Saint Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church

Located at 509 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth.

The first Mass for this Roman Catholic parish was held in 1909 in a small wooden church which burned in 1922. This Romanesque Revival structure was designed by the well-known firm of Sanguinet, Staats and Hedrick. It was dedicated July 20, 1924, by the most Rev. Joseph P. Lynch, Bishop of Dallas. The bells were installed in 1956. This parish has been guided by the Vincentian, Benedictine, and Salvatorian religious orders.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral

Located at 1206 Throckmorton, Fort Worth.

Erected 1888-1892 under the direction of the parish priest, the Rev. Jean M. Guyot, a native of France. Stone for walls was quarried locally. Improvised, horse-powered lathes were used to turn and polish the eighteen interior pillars. Ceilings and window frames are wood grained. Stained glass windows were imported from Munich, Germany. Bell, cast in Troy, New York, has been in use since 1888.

Saint Paul Lutheran Church

Located at 1800 West Freeway, Fort Worth.

In 1892 the Rev. Johann Christian Schulenburg (1840-1922), a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod missionary, conducted services in German at the Knights of Honor Hall in downtown Fort Worth. In 1896 the Mission was chartered as the Evangelisch Lutherische St. Paulus Gemeinde, and a chapel was erected on Hemphill and Railroad (now Vickery) avenues. In 1919 the congregation erected a new church building on May Street. With continued growth of membership a larger facility became necessary, and the church relocated on the West Freeway in 1954.

Site of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church

Located at 1206 Throckmorton, Fort Worth.

Catholics in Fort Worth began meeting together for regular worship services by 1875. They met in private homes, and were served by traveling priests. In 1876 Bishop Claude Dubuis of the Diocese of Galveston assigned a young Irish priest, Farther Thomas Loughrey, to establish a parish in Fort Worth. In July 1876 the Diocese purchased two lots at this site for a church to be named for Polish Jesuit Saint Stanislaus Kostka. Within three months, on October 29, 1876, Father Laughry said the first High Mass in the frame structure. He continued to serve the church until 1884, when Father Jean Marie Guyot was assigned as Pastor. The church opened a Catholic School in the parish. Classes initially were taught by Father Loughrey and the Sisters of Mercy. After 1885 the school was operated by the Sisters of St. Mary. By 1885 plans were underway for a new church structure. Completed in 1892, it was named for Saint Patrick. The original Saint Stanislaus building became part of the school. After serving the parish for over three decades, it was removed between 1908 and 1909 to make way for a new parish rectory.

Smithfield Baptist Church

Located at 7912 Main St., North Richland Hills.

This church was organized by 12 charter members in 1895; the Rev. G.W. Green served as first Pastor. A sanctuary was built here in 1902 on town lots donated by G.W. Gunter. The church supported area missions and organized a Youth Union, Sunday School, and Woman's Missionary Union. The congregation established Shady Grove Baptist Church in 1954. The church was renamed First Baptist Church of Smithfield in 1958. A new sanctuary was built in 1962 and several facilities were added over the years. The church serves the area with a variety of programs.

Smithfield Methodist Church

Located at 6701 Smithfield Road, North Richland Hills.

William and Mary Turner moved from Dallas County to a 300-acre farm near here in 1856. According to local tradition William soon built split log benches at his home for his neighbors' use as a site for study and worship. By year's end they had formed a Methodist Society called the Willow Springs Class. By 1861 the Rev. S.D. Sansom was serving as local elder. The community took the name Zion about 1873 and the church changed its name to Zion Methodist Church. In 1887, after Eli Smith and J.C. Brownfield gave land for a townsite named Smithfield, the church became Smithfield Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The congregation's first sanctuary, erected on land donated by Eli and Sally Smith in 1912, was replaced in 1935 with a structure built of masonry donated by descendants of William and Mary Turner. The congregation changed its name to Smithfield Methodist Church in 1939 and achieved sufficient membership by 1945 to retain its first full-time minister. The congregation, renamed Smithfield United Methodist Church in 1968, erected a new sanctuary here in 1974. The church continues to offer worship and outreach programs to the community and remains an important institution in northeast Tarrant County.

Southside Church of Christ

Located at 2101 Hemphill, Fort Worth.

This congregation, initially led by Dr. I.L. Van Zandt and other elders, was established in a fast growing southern area of Fort Worth in 1892. Named Southside Church of Christ, the new congregation experienced several decades of steady growth before purchasing a church building and merging with another congregation known as the Central Church of Christ in 1916. The congregation incorporated in 1917 under the name Southside Central Church Christ. The congregation relocated to this site in 1959. The church sponsors community outreach and missionary programs.

St. Jude Catholic Church

Located at 500 E. Dallas Street, Mansfield.

