Today Ft. Worth has begun planning a new, modern streetcar system. Sounds wonderful and forward looking, doesn't it? Well, the truth is that they're simply going forward to the past. Just about a century ago, Ft. Worth had a fully operational streetcar system that served the public well. If that wasn't enough, interurban cars ran on a regular schedule between Ft. Worth and Dallas. In fact, as late as the 1960s, you could see (and had to walk over when you crossed the street) streetcar rails embedded in Houston Street. They're still there as far as I know, though paved over.
At any rate, a developer who was rehabbing a building in the 600 block of Houston ran across a fascinating photo album that included several 8"x10" prints of streetcars and interurbans in downtown Ft. Worth. While not the original prints, never mind the negatives, it's a miracle that anything on Cowtown's interurbans and streetcars has survived. The developer had no interest whatsoever in the photos, but rather than trash them, he was gracious enough to pass them on to me for the purpose of historical preservation.
There are a grand total of five photos, three showing interurbans and the other two dealing with our original streetcars. All photos were taken in the 1902-1910 time period. Without further ado, here's the first one, along with an analysis of what you can glean from the picture.
This shot was taken looking north from the intersection of E. Lancaster and Main Street, square in the heart of Hell's Half Acre. In the center of the photo is a two-car interurban that is bound for Dallas. When you blow the photo up to the point that the grain begins to break down, you also find that this particular interurban is an express. To the left of the interurban is the Alamo Saloon and Bar. Another sign proudly announces that Mack Bros. are the Mgrs. Just above the Alamo Saloon sign is a rectangular sign, apparently mounted on a pole, that advertises the fact that Miller Highlife Beer is available inside.
If you look directly above the roof of the leading interurban car, you can barely make out a sign painted on a building. Blown up, you find that it comprises two lines identifying a company. While the top line can't be read, the bottom line reads 'Clothiers'. In the distance, just above the roof and slightly beyond the trailing interurban car, is what appears to be a turreted structure. That's believed to be the Knights of Pythias Hall building on the corner of 3rd and Main. It still exists today. Way back in the hazy distance is yet another spire sticking up above the surrounding structures . If my analysis is correct, that is the Tarrant County Courthouse.
Coming back to the front of the photo on the right hand side, the sign on the building identifies it as the Wm. M. McVeigh Transfer-Storage business. And parked at the curb along that side of the street are a couple of horse-drawn buggies and a bicycle.
I sent photos of all of the shots to Don Pyeatt for his input. He came up with a very interesting observation regarding the appearance of the ground. The light color of the ground cover, combined with the darker tones in spots and the type of clothing worn by all the people leads inescapably to the fact that this photo was taken not too long after a snowfall. Whatever year it was taken, the calender period was somewhere between October and March.
Finally, for those who are interested, I can provide an 8"x10" copy of this photo (as well as the other four), printed on an HP PhotoSmart Printer with Vivera ink for $10 each plus postage. Contact me by email at tennexican@mindspring.com.
The third and final interurban photo (the next two posts will feature streetcars) is more than a little interesting. To begin with, it's photographed on the north side of the Tarrant County Courthouse, with the photographer standing across Belknap Street and behind a decorative iron fence. This, of course, raises the question of what was behind the fence. Park? Some kind of building? Or was the fence simply there to keep people from walking on the grass?
