Fort Worth, Texas

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City of Fort Worth
—  City  —
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Cowtown[1]; Panther City[1]; "Funkytown"[2] f-dub
Motto: "Where the West begins"[1]
Location of Fort Worth in Tarrant County, Texas
Coordinates: 32°45′26.49″N 97°19′59.45″W / 32.7573583°N 97.3331806°W / 32.7573583; -97.3331806
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Wise[3]
Government
- Mayor	Michael J. Moncrief
Area
- City	298.9 sq mi (774.1 km2)
- Land	292.5 sq mi (757.7 km2)
- Water	6.3 sq mi (16.4 km2)
Elevation	653 ft (216 m)
Population (2009)[4]
- City	720,250 (17th)
- Density	1,827.8/sq mi (705.7/km2)
- Metro	6,145,037
- Demonym	Fort Worthians
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	682, 817
FIPS code	48-27000[5]
GNIS feature ID	1380947[6]
Website	fortworthgov.org

Fort Worth is the seventeenth-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city within the state of Texas.^[7] Located in North Texas and a cultural gateway into the American West, the city covers nearly 300 square miles (780 km²) in Tarrant, Parker, and Denton counties, serving as the county seat for Tarrant County. According to 2009 estimates by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the city has a population of 720,250, with an estimated growth to 750,000 by the 2010 decennial U. S. Census.^[4] The city is the second-largest cultural and economic center of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area (commonly called the Metroplex). Fort Worth and the surrounding Metroplex area offer numerous business opportunities and a wide array of attractions.

Established originally in 1849 as a protective Army outpost situated on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River, the city of Fort Worth today still embraces its western heritage and traditional architecture and design.^[8][9]

Contents 1 History 1.1 The Mexican-American War 1.2 The Fort 1.3 The Town 1.3.1 Panther City 1.4 2000s and the Tornado of 2000 2 Geography and climate 2.1 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Cityscape 4.1 Architecture 5 Culture 5.1 Arts 5.2 Sports and recreation 5.2.1 Colonial National Invitational Golf Tournament 5.2.2 Professional Sports Teams 5.3 Motor Racing 5.4 Media 5.4.1 Radio stations 5.4.1.1 AM 5.4.1.2 FM 5.4.2 Internet Radio Stations and Shows 5.4.3 Television stations 5.4.4 Newspapers 6 Economy 7 Transportation 7.1 Roads 7.2 Airports 7.3 Rail 8 Education 8.1 Public schools 8.2 Private Schools 8.3 Institutes of Higher Education 8.4 Public libraries 9 Sister cities 10 References 11 External links

[edit] History

By the 1840s scores of Americans from the East coast were moving westward. As Ranchers and Settlers from the Eastern states made their way into the area, Native Americans retreated from the North Texas frontier. Meanwhile, tensions mounted between the Republic of Texas and its southern neighbor, Mexico, since Texas' victory over Mexico at San Jacinto in 1836.

[edit] The Mexican-American War

Texas remained an independent Republic for nine years prior to being annexed as the 28th state on December 29, 1845. Less than three months later on March 24, 1846, an American Army commanded by General Zachary Taylor was encamped along the northern banks of the Rio Grande, directly across the river from Mexican soldiers. Within a month, hostilities commenced and a large body of Mexican cavalrymen attacked a patrol of dragoons (soldiers trained to fight on foot, but who transport themselves on horseback) on April 23, 1846. Declaring, "American blood had been shed on American soil", President Polk addressed Congress, who declared war on Mexico.

Major General William Jenkins Worth (1794-1849) was second in command to General Zachary Taylor at the opening of the Mexican-American War in 1846. Born in Hudson, NY, Worth was a tall and commanding figure said to be the best horseman and handsomest man in the Army. He was of a manly, generous nature, and possessed talents that would have won him distinction on any field of action. While leading his troops, Worth personally planted the first American flag on the Rio Grande.

Under General Taylor, Worth conducted negotiations for Mexico's surrender of Matamoros and was entrusted with the assault on the Bishop's Palace in Monterrey, Mexico. The assault on the Bishop's Palace was a hazardous undertaking. Worth and his troops managed to drag their cannon and ammunition over adverse terrain and up sheer cliff faces while under constant heavy enemy fire. Worth passed from post to post during the entire action on horseback escaping personal injury and losing a minimal number of his soldiers.

Worth played a critical role in the capture of Puebla (Mexico's second largest city in 1846) and was one of the first to enter the city of Mexico, where he personally cut down the Mexican flag that waved over the National Palace. At the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, Worth was placed in command of the Department of Texas in 1849.

[edit] The Fort

In January 1849 Worth proposed a line of ten forts to mark the Western Texas frontier from Eagle Pass to the confluence of the West Fork and Clear Fork of the Trinity River. One month later Worth died from cholera. Worth was a well respected and decorated U.S. Army General at the time of his death and a hero of three wars. Fort Worth, Texas; Lake Worth, Texas; Lake Worth, Florida; and Worth County, Georgia are named in his honor.

Upon Worth's death, General William S. Harney assumed command of the Department of Texas and ordered Major Ripley A. Arnold to find a new fort site near the West Fork and Clear Fork. On June 6, 1849, Arnold established a camp on the bank of the Trinity River and named the post Camp Worth in honor of General Worth.

