Ft. Worth
by Sweetberry1
Forth Worth is divided into 3 distinct districts. The Cultural District is only minutes from the busy downtown area, and provides wonderful art galleries, museums, entertainment, sporting venues, and of course beautifully laid out gardens.
The Historic District is where you will get a feel of the American West. The Stockyards covers 125 acres.
There is the rodeo, Billy Bobs, great sounvenir and western clothing stores as well as being able to see the worlds only daily cattle drive.
The Downtown area is more the business area but not without its attractions, entertainment, good restaurants and the charm of their constant efforts in preservation.
Main St Fort Worth Arts Festival
by keeweechic
The festival ranks as one of the top 10 fine-arts events in the U.S.. and is held every April. Main Street is closed off and lined with white tents featuring artists from across the nation displaying anything from water paintings, photography, jewellery, sculptures of various materials and leather goods. The designs are unique and very interesting.
Stairs to Nowhere & Historical Marker
by Yaqui
In 1929, the Blackstone Hotel was the first sky scraper in Downtown Fort Worth. These steps once graced many legends. Bob Hope, Elvis, John Wayne and every U.S. president from Herbert Hoover to Richard Nixon once walked these stairs to the front desk and the elegant ballroom on the second floor.
Courtyard Marriott Blackstone Hotel
The first art deco skyscraper in Fort Worth, the Blackstone Hotel was erected in 1929 for Wealthy Cattleman C. A. “Gus” O’Keefe, who named it after a visit to the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. The St. Louis architectural firm of Mauran, Russell, and Crowell designed the structure. The city’s first radio station, WBAP, once occupied the 22nd floor. A five-story annex was added in the 1950’s by the Hilton Hotel chain, which occupied the building from 1952 to 1962. Featuring original sash windows, irregular setbacks and ornamental terra cotta detailing, the Blackstone Hotel remains the city’s tallest Pre-World War II structure.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1998
601 Main Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102 USA
John M. and Obie P. Leonard Historical Marker
by Yaqui
The verbage may not be complete since the bronze lettering was hard to see, but here is what most of the marker I could translate and type up:
The history of John Marvin Leonard and Obie Paul Leonard
Two farm boys, with ingenuity, determination and $600, built a business empire.
When the doors opened on a small store across the street from the Tarrant County Courthouse in 1918, no one could have predicted that those countries made of boards on barrels and washtub display cases would grow into a business empire that would have such a monumental community wide impact.
But thus is the story of the Leonard’s and Fort Worth. With little more than $600 and a great deal of foresight, Mr. Marvin Leonard began business in a 1500 sq ft. store. He was joined by younger brother Obie one year later. Together, Mr. Marvin and Mr. Obie, filled with the frontier spirit and optimistic vision, created far more than a mercantile center on the north end of the central business district. As the city grew and prospered, the Leonard Brothers grew and prospered, and good citizens that they were, they gave financial support and help to their adopted city.
Significantly, the business they created with the philosophy of “more merchandise for less money” expanded most during periods of economic adversity, during the dark, early days of the great depression, they moved their store into its own block long building, thereby creating new jobs and generating activity in the downtown area.
This kind of growth can not be entirely attributed to the fact that the Leonard Brothers Store, as it was know early on, carried merchandise as varied as stove bolts and fashion, saddles and pastries. More, it was a feeling Mr. Marvin and Mr. Obie were able to convey in their personal actions, and through their thousands of employees – to treat every customer as you would want to be treated.
This spirit of genuine concern for their customers led to innovations in merchandising. For example, the installation of one of the first escalators south of the mason-dixon line drew 40,000 enthusiastic riders and sightseers during the first day of operation. Perhaps the most spectacular creation was the stores own subway system the M&O Subway Express carried passengers from a 14 acre parking lot into the store….for free. The creative approach brought shoppers thronging into the store. The result was that this system brought people into the downtown area to conduct other business, to their jobs, and to other stores. What the Leonard Brothers had done was to create a highly successful, even through small scale, mass transit system that benefitted no only their business, but also the entire downtown business community, and the remarkable thing is, it didn’t cost the city a cent. When the store was sold to the Tandy Corporation on October 30, 1967, the complex converted six blocks, offices over 100,000 square feet of merchandise, and employed 1,000 people. Mr. Marvin and Mr. Obie, as they were affectionately known, may have been two farm boys from Cass Country, not the business empire they began in Fort Worth carried their fame across the nation as retailers of extraordinary kind.
Mr. Marvin, who died in 1970, expanded his holdings to include oil, ranches, and more.
Besides the philanthropic activities which consumed much of his energy, Mr. Marvin had a hobby that his recreational activities, his giving nature and his business acumen, he built country clubs with extraordinary golf courses.
It is thanks to his desire for perfection that country blub and shady oaks country club have courses recognized as being among the finest in the world.
His major sports contributions, however focused their attention of the world on Fort Worth, for it was Mr. Marvin’s convincing nature that brought the U.S. Open to colonial in 1941, and which resulted in the colonial national invitational beginning 1946.
Mr. Obie, too, has had divergent business interests he has devoted a great deal of energy into ranching, pecan farming, oil, saving and loan associations, insurance, and holdings in commercial and industrial property.
Boy scouting has claimed Mr. Obies interest for over 40 years, he served as President of the Longhorn Council for 13 years, and continued to serve as a member of the regional board of the Boy Scouts of America. As a leader in scouting, he was presented the highest BSA Council honor, The Silver Beaver. He was also presented The Antelope, The highest BSA Regional Award, a Ranch he donated to the council has been named amp Leonard in his honor.
Individually, and together, Mr. Marvin and Mr. Obie Leonard created a retail empire of worldwide fame and an outstanding record of civic contributions.
Located on Houston (next to Texas de Brazil) and Weatherford Street.
Beautiful Little Jewelry
by Yaqui about "Victoria's"
Oh if you love quality beautiful jewelry then you must venture inside the Rodeo Plaza and you will find this wonderful little jewelry store. Vice nice and the sales people are very friendly, helpful, and a joy to chat with. So don't pass up this place!
Hrs
Tues - Thrus 11-5pm
Fri - Sat 11-7pm
Sun 12-5pm
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Don't miss the amazing zen garden
Fort Worth Stock Yards
Kincaid's Hamburgers
Trailmaster, Fort Worth Cattle Drive
