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Zena Ndirangu

Dr. Tabitha Clark

First Year English

October 10, 2023

The Stockyards

Photo of a herd of longhorns walking down Main Street during the cattle drive ( Addison)

Downtown Fort Worth: the smell of barbeque and cattle manure takes over the air,

leaving bystanders not knowing whether to cover their noses or breathe it all in. This is a

complete flip from the city life to the country life will leave the people in awe. Located right

above the Trinity River, the Fort Worth Stockyards is a place where the Texan stereotype is still

very much alive. All the seats in the Cowtown Coliseum are filled with people who are excited to

see the Cowboys in action. Rows of cute southern boutiques blend in with name brand stores on

every corner you turn. Reading “Your Table is Ready” come across your phone from the Hotel
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Drover’s Restaurant, knowing that there will not be another opportunity for the next 3 months.

The Stockyards has upheld its historic feel through multiple generations.

Although visitors and even locals know the Stockyards as a tourist attraction, it was once

more than that. Many cattle from the Chisholm Trail went through Fort Worth Texas along what

is called Commerce Street today. The Stockyards were established near the Trinity River in 1849

by Major Ripley Arnold as the last civilized outpost for cowboys driving cattle along the

Chisholm trail (Newell). The Texas and Pacific Railroad made Fort Worth become a major

center for buying and shipping livestock. The city of Fort Worth was soon known as

“Cowtown.” The Union Stockyards were officially built in the city the following year. When the

Union Stockyards was first settled, it did not have enough cattle to attract ranchers, farmers, or

customers in general. President Mike C. Hurley invited Greenlief Simpson from Boston in plans

for him to invest to gain more business. After some convincing, Simpson bought Union

Stockyards for $133,333.33 and changed the name to Fort Worth Stockyards Company in April

of 1893. A wealthy meatpacking business owner in Boston named Louville V. Niles bought half

of the shares of the Stockyards. The investors went through a financial struggle in 1893 but had a

major comeback in 1896 when the company began one of the largest stock shows in the nation,

the Southwest Exposition and Livestock Show.

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Horses being on display at the Southwest Exposition and Livestock Show ( Amorosano,)

Previously, the Stockyards had to ship their cattle to other markets for them to be pro-

cessed, but Simpson and Niles realized that keeping the business in the city was the best option.

They collectively made an agreement with two of the nation's largest meatpacking businesses,

Armour and Swift, to bring them into the city in 1902. Armor & Co and Swift & Co agreed to

have every animal they slaughtered to pass by the Fort Worth Stockyards at a standard fee in ex-

change for land they built their plants on. The decision to partner with Armor and Swift created a

financial boost for the Stockyards and tripled the population in Fort Worth due to the migration

of people from Europe and all over the US working in the factories. Historian J’Nell L. Pate

wrote that the recruitment of the Swift and Armour plants “saved the stockyards from failure” as

the institution limped along after the financial panic in the late 1800s (Pate)There was also a
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growth in outside livestock industries in the city. The Fort Worth market became 5 th in the nation

by 1905.

In 1908, the company invested $175,000 into the Cowtown Coliseum. The Coliseum was

home to the world's first indoor rodeo, the first indoor cutting horse contests, along with the first

indoor bull riding competition. There were many famous concerts at Cowtown Coliseum includ-

ing Elvis, Enrico Caruso, Bob Wheels, Roy Rogers and more. The Cowtown Coliseum soon be-

came known as “The Wallstreet of the West.” To this day, it hosts rodeos and other events every

weekend. Cowboys from around the United States travel to compete in bull riding, roping, barrel

racing, tie down roping, and so much more! As for concerts, Billy Bob's Texas Honky Tonk has

retained the reputation of the world's largest honky tonk. It gained its popularity after it aired on

the show Dallas in 1981, influencing the doors of Billy Bobs to open to the public (Wallace).

Now country, rock, and pop artists perform, while the guests line dance, drink, or simply listen to

music.
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People are standing outside of the Cowtown Coliseum after a rodeo. (Cowgirl Magazine)

Today, the Fort Worth Stockyards are the last remaining historic stockyards left in the

United States. It is currently a historic district with shops, restaurants, and all forms of

entertainment attracting millions of visitors a year. Although it does not have the same purpose

as decades ago, its importance in western culture remains. Renovations have played a significant

role in how its relevancy is still preserved. Mule Alley is a fitting example of a major renovation.

Currently, Mule Alley is a large alleyway that consists of boutiques, restaurants, and most

importantly, the Hotel Drover. Formally, its sole purpose was to collectively store horses and

mules in barns. After the Stockyards became known as a tourist attraction, Mule Alley was left

abandoned. $175 million dollars was invested into renovating the barns during the corona virus

outbreak. Hotel Drover wanted to give people a safe and luxurious experience, even though it

was a pandemic. The Drovers executive director Tiffany DiPasquale states “Masks, cleaning,

social distancing — we will enforce all COVID guidelines. We want everyone to be able to
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enjoy this beautiful property safely” (Mayhew). The addition of the Hotel Drover attracted more

visitors, due to the high-class suites and the fine dining at the restaurant on the first floor.

