PRAIRIES AND LAKES
FALL 2013
Fort Worth is Worthwhile By Liora Susswein
What do interesting museums, a great zoo, and a rich history have in common? There all in Fort Worth, Texas! Let’s examine the amazing city of Fort Worth, which lies in the Prairies and Lakes Eco region of Texas.
No trip to Fort Worth would be complete without a visit to the Stockyards. When you first step foot into these historical yards you will transported into the old West with authentic historic buildings, and corrals full of cattle and horses. The history of this Stockyard began when cowboys driving cattle up the Chisolm Trail trailed through Fort Worth as their last stop until they crossed the Red River into Indian territory A.K.A. modern day Oklahoma. Between 1887 and 1890 more than 4 million head of cattle came through Fort Worth. When the railroads arrived in 1876, Fort Worth became a major shipping point for livestock. Over the years many additions were made, including a coliseum and two packing plants that packed and distributed tons of meat to all over the world. By WWI, Fort Worth was the largest horse and mule market in the world! Eventually, with the construction of roads came the trucking industry and railroads were no longer necessary to transport meat. As a result, the Stockyards were no longer important. Today the Stockyards are a historical landmark that attracts visitors
from all over the world. Visitors can still enjoy a daily cattle drive to experience the Old West. You may be surprised to learn that Fort Worth is home the world’s only Cowgirl Museum. The museum pays tribute to women whose lives demonstrate the strength and independence that helped forge the American West. If you are lucky enough to visit soon, be sure to check out the current exhibit: Hanskaska: The Shirtwearers - Plains Indian Art of Cathy A. Smith. Representing 10 Native American nations, the collection displays the ceremonial head dresses, shirts, leggings, weapons and other things Indians made and owned. Interested in finding out what it feels like to ride a bronco? Well, you have the opportunity to ride a fake one! But it feels exactly like a real one and you will get a video of yourself that looks just like you are riding a bronco in a rodeo. No visit to Fort Worth is complete without a visit to the Fort Worth Zoo. The zoo is the oldest continuous zoo in Texas. It was founded in 1909 with only a lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock and a few rabbits. Since then it has become a nationally ranked facility home to nearly 7,000 native and exotic animals. One of the visitors describes it as, “A rare gem in the middle of cowtown.” So come on by and see all the majestic creatures the Fort Worth zoo can offer. As you can see, Fort Worth has a great selection of things to do such as strolling around a nationally recognized zoo, a visit The Cowgirl Hall Of Fame or a trip to the historical stock yards. What are you waiting for?