Probably a little background on yours truly is in order so that you know how I wound up in Ft. Worth and specifically on the East Side. So, here goes. I was born on December 10, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee to Ruby Claudine and Caesar Sarafino (Jack) Marmo. My mother was a telephone operator and had already been with AT&T for 20 years when I came along. For the most part, my father worked in the food industry. In late 1943, we wound up in New York City. From there, we came to Ft. Worth around 1944, then Valejo, California and back to Ft. Worth somewhere around 1946. Stayed til November 1952 when we moved to El Paso, Texas. Came back to Ft. Worth in May 1961 and have been here ever since.
Over the last several years, the Barnett Shale that underlies Ft. Worth has been penetrated by several hundred gas wells (with thousands more to come) in search of the natural gas that is trapped several thousand feet below. In years to come, newcomers to Ft. Worth will never know what this city was like Before The Barnett Shale.
I lived in Ft. Worth in the late 1940s and early 1950s, then from 1961 to the present time, virtually all of that time on the east side. In 2004, I wrote a series of articles for the West Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association newsletter (The Meadowlark) about the east side as I recalled it during that time period. That series is being integrated into this blog and then expanded to cover all of Ft. Worth.
Obviously, I can't cover every aspect of Ft. Worth BTBS. Either I wasn't here, wasn't born yet or simply didn't get around to certain areas. As a result, I invite anyone reading this blog to contribute their own memories, including any photos you might have. Memories of day-to-day living are particularly interesting because it shines a light on all those small actions that combined to make Ft. Worth what it was BTBS.
Add your own memories as comments or email them to me as you prefer. If you have photographs and wish to share them, either scan and email the photos to me or contact me for my snail mail address. The photos will be carefully handled, scanned, added to this blog with appropriate credit and the originals returned to you.
With your participation, we'll be able to create a record of Ft. Worth BTBS.
Links Of Interest
Below are a range of interesting websites. Some, such as The Modeler's Weapons Shop, Modelbuilding Services by Richard Marmo, Scale Publications and Scaleworld are all related one way or another to what I do for a living.
One site of particular note is the fabulous Architecture In Downtown Fort Worth. If you want to know about all of the buildings in downtown Ft. Worth, past, present and near future, this is a site you do not want to miss.
Others deal with current developments. These are valuable if, when driving in the W.7th Street/University Drive area, you don't want to feel like you just woke up from a five year nap because you don't recognize the place.
Interested in learning what the fight is all about over the Barnett Shale? There are links to blogs that will help you educate yourself on that subject as well.
Finally, there are a couple of sites that focus on nothing more than the genealogical history of my family. Strictly personal, but still something you might find of interest.
More links will be added from time to time, but these should get you started.