Another aspect that was modified is the train system. Previously, it was used to bring in and send

cattle to other cities and states. After the necessity of the railroads declined, the trains were

vacant. Now tourists buy their train tickets to expand their trip to the Stockyards. The train's

destination is to a town north of Fort Worth called Grapevine, Texas.

The Stockyards have experienced drastic changes throughout the years in order to sustain

the business. The decline of the use of the railroads resulted in the decline of sales and exchange

of livestock in Fort Worth. By 1971, both Armour&Co and Swift&Co shut down, leaving the

buildings abandoned. The number of cattle sold decreased greatly; this resulted in the closing of

the Stockyards in 1976. Charlie and Sue McCafferty founded the North Fort Worth Historic So-

ciety to preserve the Stockyards (Meitiner). With their efforts and funding, the historical signifi-

cance stayed alive. Soon enough, museums were built along with stores, bars, and restaurants.

Entertainments such as the cattle drive were established. Enforcing renovations implemented a

western feel while accommodating to the changing society. Keeping the history alive has been

important to the Fort Worth community. A local named Doug Harman states that “keeping the

authenticity of this heritage has to be a really big priority” (Harman). Tourists from around the

world have seemed to appreciate how the Stockyards savored the Texas culture though so many

years.

There is a reason the Stockyards have been popular for decades. With so much to do, it is

almost impossible to be bored. Get a feel of the wild wild west with a tour of the extraordinary

Stockyards Museum. Stop by any shop to really experience the western life by dressing like a
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cowboy. Boots, belts, hats, jeans, shirts, spurs; name it, they got it! Take a few steps outside on

Main Street to see the horses and longhorns on the daily cattle drive. Enter Billy Bob's Texas

Honky Tonk to test your dancing skills. Catch a rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum, then end the

night with fine dining at any of the top restaurants. Look at the once Armour and Swift Co that

reminds everyone about the Stockyards' deeply rooted history. A place that once was for buying

and exchanging cattle, is now a place where entertainment is endless.

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Works Cited

Addison, Brandi. “Development of the New Stockyards.” Fort Worth Magazine, 31 Mar. 2020.
Photograph https://fwtx.com/news/features/the-new-stockyards/

Amorosano, Ken. “Fort Worth 2018: A Texas Tradition.” COWGIRL Magazine, Cowgirl Maga-
zine, 10 Feb. 2020, cowgirlmagazine.com/fort-worth-texas-tradition-2018/.

Cowgirl“PBR Joins Joint Venture Expanding Programming of Cowtown Coliseum & Historic
Fort Worth Stockyards.” COWGIRL Magazine, Cowgirl Magazine, 4 June 2021,
https://cowgirlmagazine.com/pbr-asm-global-and-stockyards-heritage-development-co-
form-unique-joint-venture-to-expand-programming-of-cowtown-coliseum-and-the-
historic-fort-worth-stockyards-as-epicenter-of-western-lifestyle/

Harman, Douglas. Personal interview done by C-Span News. April 9,2018 https://www.c-
span.org/video/?445948-1/historic-fort-worth-stockyards

Mayhew , Malcom. “Sneak Preview: Inside the Stockyards’ Highly Anticipated Hotel Drover.”
Fort Worth Magazine, 3 Mar. 2021, https://fwtx.com/news/rustic-elegance/

Meitiner, Bea. “The Best Things to Do at the Fort Worth Stockyards - Bea Adventurous.” BEA
ADVENTUROUS -, 30 July 2023, https://bea-adventurous.com/things-to-do-at-the-fort-
worth-stockyards/

Milne, Lyndsay Knecht. “Shells of Our City: Swift and Company Packing Plant.” NBC 5 Dal-
las-Fort Worth, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, 23 Apr. 2012, www.nbcdfw.com/local/shells-
swift-and-co-packing-plant/1843500/.
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Newell, Dena. “Our Story.” Fort Worth Stockyards, 21 Apr. 2021, fortworthstockyards.com/our-
story/. https://fortworthstockyards.com/our-story/#:~:text=Established%20at%20the
%20fork%20of,along%20the%20famous%20Chisholm%20Trail

Pate, J’Nell L. “Fort Worth Stockyards.” Texas State Historical Association, 1 Oct. 1995,
www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fort-worth-stockyards#:~:text=Simpson%20to
%20visit%2C%20with%20the,Packing%20Company%20in%20April%201893.

Wallace, Christian. “Why Billy Bob’s, Texas’s Most Famous Honky-Tonk, Isn’t a True Honky-
Tonk.” Texas Monthly, 23 Aug. 2019, www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/billy-bobs-
texas-famous-honky-tonk/.