In August 1849 Arnold moved the camp to the North-facing bluff which overlooked the mouth of the Clear Fork of the Trinity River. The U.S. War Department officially named the post Fort Worth on November 14, 1849.

Although Native American attacks were still a threat in the area, pioneers were already settling near the fort. E. S. Terrell (1812–1905) claimed to be the first resident of Fort Worth.^[10] The fort was flooded the first year and moved to the top of the bluff where the courthouse sits today. No trace of the original fort remains.

[edit] The Town

Fort Worth went from a sleepy outpost to a bustling town when it became a stop along the legendary Chisholm Trail, the dusty path where millions of cattle were driven North to market. Fort Worth became the center of the cattle drives, and later, the ranching industry. Its location on the Old Chisholm Trail, helped establish Fort Worth as a trading and cattle center and earned it the nickname "Cowtown."

During the 1860s Fort Worth suffered from the effects of the Civil War, and Reconstruction. The population dropped as low as 175, and money, food, and supply shortages burdened the residents. Gradually, however, the town began to revive.

By 1872 Jacob Samuels, William Jesse Boaz, and William Henry Davis had opened general stores. The next year Khleber M. Van Zandt established Tidball, Van Zandt, and Company, which became Fort Worth National Bank in 1884.

[edit] Panther City

In 1875, the Dallas Herald published an article by a former Fort Worth lawyer, Robert E. Cowart. Mr. Cowart wrote that the decimation of Fort Worth's population, caused by the economic disaster and hard winter of 1873, had dealt a severe blow to the cattle industry. He further stated that the impact on the cattle industry, combined with the railroad stopping the laying of track 30 miles outside of Fort Worth, had caused Fort Worth to become such a drowsy place that he saw a panther asleep in the street by the courthouse. Although an intended insult, the name Panther City was enthusiastically embraced when in 1876 Fort Worth recovered economically.^[11] Many businesses and organizations continue to use Panther in their name. The Fort Worth police have a panther prominently set at the top of their badge.^[12]

In 1876 the Texas & Pacific Railway arrived in Fort Worth causing a boom and transformed the Fort Worth Stockyards into a premier cattle industry and in wholesale trade.^[13] The arrival of the railroad ushered in an era of astonishing growth for Fort Worth as migrants from the devastated war-torn South continued to swell the population and small, community factories and mills yielded to larger businesses. Newly dubbed the nickname, "Queen City of the Prairies", Fort Worth supplied a regional market via the growing transportation network.

Fort Worth became the westernmost railhead and a transit point for cattle shipment. With the city's main focus being on cattle and the railroads, local businessman, Louville Niles, formed the Fort Worth Stockyards Company in 1893. Shortly thereafter, the two biggest cattle slaughtering firms at the time, Armour and Swift, both established operations in the new stockyards.

With the boom times came some problems. Fort Worth had a knack for separating cattlemen from their money. Cowboys took full advantage of their last brush with civilization before the long drive on the Chisholm Trail from Fort Worth up North to Kansas. They stocked up on provisions from local merchants, visited the colorful saloons for a bit of gambling and carousing, then galloped Northward with their cattle and whoop it up again on their way back. The town soon became home to Hell's Half Acre, the biggest collection of bars, dance halls and bawdy houses south of Dodge City, Kansas (the northern terminus of the Chisolm Trail), giving Fort Worth the nickname of "The Paris of the Plains."^[14]

Crime was rampant and certain sections of town were off-limits for proper citizens. Shootings, knifings, muggings and brawls became a nightly occurrence. Cowboys were joined by a motley assortment of buffalo hunters, gunmen, adventurers, and crooks. As the importance of Fort Worth as a crossroads and cowtown grew, so did Hell's Half Acre.

What was originally limited to the lower end of Rusk Street (renamed Commerce Street in 1917) spread out in all directions. By 1881 the Fort Worth Democrat was complaining Hell's Half Acre covered more like 2.5 acres (10,000 m²).

The Acre grew until it sprawled across four of the city's main North-South thoroughfares. These boundaries, which were never formally recognized, represented the maximum area covered by the Acre, around 1900. Occasionally, the Acre was also referred to as "The bloody Third Ward" after it was designated one of the city's three political wards in 1876.

Long before the Acre reached its maximum boundaries, local citizens had become alarmed at the level of crime and violence in their city. In 1876 Timothy Isaiah (Longhair Jim) Courtright was elected City Marshal with a mandate to tame the Acre's wilder activities.

Courtright cracked down on violence and general rowdiness by sometimes putting as many as 30 people in jail on a Saturday night, but allowed the gamblers to operate unmolested. After receiving information that train and stagecoach robbers, such as the Sam Bass gang, were using the Acre as a hideout, local authorities intensified law-enforcement efforts. Yet certain businessmen placed a newspaper advertisement arguing that such legal restrictions in Hell's Half Acre would curtail the legitimate business activities there.

Despite this tolerance from business, however, the cowboys began to stay away, and the businesses began to suffer. City officials muted their stand against vice. Courtright lost support of the Fort Worth Democrat and consequently lost when he ran for reelection in 1879.

Throughout the 1880s and 1890s the Acre continued to attract gunmen, highway robbers, card sharps, con men, and shady ladies, who preyed on out-of-town and local sportsmen.