In the late nineteenth century, Father Thomas Hagerty, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Waxahachie, traveled by train once each month to celebrate Mass with the six Catholic families in this area. In 1898, a small frame church was erected on land donated by local merchant J. W. Wright. By 1928, the parish had grown to twenty-eight families. They began to meet in a red brick church erected on this site and dedicated as St. James Catholic Church in November of that year by Bishop Joseph Lynch. The pastoral needs of the parish were met by priests from Waxahachie through the 1930s. In the 1940s and early 1950s the parish fell under the jurisdiction of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Fort Worth. The women of the church formally established the St. James Altar Society. By 1954 a weekly Mass was held in St. James, with St. Joseph priests again administering the rites. An influx of Czech and German families in the late 1950s contributed significantly to the growth of the parish in the mid to late 20th century. Land for a new structure was donated in 1969; the first Mass was held in St. Jude, the new church building which seated three hundred people, in 1971. Growth in the 1970s was a result of a rise in the area's population and an increase in the number of Mexican American parishioners. The parish boasted 350 registered families in the 1980s; by 1998 that number had grown to 700 families who continue to uphold the traditions of the church's founders. (1998)

Tate Springs Baptist Church

Located at Pleasant Ridge Road and Little Road, Arlington.

Prior to the formation of area churches, worship services were conducted at camp meetings on Village Creek. On Feb. 5, 1882, ten local residents met to organize the Tate Springs Baptist Church. Presiding over the meeting were elders M.T. Walker and D.B. Brown. The Joplin Schoolhouse (1 mi. E), located on land donated by E.C. Tate, served as the first chapel. The church moved to this site in 1895 and became the center of the rural settlement. A leader in community activities, Tate Springs Baptist Church experienced rapid growth in the 1970s as a result of nearby urban development.

The Sanctuary - Gustavaus Adolphus Church

Located at 400 Hemphill, Fort Worth.

The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Gustavus Adolphus Synod was organized in 1905 to serve Swedish settlers in the City of Fort Worth. In 1912 the congregation, which later became known as Grace Lutheran, constructed this sanctuary and held worship services here until it moved to another site in 1957. The Lombard Romanesque style building features fine brickwork in the tower and over the arches.

Travis Avenue Baptist Church

Located at 700 block W. Berry, Fort Worth.

A Sunday school was started in 1908 in this development outside the city limits. The group became a Mission of the College Avenue Baptist Church, established in 1905 (about 3 Mi. N). By 1910 72 Mission participants were meeting in the Prairie Chapel School. In 1911 18 members formed the Southside Baptist Church and moved a building here in 1913. By 1915 the membership had grown to 231. The Church name changed to Travis Avenue Baptist in 1920 and a new sanctuary was completed in 1925. The church now serves a large area of Fort Worth, and sponsors several outreach ministries. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.

Watauga Presbyterian Church

Located at 6209 Rusk St., Haltom City.

Founded as Willow Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1850s; reorganized 1867 by William, Mary, and Julia Carlton; M.B. Donald; William, Marthia, Samuel,and Nancy Evans; Syrena Stowel; Sarah Henderson; Margaret, Cornelia, James, and Drue Walker. Renamed in 1885.

West Fork Baptist Association

Located at 3145 Carson St., Haltom City.

On Oct. 12-13, 1855, representatives of 12 frontier churches met in the Birdville Baptist Church to form the West Fork Association of United Baptists. Created to serve area congregations, the association provided a vital link in the early efforts of the Baptist Church in North Central Texas. Membership increased as more settlers entered the area and new churches were established. The association held its last meeting in 1886 when leaders realized the need to form smaller, more localized bodies. Many of the groups created after 1886 are still active today.

West Fork United Presbyterian Church

Located at 602 Santerre Rd., Grand Prairie.

In 1870 the Rev. Andrew Shannon Hayter organized the Good Hope Cumberland Sabbath School to serve the early settlers of the surrounding area. The first church building, which was also used as a schoolhouse, was located in the vicinity of the Watson Cemetery (2 mi. SW) on property donated by P.A. Watson. In 1872 the congregation adopted the name West Fork. The Church's third sanctuary, built two years after a destructive 1924 fire, was moved to this location in 1955 during construction of the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike.

White's Chapel United Methodist Church

Located at 185 S. White Chapel Road, Southlake.

Founded by settlers who came by wagon train from Dade County, Ga., 1871. Early services were in home of S. B. Austin, the leader. Austin gave land for a cemetery and church. A log meetinghouse was built and in use in Feb. 1872. This was the first Methodist church in this vicinity. Circuit rider preachers drew crowds here from as far away as 20 miles. At first called "Oak Hill," for home church in Georgia, this was soon renamed for a permanent pastor, the Rev. Mr. White. The community school was held in successive church buildings until 1916. Many settlers rest in nearby cemetery.

Woods Chapel Baptist Church

Located at 2424 California Ln., Arlington.

