fort worth

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Fort Worth population was 534,694 (though a 2005 Census estimate placed the population at 624,067). The city is the second-largest cultural and economic center of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area (colloquially referred to as Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex), which is the largest metropolitan area in Texas as well as the entire South, and the fourth-largest in the United States with a population of 5.7 million in 12 counties.

Fort Worth was founded as a military camp in 1849, named after General William Jenkins Worth. Today, the city is portrayed as more old-fashioned and laid-back than its neighbor, Dallas. Known as "Cowtown" for its roots as a cattle drive terminus, Fort Worth still celebrates its colorful Western and Southern heritage today and bills itself as "Where the West begins."

History

Main article: History of Fort Worth, Texas

In 1849, during the closure of the Mexican-American War, Major Ripley Arnold established a fort, named in honor of General William Jenkins Worth near a high bluff where the West Fork and Clear Fork of the Trinity River merge together. The fort was flooded the first year and was moved to the top of the bluff where the courthouse sits now. The fort was established to protect 19th century settlers from Indian attacks. It grew into 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 heyday of the cattle drives was the wild era of "Hell's Half Acre," ^[1] an area of town filled with gambling parlors, saloons and dance halls. During the Civil War, the town suffered and the population dwindled. However, Fort Worth recovered quickly during Reconstruction and once again was a bustling population center. In 1876, the Texas & Pacific Railway connected to Fort Worth and transformed the Fort Worth Stockyards ^[2] into a premier livestock center. When oil began to gush in West Texas, Fort Worth was at the center of the wheeling and dealing.

In 2000, a tornado of F-2 classification smashed through downtown, tearing many buildings, including the Bank One tower, into shreds and scrap metal. The Bank One tower has been renovated and sold, most of which sold as condominiums.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 774.1 km² (298.9 mi²). 757.7 km² (292.5 mi²) of it is land and 16.4 km² (6.3 mi²) of it (2.12%) is water.

A large storage dam was built in 1913 on the West Fork of the Trinity River, 7 miles (10 km) from the city, with a storage capacity of 30 billion US gallons (110,000,000 m³) of water. The lake formed by this dam is known as Lake Worth. The cost of the dam was nearly $1,500,000 - a handsome sum at the time.

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 534,694 people, 195,078 households, and 127,581 families residing in the city. The July 2004 census estimates have placed Fort Worth in the top 20 most populous cities (# 19) in the U.S. with the population at 603,337. Fort Worth is also in the top 5 cities with the largest numerical increase from July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004 with 17,872 more people or a 3.1% increase. ^[3] The population density was 705.7/km² (1,827.8/mi²). There were 211,035 housing units at an average density of 278.5/km² (721.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.69% White, 20.26% Black or 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 were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 195,078 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau. Of 195,078 households, 9,599 are unmarried partner households: 8,202 heterosexual, 676 same-sex male, and 721 same-sex female households.

28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,074, and the median income for a family was $42,939. Males had a median income of $31,663 versus $25,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,800. About 12.7% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

See also: People of Fort Worth

Districts

Downtown

• Sundance Square - Fort Worth's downtown has the Sundance Square, named after the infamous 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.
• Fort Worth Water Gardens - A 4.3 acre/1.74 ha contemporary park that features three unique pools of water offering a calming and cooling oasis for downtown patrons.
• Fort Worth Convention Center - Includes a 11,200 seat multi-purpose arena.
• Bass Performance Hall - Bass Hall is the permanent home to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and Cliburn Concerts.

Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District

The stockyards offer 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.

Cultural district

• The Modern (formerly 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 Kimbell 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.
• The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is the only museum in the world that is solely dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and pioneer spirit in their trail blazing efforts.
• The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History - One of the largest Science and History Museums in the Southwest. It includes the Noble Planetarium and the Omni Theater.
• Will Rogers Memorial Center - a multi-purpose entertainment complex and world-class equestrian center housed under 45 acres of roof spread over 85 acres in the heart of the Fort Worth Cultural District. Each year approximately 800,000 people attend the three week event known as the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, formerly called the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show and Rodeo.
• Casa Mañana - The nation's first theater designed for musicals "in the round."

Parks district

• Fort Worth Zoo - Ranked one of the top 10 best zoos in the United States.
• Fort Worth Botanic Garden - The oldest botanic garden in Texas, with 21 specialty gardens and over 2,500 species of plants.
• Fort Worth Japanese Garden
• Log Cabin Village - A collection of authentic Texas log cabins dating from the 1850s.

