photo by Olaf Growald
Steve Murrin and James Zametz
The word “funky” had an entirely different meaning when cowpokes were driving cattle through Fort Worth during the days of saloons and bloodletting. If you told one of the cattlemen that Funkytown would eventually become synonymous with Fort Worth, they would likely assume the city had either developed an incessant sewage problem or the term was simply derogatory.
Today, Fort Worth doesn’t just pride itself on this nickname but has made it an integral part of the city’s pitch to young transplants who are key to the city’s growth.
While we can trace the Funkytown moniker to the 1980s, when the name was used to describe the city’s bourgeoning hip-hop scene, the term became more prevalent with the establishment of the “Keep Fort Worth Funky” campaign in 2011.
People may recall the mustachioed stickers bearing the slogan throughout the city in the mid-to-late aughts. This was all the brainchild of James Zametz, a self-employed contractor.
Zametz, who remains Keep Fort Worth Funky’s lead organizer, is far too humble to take any credit for the Funkytown nickname’s ubiquity in Fort Worth — preferring to shed light on those who produce the culture, not those who merely promote it. But he easily waxes poetic when speaking of local businesses, embracing diversity, and the campaign’s origin story. Zametz said he immediately fell in love with Fort Worth's funky-ness 15 years ago when he and his wife moved to Fairmount, so they started a campaign similar to the “Keep Austin Weird” movement.
“We instantly thought of funky, as it sounds good with Fort Worth, and found its colorful history of use,” Zametz says.
The effect of this campaign was far-reaching, and Zametz has begrudgingly become the de facto purveyor of a movement that illuminates the city’s diverse artwork, cultural institutions, music, film, and more.
Yet, despite its dichotomy with Cowtown, the two nicknames don’t just live in harmony — they thrive.
“I think Cowtown and Funkytown all have a similar thread of people,” Zametz says. “We do what we want; we don’t like people telling us what to do; and we live life to the fullest.
“It’s the Wild West ideology, and I think we most definitely can, and do, live harmoniously in this city.”
Youth Movement
Fort Worth's age is indicative of its diverse culture. The average age of a Fort Worth resident is 32.9 years, about four years younger than the national average. And, according to Data USA, the median age of a Fort Worthian is half a year less than an Austinite — often considered a city bustling with youth — and two-tenths of a year less than a Houstonian. City of Fort Worth Planning and Development Director Randle Harwood credited this to several reasons, including the fast-growing Hispanic population and their tendency to have larger families at an earlier age, affordable housing attracting more millennials, employers that recruit people from all over the world, and a large logistics and shipping industry that brings young workers.
“There are, of course, a myriad of other factors that are contributing to our youthfulness, like Fort Worth is just a fun place to live and work,” Harwood says.
Harwood added that this youthful influx means good things for the city, in terms of culture and more. “It will mean that we will have a young, energetic work force looking to grow, raise families, and live to a healthy old age in Fort Worth,” he said.
Fort Worth Economic Development Director Robert Sturns said that while no official data is kept on the average age of business owners in the city, anecdotally he said it is skewing a little younger.
“I would see the fact that we have a more youthful population overall translating into more growth on the small-business side,” Sturns says. “I think the growing entrepreneur ecosystem has a definite effect on our culture.”
The revitalization of the Near Southside has also played a big role in Fort Worth's youth movement and cultural diversification. A walk down Magnolia Avenue reveals a wide range of culture, from TCU students and graduates alike in polos and sorority shirts, to indie rock hipsters, skateboarders, bohemians, and artists. Signature streets are lined with new infill buildings and beautifully renovated historic landmarks that are home to hundreds of locally owned businesses, dozens of creative firms, music and art venues, award-winning restaurants and breweries, and more.
“And there is so much opportunity left,” said Mike Brennan, Near Southside, Inc. president. “The Near Southside's continuing evolution is extending this incredible history of community commitment that created a totally unique and tightknit neighborhood that welcomes all.”
City councilwoman Ann Zadeh, whose district includes the burgeoning community, credits the Near Southside with being a perfect example of smart urban development.
“[The principles used during development] resulted in sustainable, mixed-use, walkable and bikeable streets, which are the foundation of a quality place,” she says.
“The Near Southside, specifically, is the heart of the creative class and has experienced both restoration and new development that has resulted in a successful district. Urban villages such as this are places where people can live, work, and play and, in my opinion, should be encouraged across our city.”
Relishing Diversity
Fort Worth now ranks among the top 15 in the nation, population wise, with a total number of inhabitants that will likely approach over 1 million within the next decade. And with that many residents comes different cultures. Fortunately, Fort Worth’s tolerant and accepting nature has always found a way to bridge these gaps. For example, as Zametz noted, music has long been a Fort Worth mainstay, and the local scene has long provided such diversity in styles — from Van Cliburn to Bob Wills to the Toadies to Leon Bridges — that it makes the scene almost impossible to define.
