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FORT WORTH, TEXAS - USA
Fort Worth is the sixth-largest city in the state of Texas, located about 30
miles west of Dallas, Texas and forming part of the Dallas/Fort Worth
Metroplex. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of
534,694. It is the county seat of Tarrant County.
History
Fort Worth started out as a military camp in 1849, named after General
William Jenkins Worth, during the closure of the Mexican-American War. It
was established to protect 19th century settlers from Indian attacks. The
fort then became 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. The hey day of the cattle drives was the wild era of "Hell's
Half Acre," an area of town filled with gambling parlors, saloons, and dance
halls. Later, the railroad transformed the Fort Worth Stockyards into a
premier livestock center. And when oil began to gush in West Texas, Fort
Worth was at the center of the wheeling and dealing.
Fort Worth is portrayed as more old-fashioned and laid-back than Dallas.
Known as "Cowtown" for its rough-and-rowdy roots, Fort Worth still
celebrates its colorful Western heritage today.
Attractions
The Fort Worth Cultural District is home to several excellent museums.
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, founded in 1892, is the oldest art
museum in Texas. Its permanent collection consists of some 2,600 works of
post-war art. In 2002, the museum moved into a new home designed by Japanese
architect Tadao Ando.
The Kimball Art Museum houses works from antiquity to the 20th century.
Artists represented in its holdings include Caravaggio, Fra Angelico,
Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, El Greco, and Rembrandt. The museum's home was
designed by American architect Louis Kahn.
The Amon Carter Museum focuses on 19th and 20th century American artists. It
houses an extensive collection of works by Western artists Frederic
Remington and Charles M. Russell, as well as an impressive collection of
30,000 exhibition-quality photographs. It also includes works by Alexander
Calder, Thomas Cole, Stuart Davis, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, Georgia
O'Keeffe, John Singer Sargent, and Alfred Stieglitz. American architect
Philip Johnson designed the museum's home, including its expansion.
Many large buildings in the city are accompanied by Victorian-style
structures. Fort Worth's downtown has the Sundance Square, named after the
Sundance Kid. The Sundance Square is a 16-block entertainment center for the
city. The Square has buildings with tall windows, as well as brick-paved
streets and sidewalks, and landscaping that many consider to be very
delightful. Many restaurants, nightclubs, boutiques, museums, live theatres,
and art galleries are in the Square.
The Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District is a taste of the old west and
the Chisholm Trail at the site of the historic cattle drives and rail access.
The District is filled with restaurants, clubs, gift shops and attractions
such as daily longhorn cattle drives through the streets, historic
reenactments, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and Billy Bob's, the world's
largest country and western music venue.
The Tandy Center Subway, based in the Tandy Center, operated in Fort Worth
from 1963 to 2002. The 0.7-mile long subway was the only privately operated
subway in the United States.
Economy
Alcon, American Airlines, Americredit, Bombay Company, Burlington Northern
Santa Fe Railway, Carter & Burgess, FUNimation, Pier 1 Imports, Freese and
Nichols Inc (http://www.freese.com), Quicksilver Resources, Radio Shack, and
XTO Energy are headquartered in Fort Worth.
Other major employers include Bell Helicopter Textron, Lockheed Martin, and
Motorola.
Transportation
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport - The largest aviation facility in
Texas; Located between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Alliance Airport
Meacham Field
Trinity Railway Express - Rail service to Dallas
Amtrak - Fort Worth Texas & Pacific (T&P) Station
Free trolley to downtown and historic sites
Education
Texas Christian University
Texas Wesleyan University
UNT Health Science Center
UT Arlington, Fort Worth Campus
Sports
Fort Worth is home to the Fort Worth Cats, a minor league baseball team in
the Central Baseball League, and the Fort Worth Brahmas, a minor league
hockey team in the Central Hockey League.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
774.1 km˛ (298.9 mi˛). 757.7 km˛ (292.5 mi˛) of it is land and 16.4 km˛ (6.3
mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 2.12% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 534,694 people, 195,078 households, and
127,581 families residing in the city. The population density is 705.7/km˛
(1,827.8/mi˛). There are 211,035 housing units at an average density of
278.5/km˛ (721.4/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 59.69% White, 20.26%
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 are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 195,078 households out of which 34.7% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 45.8% are married couples living together, 14.7%
have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% are non-families.
28.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.7% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.67 and the average family size is 3.33.
In the city the population is 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
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100
females there are 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 94.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $37,074, and the median
income for a family is $42,939. Males have a median income of $31,663 versus
$25,917 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,800. 15.9% of
the population and 12.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 21.4% are under the age of 18 and 11.7% are
65 or older.
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