At one time or another reform-minded mayors like H. S. Broiles and crusading newspaper editors like B. B. Paddock declared war on the district but with no long-term results. The Acre meant income for the city (all of it illegal) and excitement for visitors. This could possibly be why the reputation of the Acre was sometimes exaggerated by raconteurs which longtime Fort Worth residents claimed the place was never as wild as its reputation.

Suicide was responsible for more deaths than murder, and the chief victims were prostitutes, not gunmen. However much its reputation was exaggerated, the real Acre was bad enough. The newspaper claimed "it was a slow night which did not pan out a cutting or shooting scrape among its male denizens or a morphine experiment by some of its frisky females."

The loudest outcries during the periodic clean-up campaigns were against the dance halls, where men and women met, as opposed to the saloons or the gambling parlors, which were virtually all male.

A major reform campaign in the late 1880s was brought on by Mayor Broiles and County Attorney R. L. Carlock after two events. In the first of these, on February 8, 1887, Luke Short and Jim Courtright had a shootout on Main Street that left Courtright dead and Short the "King of Fort Worth Gamblers."

Although the fight did not occur in the Acre, it focused public attention on the city's underworld. A few weeks later a poor prostitute known only by the name of Sally was found murdered and nailed to an outhouse door in the Acre.

These two events, combined with the first prohibition campaign in Texas, helped to shut down the Acre's worst excesses in 1889. More than any other factor, urban growth began to improve the image of the Acre, as new businesses and homes moved into the South end of town.

Another change was the influx of black residents. Excluded from the business end of town and the nicer residential areas, Fort Worth's black citizens, who numbered some 7,000 out of a total population of 50,000 around 1900, settled into the south end of town. Though some joined in the profitable vice trade (to run, for instance, the Black Elephant Saloon), many others found legitimate work and bought homes.

A third change was in the popularity and profitability of the Acre, which was no longer attracting cowboys and out-of-town visitors. Its visible population was more likely to be derelicts, hobos, and bums.

By 1900 most of the dance halls and gamblers were gone. Cheap variety shows and prostitution became the chief forms of entertainment. The Progressive era was similarly making its reformist mark felt in districts like the Acre all over the country.

In 1911 Rev. J. Frank Norris launched an offensive against racetrack gambling in the Baptist Standard and used the pulpit of the First Baptist Church to attack vice and prostitution. Norris used the Acre to scourge the leadership of Fort Worth. When he began to link certain Fort Worth businessmen with property in the Acre and announce their names from his pulpit, the battle heated up.

On February 4, 1912, Norris's church was burned to the ground; that evening his enemies tossed a bundle of burning oiled rags onto his porch, but the fire was extinguished and caused minimal damage. A month later the arsonists succeeded in burning down the parsonage.

In a sensational trial lasting a month, Norris was charged with perjury and arson in connection with the two fires. He was acquitted, but his continued attacks on the Acre accomplished little until 1917. A new city administration and the federal government, which was eyeing Fort Worth as a potential site for a major military training camp, joined forces with the Baptist preacher to bring down the curtain on the Acre finally.

The police department compiled statistics showing that 50 percent of the violent crime in Fort Worth occurred in the Acre, a shocking confirmation of long-held suspicions. After Camp Bowie was located on the outskirts of Fort Worth in the summer of 1917, martial law was brought to bear against prostitutes and barkeepers of the Acre. Fines and stiff jail sentences curtailed their activities. By the time Norris held a mock funeral parade to "bury John Barleycorn" in 1919, the Acre had become a part of Fort Worth history. The name, nevertheless, continued to be used for three decades thereafter to refer to the depressed lower end of Fort Worth.^[15]

[edit] 2000s and the Tornado of 2000

On March 28 2000 at 6:15 PM, an F3 (some estimates claim an F4) tornado smashed through downtown, tearing many buildings into shreds and scrap metal. One of the hardest hit structures was Bank One Tower, which was one of the dominant features of the Fort Worth Skyline and which had on its top floor a popular restaurant. The 'Plywood Skyscraper' and later 'Tin Can Tower', both nicknames coming from what it looked like after failed attempts to repair damage from the tornado, awaited demolition for several years, deemed as unsafe and too cost-prohibitive to revive. It has since been converted to upscale condominiums and officially renamed 'The Tower'. Ironically, despite Fort Worth's location in what is traditionally called "Tornado Alley", this was the first major tornado to strike Fort Worth proper since the early 1940s.^[16]

When oil began to gush in West Texas, Fort Worth was at the center of the wheeling and dealing. In July 2007, advances in horizontal drilling technology made vast natural gas reserves in the Barnett Shale available directly under the city, helping many residents receive royalty checks for their mineral rights.^[17] Today the City of Fort Worth and many residents are dealing with the benefits and issues associated with the natural gas reserves under ground.^{[18] [19]}

Fort Worth was the fastest growing large city in the United States from 2000-2006^[20] and was voted one of "America’s Most Livable Communities."^[21]

[edit] Geography and climate

Fort Worth is located in North Texas and the Southwest, and the South portion of the United States. The DFW Metroplex is the hub of the North Texas region and is the largest landlocked metropolitan area in the world. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 298.9 square miles (774.1 km²). 292.5 square miles (757.7 km²) of it is land and 6.3 square miles (16.4 km²) of it (2.12%) is water.