On April 28, 1901, a group of worshippers gathered together in a brush arbor to organize a church congregation. Led by the Rev. Washington Lafayette Wood, a missionary who had arrived in Tarrant County from Alabama in 1891, the members immediately began the task of building a sanctuary on land donated by Sam McMurray. A small white frame structure was dedicated at this site in November 1901 and the church was named for the Rev. Mr. Wood. Worship services were conducted on both Saturdays and Sundays until 1910. Baptismal services were held in the nearby Rush and Village Creeks until 1912, when the congregation began to use a stock tank on the property of church member Will Moore. In 1928 the congregation called its first full-time Pastor, the Rev. C.W. Walton. Additional property was purchased in 1937, and an educational building was erected. The Rev. Mr. Walton continued to lead the congregation through the difficult years of the Depression, serving as Pastor until his death in 1941. The church continued to grow over the years. A new sanctuary, built in 1948, is still in use as a chapel for special services.

Cattle Brands

Located on East Exchange St. in the Stockyards, Fort Worth.

Proof of ownership since 600 B.C.; in Texas since 1821. Registered in counties and burned on hides of cattle. Every owner has individual brand. In Texas these aggregate several thousand. History of Texas is displayed here in brands of leaders: patriots, soldiers, bankers, rangers, industrialists. (1966)

The 1865 Indian Creek Raid

From Fort Worth take US 81/287 northwest about 12 miles. Head northwest on FM 718 about 3.3 miles to Morris-Dido-Newark Road. Head South about 1.7 miles to marker.

During the late 1850s Indians on the north Texas frontier became increasingly restive about continued white settlement on their lands. As a result, numerous attacks on Anglos occurred during the years form 1859 to 1875. One such incident took place in Sept. 1865 near this site when 15 mounted Indians attacked two Denton County residents by the names of Smith and Wright. Wright was killed, and Smith, wounded by an arrow, rode to Denton for help. Within a short time, Smith died from blood poisoning caused by his wound. (1983)

Kiowa Raid on Walnut Creek

FM 730 R.O.W. East side, about .75 W. of intersection of FM 730 & SH 199, Azle.

In April 1867 a band of about sixty Kiowa Indians, led by Chiefs Satank and Satanta, raided the home of William Hamleton on Walnut Creek. Hamleton was away when the Kiowas killed his wife, Sally, and captured two children, Lavina and Mary. Lavina was released from captivity after six months, but Mary was given to an Indian family and grew to adulthood among the Kiowas. Called To-Goam-Gat-Ty, she became an accepted tribal member and married another captive, Calisay. The site of the 1867 Kiowa Raid is now under the waters of Eagle Mountain Reservior (1.4 mi. E) (1983)

Sloan-Journey Expedition of 1838

Located at the intersection of Mosier Valley & FM 157, Arlington.

In the spring of 1838, Captains Robert Sloan and Nathaniel T. Journey led a group of about 90 northeast Texas frontiersmen on a punitive expedition against the Indians who had raided their homes in present-day Fannin County. The trail led them to the vicinity of present-day Euless and Arlington, where they attacked a small Indian village, killed several Indians, and recovered a few horses. The Sloan-Journey expedition is among the first known Anglo-American activities in what is now Tarrant County that helped to open north Texas to white settlement.

Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show

Located at the Will Rogers Center, Cattle Barn 4, 3300 Crestline Rd., Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Stock Yards Company publicist Charles C. French and local cattleman Charles C. McFarland oranized the first livestock show in north Fort Worth in 1896. Members of the Texas Cattle Raisers Association (TCRA) participated in the initial show. The Fort Worth Stock Yards Company built a new coliseum in north Fort Worth in 1908 with the help of TCRA members. That year the National Feeders and Breeders Show opened with various events including a cutting horse competition and a horse show. The event, renamed the Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show in 1918, included an indoor rodeo competition, youth activities, and a debutante social pagent popularized by the City's more prominent citizens. In 1943 the show's facilities were converted for U.S. military purposes and the show was canceled. In 1944 the show relocated to this site which included a coliseum, auditorium,and a memorial Tower erected in 1936 as part of the Texas Centennial celebration. The show was renamed the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in 1988. By 1995 the Show had become a 17-day multimillion-dollar premier rodeo, equine, livestock, and exhibition event with an annual draw of about 800,000 people. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845-1995.

Early Site of Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show

Located at Stockyards Blvd. & Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth.

Fort Worth became an important trading and supply depot in the 1870s for Texas cattlemen driving herds to Northern markets. With the convergence of several railroads here in the 1870s and 1880s stockyard facilities began to appear along the railroad lines. In 1893 Boston investors purchased the Stockyards and organized the Fort Worth Stock Yards Company. The Company held the first livestock show at nearby Marine Creek in March 1896. The show's initial sucess was due mainly to the participation of members of the Texas Cattle Raisers Association (TCRA) whose Annual Meeting in Fort Worth coincided with the Show. The Fort Worth Stock Yards Company built an impressive livestock exchange building in 1903. In 1908, with the help of Armour & Co., Swift & Co., and TCRA members, the National Feeders and Breeders Show opened here in new Coliseum facilities. The show offered a variety of events including a cutting horse competition and a horse show. A Wild West show was added in 1916. The show, renamed Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show in 1918, developed into a premier rodeo, livestock, and exhibition event. In 1943 the facilities were converted for U.S. military purposes and in 1944 the Show relocated to a site in west Fort Worth. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845-1995.