Tarrant County Historic Resources Survey Mansfield

The deadline was the hour of adjournment of the 1876 Texas legislative session. The Texas and Pacific Railroad was on the edge of losing a fifteen-million-dollar land grant if it failed to complete the track to Fort Worth on time. For the struggling frontier town, the stakes were higher – its very future was on the line. Known as a prairie oasis, Fort Worth had grown into a bustling town during the time when cowboys moving their herds north to market stopped for supplies an da little entertainment and refreshment in the saloons and dance halls before heading out into the hot sun and dusty plains. Business was brisk in these times, but the days of the long trail drive were numbered. "Cowtown" needed a railroad to survive. Construction of the Texas and Pacific line proved difficult and slow. Confidence sagged under debts brought on by a nationwide banking crisis. During the lowest point, a letter to the editor of the Dallas Herald compared Fort Worth to a cemetery. But Fort Worth refused to die. Where the West Begins chronicles this railroad race to Fort Worth and the subsequent rise of "Cowtown" as a livestock center. Completion of the railroad link to Fort Worth also proved a decided asset for Tarrant County, attracting links from more railroads and new industries. The new county would soon be on its way to becoming the successful and prosperous region it is today. Written by Janet L. Schmelzer, Where the West Begins traces Fort Worth's energetic advance from the days of a cattle town through the era of oil and aviation, and today's high technology and finance – while showcasing Tarrant County's pride in its Western heritage and culture. This is the exciting story of a vibrant county and its primary city that unfolds in a dramatic visual adventure. Truly, here is the story of where the West begins.

Texas can boast of many diverse photographic collections--at least 350 in all. Held in public and private institutions, corporations, and governmental agencies, major and minor collections account for more than 100,000 photographs worldwide as well as national and regional interest. This guide to all the major and most of the minor photographic collections in Texas lists each by city; library, museum, or archive; and collection within that institution. For the major collections a statement of purpose gives the institution's nature and the types of material it collects, including nonphotographic materials. Other important information provided by the guide includes: addresses, hours, assistance available, permission fee requirements, and finding aids; statements of scope and listings of the locales represented; listings of the subjects and people pictured in the collections; a bibliography of publications that reproduce the collection's photographs; tables showing the number from each time period of each type of photograph, negative, or album; photographer's names and studios and other corporate identities responsible for the photographs; descriptions of the record groups included in the collections, including reference numbers, titles, subjects, responsible agencies, physical descriptions, and span dates; separate indexes to institutions, subjects, persons, locations, and photographers. This important reference, the only published record of photographic collections in Texas, will be a welcome tool for scholars, research librarians, collectors, and museum curators nationwide.--Cover.

This text explores the natural history of Texas and more than 2900 springs in 183 Texas counties. It also includes an in-depth discussion of the general characteristics of springs - their physical and prehistoric settings, their historical significance, and their associated flora and fauna.

From the humble beginnings of a frontier army camp, Fort Worth transformed into a city as cattle drives, railroads, oil and national defense drove its economy. During the tremendous growth, the landscape and cultural imprint of the city changed drastically, and much of Cowtown was lost to history. Witness the birth of western swing music and the death of a cloud dancer. See mansions of the well-heeled and saloons of the well-armed. Meet two gunfighters, one flamboyant preacher, one serial killer and one very short subway carrying passengers back in time to discover more of Fort Worth. Author Mike Nichols presents a colorful history tour from the North Side to the South Side's Battle of Buttermilk Junction.

An illustrated history of Hunt County, Texas, paired with histories of the local companies.