A large storage dam was built in 1913 on the West Fork of the Trinity River, 7 miles (10 km) from the city, with a storage capacity of 30 billion US gallons (110,000,000 m³) of water. The lake formed by this dam is known as Lake Worth. The cost of the dam was nearly US$1,500,000 - a handsome sum at the time.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Climate

Fort Worth has a humid subtropical climate according to the Köppen climate classification system. The hottest month of the year is July, when the average high temperature is 97 °F (36 °C), and overnight low temperatures average 72 °F (23 °C), giving an average temperature of 84 °F (29 °C)^[22]. The coldest month of the year is January, when the average high temperature is 55 °F (13 °C), and low temperatures average 31 °F (-1 °C)^[22]. The average temperature in January is 43 °F (6 °C)^[22]. The highest temperature ever recorded in Fort Worth is 113 °F (45 °C), on June 26, 1980 and June 27, 1980.^[23] The coldest temperature ever recorded in Fort Worth is -6 °F (-21 °C), on December 24, 1989^[24] Because of its position in North Texas, Fort Worth is very susceptible to supercell thunderstorms, which produce large hail and can produce tornadoes. (See recent history above.)

The average annual precipitation for Fort Worth is 34.01 inches (863.8 mm)^[22]. The wettest month of the year is May, when 4.58 inches (116.3 mm) of precipitation falls.^[22]. The driest month of the year is January, when only 1.70 inches (43.2 mm) of precipitation falls^[22] The average annual snowfall in Fort Worth is very light, only 2.6 inches (66.0 mm)^[25]

Fort Worth's all time high temperature was 113°F (45°C) on June 26-27, 1980 during the Great 1980 Heat Wave,^[26] and the all time low temperature was -1°F (-18°C) on December 24, 1989.^[27]

Weather data for Fort Worth, Texas
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	83 (28)	95 (35)	96 (36)	95 (35)	103 (39)	113 (45)	110 (43)	108 (42)	111 (44)	103 (39)	89 (32)	83 (28)	113 (45)
Average high °F (°C)	54.6 (13)	60.4 (16)	68.4 (20)	75.9 (24)	83.3 (28)	91.5 (33)	96.1 (36)	95.6 (35)	88.4 (31)	78.5 (26)	65.7 (19)	57.1 (14)	76.3 (25)
Daily mean °F (°C)	44.3 (7)	49.6 (10)	57.4 (14)	65.0 (18)	73.2 (23)	81.1 (27)	85.4 (30)	84.8 (29)	77.8 (25)	67.5 (20)	55.4 (13)	46.9 (8)	65.7 (19)
Average low °F (°C)	34.1 (1)	38.7 (4)	46.4 (8)	54.0 (12)	63.0 (17)	70.7 (22)	74.7 (24)	74.1 (23)	67.2 (20)	56.4 (14)	45.1 (7)	36.8 (3)	55.1 (13)
Record low °F (°C)	7 (-14)	7 (-14)	15 (-9)	29 (-2)	41 (5)	54 (12)	59 (15)	59 (15)	43 (6)	29 (-2)	22 (-6)	-1 (-18)	-1 (-18)
Precipitation inches (mm)	1.89 (48)	2.34 (59.4)	2.90 (73.7)	3.28 (83.3)	5.06 (128.5)	3.23 (82)	2.33 (59.2)	2.03 (51.6)	2.53 (64.3)	4.33 (110)	2.55 (64.8)	2.57 (65.3)	35.03 (889.8)
Avg. precipitation days	7.2	6.1	7.5	7.2	9.3	7.2	4.7	4.5	5.8	7.1	6.7	6.5	79.8
Source: National Climatic Data Center[28] Data from 1971-2000

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	6,663		—
1890	23,076		246.3%
1900	26,668		15.6%
1910	73,312		174.9%
1920	106,482		45.2%
1930	163,447		53.5%
1940	177,662		8.7%
1950	278,778		56.9%
1960	356,268		27.8%
1970	393,476		10.4%
1980	385,164		−2.1%
1990	447,619		16.2%
2000	534,694		19.5%
Est. 2009	720,250		34.7%

As of the 2005-2007 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, White Americans made up 61.6% of Fort Worth's population; of which 44.1% were non-Hispanic whites. Blacks or African Americans made up 18.2% of Fort Worth's population; of which 18.0% were non-Hispanic blacks. American Indians made up 0.6% of the city's population; of which 0.4% were non-Hispanic. Asian Americans made up 3.3% of the city's population; of which 3.2% were non-Hispanic. Pacific Islander Americans made up less than 0.1% of the city's population. Individuals from some other race made up 14.6% of the city's population; of which 0.2% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races made up 1.7% of the city's population; of which 1.0% were non-Hispanic. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos made up 33.2% of Fort Worth's population.^[29][30]

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 534,694 people, 195,078 households, and 127,581 families residing in the city. The July 2004 census estimates have placed Fort Worth in the top 20 most populous cities (# 19) in the U.S. with the population at 604,538.^[31] Fort Worth is also in the top 5 cities with the largest numerical increase from July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004 with 17,872 more people or a 3.1% increase.^[32] The population density was 1,827.8 people per square mile (705.7/km²). There were 211,035 housing units at an average density of 721.4/sq mi (278.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.69% White, 20.26% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 14.05% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. 29.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 195,078 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau. Of 195,078 households, 9,599 are unmarried partner households: 8,202 heterosexual, 676 same-sex male, and 721 same-sex female households.

