Fort Worth Historical
On June 6, 1849, General William Jenkins Worth — a veteran of the Mexican-American War, who served under future president Zachary Taylor — set up camp about 1,000 feet west of where the Tarrant County Courthouse now stands.
The purpose of the camp, initially called Camp Worth but later renamed Fort Worth by the U.S. War Department, was to protect east Texas settlements from raids by Native Americans. Despite the camp’s purpose, four years went by with no major battles, so the outpost was abandoned, and the citizens who grew up around the camp took over empty buildings, clinics, schools, stores, and hotels — transforming the rough and tumble base into a presentable town. These citizens unknowingly planted the seed to the great city of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth’s first boom happened in 1867 when millions of longhorns were driven through town by way of the Chisholm Trail. The Pacific Railway increased cattle traffic, and by 1900, Fort Worth was one of the largest cattle markets in the world — resulting in the popular nickname “Cowtown.” Thanks to industries as diverse as meat packing, steel and flower mills, aircraft plants, and military bases, growth steadily continued and helped increase Fort Worth’s population and stature within the state.
Even during the peaks of these booms, the people of Fort Worth preferred a calmer way of life. After the infamous comment made by a Dallas attorney that Fort Worth was such a sleepy town that he saw a panther asleep undisturbed by the rush of men or the hum of trade, the panther was embraced as a symbol of the city and led to yet another nickname: “Panther City.”
Having more than its fair share of monikers, Fort Worth developed many other nicknames over time, including the lesser known “Queen City of the Prairies” and “Young Giant.” So where exactly does the East end and the West begin? Well, that’s debatable. And, for some states, the answer is a bit contentious.
Technically, Kansas City is on the dividing line between the east and the west, but the Salt Lake Tribune felt the West begins at the “Mississippi River, possibly the Missouri River.” In 1898, The Boston Traveler said that the West started in the “Middle of Ohio.” In 1887, The Boston Transcript wrote that the West begins at Batavia, New York.
Back in Texas, some felt the answer was environmental. According to some, the West began somewhere between the 100th and 98th meridian of the Great American Desert and the Great Plains, but 120 miles west of Fort Worth. This amounted to forestry being the dividing line between East and West Texas — marked by a decrease in precipitation where the oak trees stop growing.
And then there are some who contend that the West is neither a matter of geography nor environment, but a state of consciousness. At the start of the 20th century, Samuel Crothers wrote about the “psychological West.” “It is a feeling, an irresistible impulse,” Crothers wrote. “It is the sense of undeveloped resources and limitless opportunities.” Cowboy poet Arthur Chapman opined in his poem, “Out Where the West Begins,” that the West is, “Out where the smile dwells a little longer. Out where the friendship’s a little truer. That’s where the West begins.”
Fort Worth Historical
In Fort Worth, the famous poem would catch the attention of Star-Telegram vice president and Fort Worth advocate, Amon Carter. The poem described an openness, free spirit, and friendliness that Carter instantly recognized in Fort Worthians. Carter couldn’t care less about longitudes, tree lines, and the opinions of Boston newspapers. He became smitten with the notion that the West was defined by a state of mind. To Carter, Fort Worth defined the West.
Carter pitched the phrase “Where the West Begins” as the city’s official slogan. The Chamber of Commerce instantly approved the motto — in part because it was true, in part because it was enticing, but mostly because Carter demanded it be done. Now that Fort Worth’s biggest advocate had an alluring tagline, Carter was eager to promote the city.
With his look of tailored western-cut suits, silk wild rag scarves, and a 10-gallon cowboy hat, Carter would become one of the city’s greatest ambassadors.
While the nickname first appeared in the Star-Telegram, the expression became a nationwide trend when local businesses and city leaders heavily leaned on the slogan to promote tourism and new business. The motto proved to be a huge success, and once the Star-Telegram permanently placed the phrase on their nameplate, Fort Worth had officially committed to being the gatekeeper to the West.
It won’t show up on maps, but through warmth and generosity, Fort Worth will forever be “Where the West Begins.”
Fort Worth Historical
