Support Us Button Widget

Today in FTW history: September 21

Cue Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” and step back in time with these major local headlines.

FTW-skyline-aerial

Let’s take a bird’s eye view of Panther City’s past Septembers.

“Do you remember / The 21st night of September?”

Whether you’re an Earth, Wind & Fire fan or not, you’ve definitely heard this song — usually on repeat through the second half of this month.

We’re looking back at some of the major September 21st headlines throughout Fort Worth’s history. While we’re not pretenders when it comes to news, in these fun highlights, Cowtown never [had] a cloudy day.

1907 | Lehman-Snell Company hosted a major real estate sale, offering 68 lots for $125-$225 each. The 6,250-sqft lots were just one block off the Hemphill Street Car line and could be purchased with just $10 down.

1921 | Panther Park was “besieged by loyal fans” who couldn’t wait to see the opening game of the Dixie Series. Fans lined up seven hours in advance to witness the Panther vs. Chickasaw game that brought in the largest baseball crowd that Fort Worth had seen to date.

1940 | John and Henry Ringling North sent $25 to the Forest Park Zoo to help offset the cost of a baby elephant. The leaders of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus chipped in after they heard a group of local school children were raising money for the animal.

1966 | The Texas Highway Commission ordered the purchase of a 12.6-mile right of way in south Tarrant County. The $2.9 million purchase became the building block for I-20 to connect Fort Worth and Dallas.

1988 | An American Airlines crew saved 88 lives after crash landing at DFW Airport when the jetliner’s landing gear failed to extend. The Boeing 727-700 hit the runway and skidded for one mile at 100 mph — thankfully no one was seriously injured.

2001 | The Amon Carter Museum of Art announced the acquisition of seven major American works by artists John Singer Sargent, Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, Stuart Davis, and Frederic Remington.

2023 | You read this article — and that’s pretty dang good news to us.

More from FTWtoday
Newsletter Editor Elizabeth is celebrating one year at FTWtoday by sharing her favorite local spots, from restaurants and bars to event venues and green spaces.
Learn how to win discounted tickets to see Broadway at the Bass through Broadway Direct.
Over the next 10 days, we’re launching a reader-driven campaign to sustain what we do best.
To help make your entire process at the DFW International Airport as smooth as possible, we’ve created a guide that covers everything from terminals and parking to details on the airport’s 260+ nonstop routes worldwide.
Put a smile on your neighbor’s face with these random acts of kindness.
Make the most of cooler temps by exploring these eight North Texas campsites.
Start your morning right with these must-try bagel spots in Fort Worth, from classic cream-cheese bagels to made-to-order sandwiches.
Election Day is here again — check out this quick breakdown of the constitutional amendment ballot before you head to the polls.
Spoiler alert: Traffic isn’t great. We dove into the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s congestion data so you don’t have to.
Bookmark this guide for a curated list of events taking place each month that we’re most looking forward to.