28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,074, and the median income for a family was $42,939. Males had a median income of $31,663 versus $25,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,800. About 12.7% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Fort Worth stands as the ninth-safest U.S. city among those with a population over 500,000 in 2006.^[33]

[edit] Cityscape

[edit] Architecture

Downtown is mainly known for its art deco style buildings. The Tarrant County Courthouse was created in the American Beaux Arts Design, which was modeled after the Texas Capitol Building, and most buildings around Sundance Square have preserved their early 20th-century façcades.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Arts

Theatre
Bass Performance Hall, Casa Mañana, Jubilee Theater, Circle Theatre, Hip Pocket Theatre, Stage West

Museums
Kimbell, Amon Carter, Science and History, Texas Cowgirl, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Stockyards

Music
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Billy Bob's, Texas Ballet Theater, and Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (Bass Hall), Fort Worth Opera (Scott Theater), Live Eclectic Music (Ridglea Theater^[34])

[edit] Sports and recreation

While much of Fort Worth's sports attention is focused on the Metroplex's professional sports teams, the city does have its own athletic identity. TCU competes in NCAA Division I Athletics, including the football team that is consistently ranked in the Top 25, the baseball team has competed in the last six NCAA Tournaments and came within a win of making the College World Series in 2009. The women's basketball team that has competed in the last seven NCAA Tournaments. Texas Wesleyan University competes in the NAIA, and were the 2006 NAIA Div. I Men's Basketball champions and three-time National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) team champions (2004-2006). Fort Worth is also home to the NCAA football Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl as well as four minor-league professional sports teams. One of these minor league teams, the Fort Worth Cats baseball team, were reborn in 2001. The original Cats were a very popular minor league team in Fort Worth from the 19th century (when they were called the Panthers) until 1960, when the team was merged into the Dallas Rangers.

[edit] Colonial National Invitational Golf Tournament

Fort Worth also hosts one of the most important professional men's golf tournaments every May at The Colonial Country Club. The Colonial Invitational Golf Tournament, now officially known as Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, is often referred to as the "Fifth Major" in men's professional golf, and is one of the most prestigious and historical events of the Tour calendar. The Colonial Country Club was the home course of golfing legend Ben Hogan, who was from Fort Worth.

[edit] Professional Sports Teams

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Venue
Fort Worth Cats	Baseball	2001	AAIPBL	LaGrave Field
Fort Worth Flyers	Basketball	2005	NBA Development League	Fort Worth Convention Center

[edit] Motor Racing

Ft. Worth has the Texas Motor Speedway (also known as "The Great American Speedway"), a NASCAR track located in the far north part of the city in Denton County. Also, the Indycar Series has raced here since 1997 in a race called the Bombardier Learjet 550.

[edit] Media

Fort Worth shares its media market with the city of Dallas.

[edit] Radio stations

There are many radio stations in and around Fort Worth, with many different formats.

[edit] AM

On the AM dial, like in all other markets, political talk radio is prevalent, with WBAP 820, KLIF 570, KSKY 660, KRLD 1080, KVCE 1160 the conservative talk stations serving Fort Worth and KMNY 1360 the sole progressive talk station serving the city. KFXR 1190 is an all-news station. Sports talk can be found on KTCK 1310 ("The Ticket").

There are also several religious stations on AM in the Dallas/Fort Worth area; KHVN 970 and KGGR 1040 are the local urban gospel stations and KKGM 1630 has a Southern gospel format.

Fort Worth's Spanish speaking population is served by many stations on AM:

• KDFT 540
• KFJZ 870
• KHFX 1140
• KFLC 1270
• KTNO 1440
• KNIT 1480
• KZMP 1540
• KRVA 1600

There are also a few mixed Asian language stations serving Fort Worth:

• KHSE 700
• KTXV 890
• KZEE 1220

Other formats found on the Fort Worth AM dial are Radio Disney KMKI 620, urban KKDA 730, business talk KJSA 1120, country station KCLE 1460.

[edit] FM

Non-commercial stations serve the city fairly well. There are three college stations that can be heard--KTCU 88.7, KCBI 90.9, and KNTU 88.1, with a variety of programming. There is also local NPR station KERA 90.1, along with community station KNON 89.3. Downtown Fort Worth also host the Texas Country radio station 95.9 The Ranch.

A wide variety of commercial formats, mostly music, are on the FM dial in Fort Worth, also.

See also: Template:Dallas Fort Worth Radio.

[edit] Internet Radio Stations and Shows

When local radio station KOAI 107.5 FM, now KMVK, dropped its smooth jazz format, fans set up an internet radio station to broadcast smooth jazz for disgruntled fans.

There are a couple internet radio shows in the Fort Worth area, like DFDubbIsHot and The Broadband Brothers.

[edit] Television stations

KXAS - NBC5, KTVT - CBS11, KTXA - Independent WFAA - ABC8

[edit] Newspapers

Fort Worth has one newspaper published daily, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Star-Telegram is the forty-fifth most widely circulated newspaper in the United States, with a daily circulation of 210,990 and a Sunday circulation of 304,200.

The Fort Worth Weekly is an alternative weekly newspaper that serves the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The newspaper has an approximate circulation of 50,000[1]. The Fort Worth Weekly publishes every Wednesday and features, among many things, news reporting, cultural event guides, movie reviews, and editorials.

