Fort Worth History

Fort Worth was founded as a military camp in 1849 and named after General Jenkins Worth. The fort was established to protect 19th century settlers from Indian attacks. It grew into a bustling town when it became a stop along the Chisholm Trail. Fort Worth became the center of cattle drives and the ranching industry.

The heyday of the cattle drives was known as Hell's Half Acre, an area of town filled with gambling parlors, saloons, and dance halls. In 1876, the Texas & Pacific Railway connected Fort Worth and transformed the Fort Worth Stockyards into a premier livestock center. When oil was discovered in Texas, Fort Worth was in the middle of it all.

Today, the city is portrayed as more old-fashioned and laid back than its neighbor, 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."

In more recent years, Fort Worth has been referred to as "Funky Town" by mostly urbanites.

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