Who Put the Panther in Panther City?
A Nickname Born as an Insult Fort Worth has collected plenty of nicknames, including Cowtown, Funkytown and Where the West Begins. Panther City has the strangest origin story of the bunch. It began as a jab from Dallas and became a symbol Fort Worth proudly claimed for itself. Fort Worth Crawling appreciates a tale with…
Opal Lee, Her Historic Walk and Fort Worth’s National Juneteenth Museum
A Fort Worth Story with National Reach Juneteenth began in Texas, and one of the people most responsible for its national recognition built her campaign in Fort Worth. Dr. Opal Lee spent decades teaching, organizing and walking for freedom. Her work helped turn Juneteenth into a federal holiday and inspired plans for the National Juneteenth…
Fort Worth’s Last Gunfight: Luke Short, Jim Courtright and the White Elephant Saloon
A Showdown on Main Street Fort Worth’s Wild West reputation was not created by movie scripts. On February 8, 1887, gambler and saloon man Luke Short faced former city marshal Timothy Isaiah “Longhair Jim” Courtright on Main Street. Seconds later, Courtright lay mortally wounded and one of Fort Worth’s most famous gunfights had entered local…
Fort Worth’s Black Cowboys and Cowgirls: People, Places and Rodeo History
The West Was Always Diverse The popular image of the American cowboy leaves out too many people. Black cattle workers, horsemen, ranchers and rodeo athletes helped build the West from the 19th century forward. Fort Worth’s Stockyards and rodeo culture offer several ways to explore that history through people, places and continuing traditions. Fort Worth…