Fort Worth Business Press is a weekly publication that chronicles news in the Fort Worth business community. Fort Worth, Texas magazine is a monthly publication that highlights the social and cultural life of the city.

The "Fort Worth Press" was a daily newspaper, published weekday afternoons and on Saturdays from 1900 until 1975. It was owned by the E.W. Scripps Company and published under the then prominent Scripps-Howard Lighthouse logo. The paper reportedly last made money in the early 1950s. Scripps Howard stayed with the paper until mid 1975. Circulation had dwindled to fewer than 30,000 daily, just more than 10 percent of that of the Fort Worth Star Telegram. The name "Fort Worth Press" was resurrected briefly in a new "Fort Worth Press" paper operated by then former publisher Bill McAda and briefer still by William Dean Singleton, then owner of the weekly Azle (Texas) News, now owner of the Media Central news group. The Fort Worth Press operated from offices and presses at 500 Jones street in downtown Fort Worth.

[edit] Economy

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American Airlines and AMR Corporation are headquartered in Fort Worth.^[35] American finished moving into its $150 million (1983 dollars), 550,000 square feet (51,000 m²) facility in Fort Worth on January 17, 1983; $147 million in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport bonds financed the headquarters. The airline began leasing the facility from the airport, which owns the facility.^[36]

Other companies headquartered in Fort Worth include:

• Acme Brick
• Airforce Airguns
• Alcon (US Headquarters)
• American IronHorse
• AmeriCredit
• Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company
• Bell Helicopter Textron
• Ben E. Keith
• Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.
• Cash America International
• Consolidated Robotics
• Coria Laboratories, Ltd.
• Dickies
• Dunlaps
• D.R. Horton
• Enterhost
• First Command Financial Planning, Inc.
• Freese and Nichols
• Galderma Laboratories (US Headquarters)
• Gearhart
• Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
• RadioShack
• Rahr and Sons Brewing Company
• Revomatica
• RPM
• Pier 1 Imports
• ScrewAttack Entertainment LLC
• Sabre Holdings
• TPG Capital, L.P.
• TTI, Inc.
• XTO Energy

[edit] Transportation

The Main mode of transportation throughout Fort Worth is by automobile. However the city does maintain a bus and train service. The Tre, is a train service that runs between Fort Worth and Dallas. Public transportation is known as The T.

[edit] Roads

Fort Worth is served by four Interstates and two US highways. It also contains a number of arterial streets in a grid formation.

Interstates 30, 20, 35W, and 820 all reside within city limits.

Interstate 820 is a spur of Interstate 20 and serves as a beltway for the city, Interstate 30 and Interstate 20 connect Fort Worth to Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Dallas. Interstate 35W Connects Fort Worth to Hillsboro to the south and the cities of Denton and Gainesville to the north.

U.S. Route 287 runs southeast through the city connecting Wichita Falls to the north and Mansfield to the south. U.S. Route 377 runs south through the northern suburbs of Haltom City and Keller through the central business district.

Notable highways are: Texas State Highway 114 (East-West) Texas State Highway 183 (East-West) Texas State Highway 121 (North-South) (List of Dallas-Fort Worth area freeways)

[edit] Airports

• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
• Fort Worth Alliance Airport
• Fort Worth Meacham International Airport
• Fort Worth Spinks Airport
• Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth

[edit] Rail

• Trinity Railway Express - Rail service to Dallas
• Amtrak - Heartland Flyer & Texas Eagle lines at Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center

Public Transportation

• The T - Bus service for Fort Worth
• Molly the Trolley - free bus service encircles Sundance Square.
• Trolley to downtown and historic sites by The T
• There have been talks of a streetcar system. It should begin operation in the near future.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Education

This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this article to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (February 2007)

[edit] Public schools

Most of Fort Worth is served by Fort Worth Independent School District.

Other school districts that serve portions of Fort Worth include:

• Azle Independent School District
• Birdville Independent School District
• Burleson Independent School District
• Castleberry Independent School District
• Crowley Independent School District
• Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District
• Everman Independent School District
• Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District
• Keller Independent School District
• Kennedale Independent School District
• Lake Worth Independent School District
• Northwest Independent School District
• White Settlement Independent School District

The portion of Fort Worth within the Arlington Independent School District contains a wastewater plant. No residential areas are in the portion.

Pinnacle Academy of the Arts (K-12) is a state charter school.

[edit] Private Schools

• All Saints Episcopal School (K-12)
• Azle Christian Schools (K-12)
• Bethesda Christian School (K-12)
• Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy (PreK-12)
• Covenant Classical School (K-12)
• Fort Worth Academy (K-8)
• Fort Worth Country Day School (K-12)
• Fort Worth Christian School (K-12)
• Key School, Inc. (1-12)
• Lake Country Christian School (K-12)
• Nolan Catholic High School
• Southwest Christian School (K-12)
• Trinity Valley School (K-12)
• Temple Christian School (K-12)
• Trinity Christian Academy (K-12)
• Hill School of Fort Worth (2-12)
• Christian Life Preparatory School (K-12)

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth oversees several Catholic elementary and middle schools.^[37]

• The Katie Brown School for Special Needs (PreK-12)
• The Nazarene Christian Academy (K-12)
• Calvary Christian Academy - (K-12) (Accredited)

[edit] Institutes of Higher Education

• Texas Christian University
• Brite Divinity School (TCU)
• College of Saint Thomas More
• Tarrant County College
• Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
• Texas Wesleyan University
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
• University of Texas at Arlington, Fort Worth campus

[edit] Public libraries

Fort Worth Library is the public library system.