East Fort Worth

In more recent years, east Fort Worth has been referred to by some, mainly urbanites, as "Funkytown" rather than "Cowtown,". In the last two decades of the 20th century, when the Blood and Crip gangs started migrating from California, east Fort Worth was often referred to as "Murder Worth" [4] or "Little Chicago", as the murder and violent crime rates increased dramatically. This uncharacteristically dangerous period that began abruptly in the mid 80's ended nearly as abruptly in the mid 90's.[5] East Fort Worth has since become a model of resiliency, as the community organized through neighborhood associations and a cooperative relationship with the police. Currently Fort Worth as a whole stands as the 9th safest U.S. city among those with a population over 500,000. In fact, 4 Texas cities are in the top 10 (http://www.morganquitno.com/cit06pop.htm#25 )

Uptown / Trinity

The Tarrant Regional Water District, City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Streams & Valleys Inc, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are cooperating in an effort to develop an area north of "downtown" as "uptown" along the Trinity River. This plan promotes a large mixed use development adjacent to the central city area of Fort Worth, with a goal to prevent urban sprawl by promoting the growth of a healthy, vibrant urban core. The Trinity River Vision lays the groundwork to enable Fort Worth's central business district to double in size over the next 40 years. [6]

Other

• The Tandy Center Subway, based in the Tandy Center (now known as City Place), operated in Fort Worth from 1963 to 2002. The 0.7 mile (1 km) long subway was the only privately operated subway in the United States.
• La Gran Plaza de Fort Worth - is a repositioning of the original shopping mall in the area known more recently as Fort Worth Town Center (but was first dubbed 'Seminary South'). The Center was built on a dry lake bed on the South side of Downtown. La Gran Plaza is being designed in response to the changing demographics of the region. It provides for supermarkets, cinemas, and a Lienzo Charro, a Mexican Rodeo and Concert venue arena.
• Trinity Trails - A network of over 35 miles (56 km) of pedestrian trails along the Trinity River.
• United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) - Federal Reserve notes (United States paper currency) are printed at the bureau's facilities in north Fort Worth.
• United States Army Corps of Engineers (BEP) - Home to the US Army Engineer Fort Worth District District Office.
• Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, formerly known as Carswell Air Force Base, a major military installation in west Fort Worth and a major contributor to the local economy.
• Logan's Run, a 1976 science fiction film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Michael York was shot largely in Fort Worth, including locations such as the Fort Worth Water Gardens. The Water Gardens also appear in another science-fiction film of the period, The Lathe of Heaven (1980).

Transportation

• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport - The largest aviation facility in Texas; Located between Dallas and Fort Worth.
• Fort Worth Alliance Airport
• Fort Worth Meacham International Airport
• Trinity Railway Express - Rail service to Dallas
• Amtrak - Heartland Flyer & Texas Eagle lines
• The T - Bus service for Fort Worth
• Trolley to downtown and historic sites by The T
• See also List of Dallas-Fort Worth area freeways

Education

Public schools

Most of Fort Worth is served by Fort Worth Independent School District.

Other school districts that serve portions of Fort Worth include:

• Azle Independent School District
• Birdville Independent School District
• Burleson Independent School District
• Castleberry Independent School District
• Crowley Independent School District
• Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District
• Everman Independent School District
• Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District
• Keller Independent School District
• Kennedale Independent School District
• Lake Worth Independent School District
• Northwest Independent School District
• White Settlement Independent School District

The portion of Fort Worth within the Arlington Independent School District contains a wastewater plant. No residential areas are in the portion.

Private High Schools

• All Saints Episcopal School (K-12)
• Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy (PreK-12)
• Fort Worth Country Day School (K-12)
• Fort Worth Christian School (K-12)
• Nolan Catholic High School^[7]
• Southwest Christian School (K-12)
• Trinity Valley School (K-12)
• Temple Christian School (K-12)
• Trinity Christian Academy (K-12)
• Hill School of Fort Worth (2-12)
• Christian Life Preparatory School (K-12) ^[8] A University Model School ^[9]

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth^[10] oversees several Catholic elementary and middle schools.[11]

Colleges, Universities, Divinity School, and Theological Seminary

Further information: List of colleges and universities in Fort Worth, Texas

• Brite Divinity School
• College of Saint Thomas More
• Tarrant County College
• Texas Christian University
• Texas Wesleyan University
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• University of North Texas Health Science Center
• University of Texas at Arlington, Fort Worth campus
• Texas Wesleyan University School of Law

Sports

Fort Worth is home to the 2006 NAIA Div. I Men's Basketball champions, Texas Wesleyan University. Texas Wesleyan also is the three-time National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) team champions (2004-2006). Fort Worth is also home to the NCAA football Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl as well as four professional sports teams. Local off-road bicyclists find ride partners and trail information at the Cowtown Area Mountain Bike Association ^[12].

Professional Sports Teams

Sister cities

Fort Worth is a part of the Sister Cities International program and maintains cultural and economic exchange programs with its 7 sister cities.

• Reggio Emilia, Italy (1985)
• Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan (1987)
• Trier, Germany (1987)
• Bandung, Indonesia (1990)
• Budapest, Hungary (1990)
• Toluca, Mexico (1998)
• Mbabane, Swaziland (2004)