North Of The River: A Brief History of North Fort Worth

Chisholm Trail Series

by J'Nell Pate

In 1848 the York and Gilmore families stopped their covered wagons north of the Trinity River near present-day Fort Worth. A century and a half later, the settlement they founded is North Fort Worth, with a colorful history centered around livestock, tourism, and family life.
After the Civil War, life often revolved around massive cattle drives passing through North Fort Worth. Later, stockyards were built and the meat packing industry boomed, attracting thousands of people from around the world - Austria, Greece, Russia, Mexico, and Poland.
North Fort Worth is now incorporated within the city of Fort Worth and continues to contribute a unique history and atmosphere essential to one of Texas' most diverse and fascinating cities.

205 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1994

Reviews

[Abram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting read for me. I appreciated the addresses and the stories of people who came to North Side and succeeded, especially the European and Mexican migrant ones, but I felt like the "bootstrap" narratives glossed over how discriminatory practices prevented more of these European and Mexican migrants from succeeding.

[Wesley Frizzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read for anyone who has walked down Exchange Avenue or eaten at Joe T.'s. Prompted nostalgia for LaGrave Field and the wish for a minor league team in that location once more.. There is much more to the story of the Stockyards than the tourist destination it now is. J'Nell Pate's work helps one appreciate the rest of the story.