Did you know Fort Worth is also called “Cowtown?”
Nah, just kidding. If you know us, you know we’re here for the deep cuts — and there’s plenty of interesting factoids to go around. As connoisseurs of the quirky and unconventional, we put together a list of Fort Worth’s history, oddest characteristics, and more. Maybe you’ve lived here your whole life and know some of this, or maybe you’ll learn something new.
Either way, test your local knowledge with these 15 interesting facts.
1. The City of Fort Worth began as Camp Worth on the bank of the Trinity River in 1849. Camp Worth was named for Mexican-American War hero Gen. William Jenkins Worth.
2. One of Bonnie and Clyde’s hideouts from the law was the historic Stockyards Hotel in Fort Worth. It is now one of the city’s most haunted spots.
3. USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) is the first ship of the United States Navy named after the city. It was commissioned in 2012 and recently saved from decommissioning.
4. Texas pink granite was used to build the Tarrant County Courthouse in 1895. It was modeled after the Texas State Capitol with the exception of the clock tower.
5. The biggest private Civil War collection is in the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth. It is also the most comprehensive collection west of the Mississippi River.
6. Fort Worth contains over 1,000 natural gas wells. This is due to the Barnett Shale, an underground reserve that contains 55 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and stretches across 15 counties.
7. There are three museums that celebrate the city’s cattle industry heritage: The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Cattle Raisers Museum.
8. On Sept. 21, 1908, the Palace Theater Light Bulb began burning as a backstage light at the Old Byers Opera House. It continues to burn today at the Stockyards Museum. Known as the “Light Bulb Methuselah,” it is the world’s second oldest continuously burning light bulb.
9. The city’s highest recorded temperature was 115º F (46º C) on August 11, 1936 and June 26, 1980.
10. Fort Worth was awarded the No. 18 best city for Hispanic entrepreneurs by Fortune magazine in 2018.
11. The city continues its cattle connection with a free twice-daily cattle drive in the Stockyards. At 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day, Texas cowhands drive a herd of Texas longhorns down Exchange Avenue.
12. Hyde Park is the oldest park in Fort Worth, established in 1873. But it is younger than Pendry’s World of Chiles and Spices, which was established in 1870.
13. Fort Worth has nine sister cities: Reggio Emilia, Italy; Nagaoka, Japan; Trier, Germany; Bandung, Indonesia; Budapest, Hungary; Toluca, Mexico; Mbabane, Eswatini; Guiyang, China + Nîmes, France.
14. The Kimbell Art Museum features works by El Greco, Cezanne, Rembrandt, Picasso, and Matisse. The museum recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. See what’s on display.
15. About 60% of the paper money in the US is printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Fort Worth.
Your turn. Let us know your favorite local trivia tidbit and you just might make it into the newsletter.
