I still can not believe the feeling of standing on the side walk in the Fort Worth Stockyards and watching their 1,200 lb Longhorn steers, 10 of them, each with a horn span of 9-10 ft. Something about their walking those brick streets where many thousand of cattle had trod before making me aware of the aspect of what those herds were like in the 1800s when 1,000 to 2,000 head of cattle were common.
This is the only Stockyards in the World with a single "pen still standing" and considering the fact Fort Worth was 1 of 4 GIANT yards in those days along with Chicago, Omaha, and Kansas City. The others have completely rebuilt over those old pens.
In fact, the TEN OTHER BUILDINGS really help to make this a SUPER SPECTICAL including the buildings including the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum, Exchange Building where the Cowtown Opry gives a free Cowboy Concert each Sun. 2p.m. where you can hear the "cool tumbing weeds" sounds of a very talented group preform each week.
Being a part of the Niles City when the Stockyards was in full scale operations in the early 1900s, it was such a large and successful operation that it was called "Wallstreet of the West" due to the largest amount of money exchanging hands there of any place west of the Mississippi.
The DVD and casset history of these Stockyards narrated by Berry Corbin, of "Northern Exposure" TV show as the Astronaut and "Lonesome Dove" fame gives the best accounts with photos of this unique corner of Texas and the Cattle Industry which is aired on Public Broadcast Channel time to time with many request to show it again.
Fort Worth is completely different than its counterpart in North Texas, Dallas, and the people of "Panther City" are very proud of this difference. In Fort Worth, you will swear you aren't in the 20th largest city in America but some upbeat Texas city on the edge of West Texas where many native Texans prefer to live with a slower pace and where you are a "somebody".
The "Panther City" label was from a reporter from Dallas in the 1940s who was in town for a meeting on a slow, hot summer day and imagined that a panther could have been lying on the side walks in the heat and printed that remark in the newspaper to which the people of Fort Worth have responded by uemploying the "lying Panther" on their fireman and police badges at the top instead of the traditional Eagle with spread wings as most other cities.
The Stockyards were on the verge of being leveled in the 1970s when a couple, the Mc Caffertys decided it was not proper for an important chapter of Fort Worth and Texas history to be bulldozed over after the major impact it had had over the last three forths of a Century and more important the dyamanic impact of changing the cowtown into a "Best City to Live In".
With the early families who were successful in the oil boom in the early part of the 1900s, major donations have created some of America's finest and best known museums in Fort Worth as the Kimble, Amon Carter, Modern Arts, Natural History, National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Cattle Raisers, Bull Ring,
Stockyard Museum, and Convention and Vistors Bureau main office, collection of Doug Harmon.
Recently the Texas Civil War Museum with an excellent collection of both North and South exhibits round out a remarkable assembly of exceptional Museums not including the American Airlines Museum,Texas Rangers Hall of Fame or the National Boy Scout Museum in Irving.
Several Awesome Western Events as the Texas Frontier Forts Muster in late April and the Red Stegal Cowboy Gathering and Wester Swing Dance in late Oct.and Willie Nelson now famous "Summer Picnic" concerts onJuly 4th have made this city where Cowboys meet Culture into a happening place.
Willie's Picnic will be before a outdoor crowd of 20,000 people who are willing to enjoy more music from a group of some 10 groups and great western entertainers for 12 hrs. of consective preformances on 2 giant stages outside Billy Bob's Honky Tonk. For $35. a person you will enjoy more than your share of people watching with great western music as a Bonus Billy Bob's Honky Tonk. For $35. a personFort Worth Stockyards
It is best to stay close to the action, at the Azalea Plantation Bed and Breakfast. The "Best Kept Secret in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex" when in Fort Worth with its location minutes from downtown, Sundance Square, Museums and the Historic Stockyards. The King beds and Jacuzzi tubs for 2 are great but the delicious full buffet breakfast in the elegant dinning room beside the 375 piece Chintz China Collection makes breakfast even grander.
See www.azaleaplantation.com for more details and make your reservation now.Infopop Homepage