[edit] Sister cities

Fort Worth is a part of the Sister Cities International program and maintains cultural and economic exchange programs with its 7 sister cities.^[38]

• Reggio Emilia, Italy (1985)
• Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan (1987)
• Trier, Germany (1987)
• Bandung, Indonesia (1990)
• Budapest, Hungary (1990)
• Toluca, Mexico (1998)
• Mbabane, Swaziland (2004)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• City Government Website
• Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
• Fort Worth Library
• Downtown Fort Worth news and information
• Vision FW
• Fort Worth Business Press
• Fort Worth Architecture
• The Jack White Collection of Historic Fort Worth Photos
• Fort Worth Sister Cities
• Sundance Square
• Fort Worthology
• West And Clear
• Fort Worth, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Historic Fort Worth materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
• Dallas/Fort Worth Area Tourism Council

v • d • e Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Counties Collin • Dallas • Delta • Denton • Ellis • Hunt • Johnson • Kaufman • Parker • Rockwall • Tarrant • Wise Major cities Dallas • Fort Worth • Arlington Cities and towns 100k-300k Carrollton • Denton • Frisco • Garland • Grand Prairie • Irving • McKinney • Mesquite • Plano • Richardson Cities and towns 25k-99k Allen • Bedford • Cedar Hill • Cleburne • The Colony • Coppell • DeSoto • Duncanville • Euless • Farmers Branch • Flower Mound • Grapevine • Haltom City • Highland Village • Hurst • Keller • Lancaster • Lewisville • Mansfield • North Richland Hills • Rockwall • Rowlett • Wylie Cities and towns 10k-25k Addison • Balch Springs • Benbrook • Burleson • Colleyville • Corinth • Ennis • Forest Hill • Greenville • Saginaw • Seagoville • Southlake • Terrell • University Park • Watauga • Waxahachie • Weatherford • White Settlement

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Tarrant County, Texas County seat: Fort Worth Cities Arlington | Azle‡ | Bedford | Benbrook | Blue Mound | Burleson‡ | Colleyville | Crowley‡ | Dalworthington Gardens | Euless | Everman | Forest Hill | Fort Worth‡ | Grand Prairie‡ | Grapevine‡ | Haltom City | Haslet‡ | Hurst | Keller | Kennedale | Lake Worth | Mansfield‡ | Newark‡ | North Richland Hills | Pelican Bay | Reno‡ | Richland Hills | River Oaks | Saginaw | Sansom Park | Southlake‡ | Watauga | Westworth Village | White Settlement Towns Edgecliff Village | Flower Mound‡ | Lakeside | Pantego | Trophy Club‡ | Westlake‡ | Westover Hills CDPs Briar‡ | Eagle Mountain | Pecan Acres‡ | Rendon Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Denton County, Texas County seat: Denton Cities Argyle | Aubrey | Carrollton‡ | Celina‡ | Coppell‡ | Corinth | Dallas‡ | Denton | Fort Worth‡ | Frisco‡ | Grapevine‡ | Haslet‡ | Highland Village | Justin | Krugerville | Krum | Lake Dallas | Lakewood Village | Lewisville‡ | Oak Point | Pilot Point | Plano‡ | Roanoke | Sanger | Southlake‡ | The Colony Towns Bartonville | Copper Canyon | Corral City | Cross Roads | DISH | Double Oak | Flower Mound‡ | Hackberry | Hebron‡ | Hickory Creek | Lincoln Park | Little Elm | Northlake | Ponder | Prosper‡ | Shady Shores | Trophy Club‡ | Westlake‡ Unincorporated communities Bolivar | Elizabethtown | Lantana | Navo | Paloma Creek | Providence Village | Savannah Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Wise County, Texas County seat: Decatur Cities Aurora | Bridgeport | Chico | Decatur | Fort Worth‡ | Lake Bridgeport | New Fairview | Newark‡ | Paradise | Rhome | Runaway Bay Towns Alvord | Boyd CDPs Briar‡ | Pecan Acres‡ Unincorporated communities Greenwood | Slidell Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v • d • e   State of Texas Austin (capital) Topics Architecture | Climate | Culture | Demographics | Economy | Education | Geography | Government | History | Languages | Literature | Politics | Sports | Texans | Transportation | Symbols | Visitor Attractions Regions Ark‑La‑Tex | Big Bend | Blackland Prairies | Brazos Valley | Central Texas | Coastal Bend | Cross Timbers | Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex | Deep East Texas | East Texas | Edwards Plateau | Galveston Bay | Golden Triangle | Greater Houston | Hill Country | Llano Estacado | Longview–Marshall | Northeast Texas | North Texas | Osage Plains | Panhandle | Permian Basin | Piney Woods | Rio Grande Valley | Southeast Texas | South Plains | South Texas | West Texas Metropolitan areas Abilene | Amarillo | Austin–Round Rock | Beaumont–Port Arthur | Brownsville–Harlingen | College Station–Bryan | Corpus Christi | Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington | El Paso | Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown | Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood | Laredo | Longview | Lubbock | McAllen–Edinburg–Mission | Midland | Odessa | San Angelo | San Antonio | Sherman–Denison | Texarkana | Tyler | Victoria | Waco | Wichita Falls Counties See: Table of Texas counties  or List

