Attention history buffs and fun fact fanatics — today we are highlighting some of the oldest destinations in Fort Worth. Whether you’ve lived here your entire life or are new to the city, knowing these five local spots will make you a Cowtown OG.
Store
Pendery’s World of Chiles and Spices | Est. 1870
Started by DeWitt Clinton Pendery, the original seasonings were distributed by horse-drawn stagecoach. Now a fixture in the Medical District, Pendery’s (1407 8th Ave.) is still selling its signature “Chiltomaline,” a combination of ground chile pods, cumin, oregano, and spices.
Park
Hyde Park | Est. 1873
Set in the middle of downtown, Hyde Park (201 W. 9th St.) was founded by Sarah Gray Jennings in memory of her parents + is the home of the iconic “Sleeping Panther” statue, snoozing over a star fountain.
Honky-tonk
White Elephant Saloon | Est. 1890
Originally opened in Hell’s Half Acre, the White Elephant Saloon (106 E. Exchange Ave.) moved to the Stockyards in the 1970s. The bar has a legendary history of showdowns as the site of Fort Worth’s last gunfight between corrupt Sheriff Longhair Jim Courtright and saloon owner Luke Short.
House
M.A. Benton House | Built 1898
The Victorian cottage at 1730 6th Ave. is one of the oldest homes in Fort Worth. It is still owned by descendants of the Benton family and was designated a Texas Historic Landmark in 1981. Pro tip: this home is not open to the public. Please be courteous when driving by.
Restaurant
The Original Mexican Eats Cafe | Est. 1926
“The Original” (4713 Camp Bowie Blvd.) was opened by the Pineda family and has served up fresh Tex-Mex for five generations. In the 1930s President Franklin D. Roosevelt frequented the cafe on the bricks, earning himself the “Roosevelt Special,” an enchilada-taco-chalupa combo that is still on the menu.
Lightbulb
The Palace Lightbulb is the second-longest burning light bulb in the world — only seven years behind the Centennial Bulb in California. The bulb began burning Sept. 21, 1908 at the Byers Opera House (which became the Palace Theater in 1919). It seemed this long-burning light would extinguish in 1977 when the theater was slated for demolition, but it was saved by a man named George Dato.
The Stockyards Museum acquired the bulb from Dato in 1991 where it continues to burn, albeit in a glass case. See it for yourself at 131 E. Exchange — tickets are $2.
