousands of people from the East. Seemingly overnight, Fort Worth became the hub of cattle trade in the west, with transient cowboys a major portion of its population. Saloons, bordellos and dance halls sprang up in abundance and were attractive not only to rough-and-ready cattle drivers but to a sundry variety of thieves, con-men, traders, gamblers and adventure-seekers as well. Hell's Half Acre had been born. Crime rates were alarmingly high, but by about 1900 the novelty had run its course and the only residents of and visitors to the district were nefarious characters up to no good. The arrival of a military training camp in 1917 put a quick end to the shenanigans, and a new, more respectable Fort Worth emerged.
The early-days reputation would plague the city for decades, but in the meantime it developed a noteworthy arts scene. It may have started out as a tired army outpost and wild cowtown, but today it's the 17th largest city in the country and is just as cosmopolitan as the 16 ahead of it.
Indeed, the former Hell's Half Acre is now Sundance Square, a restored 14-block area of upscale dining, shopping, and entertainment named for the Sundance Kid. And the erstwhile Fort Worth Stockyards have been successfully converted into a wildly popular tourist attraction with Old West museums, daily cattle drives, rodeos every weekend, and good times at landmark bars and restaurants like Billy Bob's and Rodeo Exchange.
World-class museums around town celebrate Western and modern art, science, natural history, even cowgirls; there are five museums in the Cultural District alone, with several others scattered around the city. Top-notch cultural venues include Bass Performance Hall, hosting symphony and pop music concerts, Broadway shows, and ballet and dance troupes from around the world, and the Will Rogers Memorial Center, which schedules an amazing variety of equestrian events. And while Fort Worth doesn't have a counterpart for the Dallas Cowboys, it does offer year-round opportunities for sports enthusiasts, from PGA tour golf to professional rodeo to NASCAR racing to minor league baseball.
Great family attractions make it an ideal destination for spring break or summer vacations, too. In addition to the daily entertainment at the Stockyards, modern-day Fort Worth is home to a renowned zoo, impressive botanic gardens, a village of 1850s era log cabins and fun parks. Nearby Arlington draws crowds with Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor and Rangers Ballpark. And if you're thinking about day trips, Glen Rose (about an hour's drive southwest) captivates budding paleontologists and naturalists with Dinosaur Valley State Park, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and Dino World.
With its engaging variety of historic and modern attractions and Texas-sized hospitality, Fort Worth aims to please. And it succeeds.
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