v • d • e 50 most populous cities of the United States     New York Los Angeles Chicago Houston Phoenix Philadelphia San Antonio Dallas San Diego San Jose Detroit San Francisco Jacksonville Indianapolis Austin Columbus Fort Worth Charlotte Memphis Baltimore El Paso Boston Milwaukee Denver Seattle Nashville Washington Las Vegas Portland Louisville Oklahoma City Tucson Atlanta Albuquerque Fresno Sacramento Long Beach Mesa Kansas City Omaha Cleveland Virginia Beach Miami Oakland Raleigh Tulsa Minneapolis Colorado Springs Honolulu Arlington

v • d • e Texas county seats A Abilene · Albany · Alice · Alpine · Amarillo · Anahuac · Anderson · Andrews · Angleton · Anson · Archer City · Aspermont · Athens · Austin B Baird · Ballinger · Bandera · Bastrop · Bay City · Beaumont · Beeville · Bellville · Belton · Benjamin · Big Lake · Big Spring · Boerne · Bonham · Boston · Brackettville · Brady · Breckenridge · Brenham · Brownfield · Brownsville · Brownwood · Bryan · Burnet C Caldwell · Cameron · Canadian · Canton · Canyon · Carrizo Springs · Carthage · Center · Centerville · Channing · Childress · Clarendon · Clarksville · Claude · Cleburne · Coldspring · Coleman · Colorado City · Columbus · Comanche · Conroe · Cooper · Corpus Christi · Corsicana · Cotulla · Crane · Crockett · Crosbyton · Crowell · Crystal City · Cuero D Daingerfield · Dalhart · Dallas · Decatur · Del Rio · Denton · Dickens · Dimmitt · Dumas E Eagle Pass · Eastland · Edinburg · El Paso · Eldorado · Emory F Fairfield · Falfurrias · Farwell · Floresville · Floydada · Fort Davis · Fort Stockton · Fort Worth · Franklin · Fredericksburg G Gail · Gainesville · Galveston · Garden City · Gatesville · George West · Georgetown · Giddings · Gilmer · Glen Rose · Goldthwaite · Goliad · Gonzales · Graham · Granbury · Greenville · Groesbeck · Groveton · Guthrie H Hallettsville · Hamilton · Haskell · Hebbronville · Hemphill · Hempstead · Henderson · Henrietta · Hereford · Hillsboro · Hondo · Houston · Huntsville J Jacksboro · Jasper · Jayton · Jefferson · Johnson City · Jourdanton · Junction K Karnes City · Kaufman · Kermit · Kerrville · Kingsville · Kountze L La Grange · Lamesa · Lampasas · Laredo · Leakey · Levelland · Liberty · Linden · Lipscomb · Littlefield · Livingston · Llano · Lockhart · Longview · Lubbock · Lufkin M Madisonville · Marfa · Marlin · Marshall · Mason · Matador · McKinney · Memphis · Menard · Mentone · Meridian · Mertzon · Miami · Midland · Monahans · Montague · Morton · Mount Pleasant · Mount Vernon · Muleshoe N Nacogdoches · New Braunfels · Newton O Odessa · Orange · Ozona P Paducah · Paint Rock · Palestine · Palo Pinto · Panhandle · Paris · Pearsall · Pecos · Perryton · Pittsburg · Plains · Plainview · Port Lavaca · Post Q Quanah · Quitman R Rankin · Raymondville · Refugio · Richmond · Rio Grande City · Robert Lee · Roby · Rockport · Rocksprings · Rockwall · Rusk S San Angelo · San Antonio · San Augustine · San Diego · San Marcos · San Saba · Sanderson · Sarita · Seguin · Seminole · Seymour · Sherman · Sierra Blanca · Silverton · Sinton · Snyder · Sonora · Spearman · Stanton · Stephenville · Sterling City · Stinnett · Stratford · Sulphur Springs · Sweetwater T Tahoka · Throckmorton · Tilden · Tulia · Tyler U, V, W Uvalde · Van Horn · Vega · Vernon · Victoria · Waco · Waxahachie · Wellington · Wharton · Wheeler · Wichita Falls · Woodville

v • d • e Mayors of cities with populations of 100,000 in Texas     Bill White (Houston) Julian Castro (San Antonio) Tom Leppert (Dallas) Lee Leffingwell (Austin) Mike Moncrief (Fort Worth) John Cook (El Paso) Robert Cluck (Arlington) Joe Adame (Corpus Christi) Phil Dyer (Plano) Raul Gonzalez Salinas (Laredo) Tom Martin (Lubbock) Ronald E. Jones (Garland) Herbert A. Gears (Irving) Debra McCartt (Amarillo) Pat Ahumada (Brownsville) Charles England (Grand Prairie) Johnny Isbell (Pasadena) John Monaco (Mesquite) Richard F. Cortez (McAllen) Ron Branson (Carrollton) Virginia DuPuy (Waco) Bill Whitfield (McKinney) Mark Burroughs (Denton) Timothy L. Hancock (Killeen) Norm Archibald (Abilene) Becky Ames (Beaumont) Wes Perry (Midland) Alan McGraw (Round Rock) Dean Ueckert (Lewisville) Bill Keffler (Richardson) Lanham Lyne (Wichita Falls)