“Cowboys, hip-hoppers, and rockers alike share the stage in our city, and that’s a big thing. It’s awesome,” Zametz says. “I think Fort Worth will always be known as a cowboy town or thought of as ‘where the West begins,’ as our motto says. But, to claim the entire city as such and to promote or market our city as such would be a disservice to the many other cultures that live here.”
While country-western music will always have a home in Cowtown, alternative (The Cush), indie (Meach Pango), rock (Quaker City Night Hawks), and rap and hip-hop (Solar Slim) are also big locally.
Another defining characteristic of Fort Worth is the impact of Hispanic culture. Any direction you drive, you can hear or see — and taste — the influence of Latinos deep in the city. This includes talented art groups and musicians, along with an array of Hispanic dining opportunities.
“Tacos, tacos, tacos, panaderias, taquerias, and the Seminary mall [now La Gran Plaza], love it!” Zametz said gleefully.
Fort Worth’s demographics include a diverse range of races, ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations. According to the 2010 census, the population was comprised of 34.1 percent Hispanic or Latino and 18.9 percent black or African-American — both of which far exceed the national average.
Fort Worth’s location within the Bible Belt has resulted in a moral and ethical compass pointed firmly in the direction of acceptance and understanding. In 1981, the first Tarrant County Pride parade took place, and in 2011 — when the parade moved to downtown Fort Worth — Mayor Betsy Price served as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
Fort Worth councilman Dennis Shingleton, whose District 7 includes much of west and north Fort Worth, thinks that Fort Worth’s funky culture could have an impact on the city’s overall acceptance of contrasting opinions, lifestyles, and cultures.
“There are many social, cultural, and political differences I would like to see reconciled, accepted for what they are, and patiently discussed,” Shingleton says. “If any particular ‘funky’ attribute can accomplish that, then we as a community are truly blessed.”
Coexisting Cultures
Steve Murrin is a former Fort Worth city councilman and is known as the unofficial “Mayor of the Stockyards.” In 1973, he started a movement that brought about the restoration of the area, turning it from decay and possible destruction to a place that draws visitors from all over the world.
And no visit with Murrin is complete without his telling of the history of the Stockyards. He says it all goes back to geography, topography, and timing.
Murrin tells of post-Civil War trail drives that assembled and provisioned where Daggett Crossing (located around what is now Northside Drive) facilitated a single fork of the Trinity River to the area that is now recognized as the Stockyards National Historic District. The railroad came in 1876, followed by the city's own packing houses in the early 1900s.
“Imported European purebred cattle soon replaced the scrawny Longhorns, and as all parties prospered, we became the largest livestock market in the South,” Murrin says. “Oil was later discovered on the ranch lands. Great mansions were built.
“Fort Worth families, many with ranching heritage, underwrote our museums, colleges and universities, zoo, Botanic Gardens, and other general advancements in our social life.”
The Southwestern Exposition Livestock Show and Rodeo was held in the Stockyards through the early 1940s and continues today as the primary annual signature West Texas event as it prepares to move into the new Dickies Arena early next year — more proof that the legendary past and the popular current can work together and benefit.
“As our city continues to grow, expanding our industry and attractiveness to new citizens who may not be aware of our heritage, it becomes critical that those of us who treasure our past must shoulder the responsibility of educating the newcomers,” Murrin says. “They will enjoy their new home more if they learn to appreciate its roots.
“Fort Worth has been called the ‘Texas-most city.’ Our combination of cowboys and culture has kept us true to that title. For the last 40 years, the most gratifying comment received on a pretty regular basis from passing visitors on the sidewalk has been ‘Thanks for keeping it real.’”
The origins of Cowtown are obvious; Fort Worth is where the West begins, and those who question such a proclamation need look no further than the Stockyards or experience the Fort Worth Herd — a daily cattle drive down East Exchange Avenue.
Yet, despite their dichotomy, Funkytown and Cowtown have blended seamlessly.
“I think we’ve always been Funkytown, just as we’ve always been Cowtown,” Brandon Gengelback, executive vice president of economic development, says. “I think both reinforce the same message of originality: being true to who we are.”
One thing common among those who influenced Fort Worth’s past and those driving the city forward is admiration for Fort Worth’s uniqueness and willingness to stand by its own brand.
“It is critical we keep part of the Cowtown tradition and remember the rich heritage and deep-rooted traditions on which Fort Worth was built,” Mayor Betsy Price says. “I always say, it’s Fort Worth’s character and characters that set us apart from other big cities.”