Lost Fort Worth

Lost Series

by Mike Nichols

From the humble beginnings of a frontier army camp, Fort Worth transformed into a city as cattle drives, railroads, oil and national defense drove its economy. During the tremendous growth, the landscape and cultural imprint of the city changed drastically, and much of Cowtown was lost to history. Witness the birth of western swing music and the death of a cloud dancer. See mansions of the well-heeled and saloons of the well-armed. Meet two gunfighters, one flamboyant preacher, one serial killer and one very short subway carrying passengers back in time to discover more of Fort Worth. Author Mike Nichols presents a colorful history tour from the North Side to the South Side’s Battle of Buttermilk Junction.

Genres: History

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2014

About the author

Mike Nichols is a sixth-generation Texan who has trafficked in words all of his adult life. He worked twenty-three years for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as a copy editor, humor columnist, and travel writer. As a travel writer, he schlepped his suitcases and cameras to more than forty countries on all seven continents before he realized that his favorite destination in the world is his own backyard. His first novel, Balaam Gimble’s Gumption, was named “Funniest Texas Book of 2004” by the Texas Institute of Letters. His Lone Star noir comic thriller Live from the Boneyard will be published in spring 2015 by John M. Hardy Publishing Company.

Reviews

[Nikki]

3.5 stars. A lot of cool and fun information about the attractions, buildings, organizations, and events in Ft Worth's text history, but mostly presented with such brevity that it felt like reading those 300 page trivia books: even as you enjoy learning something you have any sinking feeling that it will almost instantly be confused with the next static or simply forgotten altogether. (...but of course this may just be a failing of my own brain to retain facts sans context.)

[Carson]

I thoroughly enjoyed this and actually wished that it was longer! I found it so fascinating to hear about the beginnings of Fort Worth and would love to hear even more about how we got to the Fort Worth we know today.

[Savannah Thomas]

Learned some interesting tid bits about the City.

Felt kinda scattered but that’s okay.

[Alan Livingston]

I love the history of my hometown, Fort Worth, and enjoyed reading about it again, now some 30 years after the last time I even lived in Texas. As the title implies, this book focuses on the not-so-well-known facts of this frontier city. It respects the importance of the railroads specifically and transportation in general to its growth and development while properly noting how much “the dark side” contributed to why the town survived as well. Whenever I stopped to wonder why this or that fact was omitted from the book, I reminded myself the idea was those things less known, or “Lost”.

The book reads a bit like a collection of newspaper articles, since there is quite a bit of redundancy throughout. But it was fun for me still, reminding me of things I had forgotten, teaching me some things I never knew. There is even a bit about an “event” I was personally part of: The opening of the M&O Railway, that few-blocks-long “subway” that opened the day before my dad’s birthday in 1963. We were there for the ceremonies and rode one of the first trains.

I found this book after the death of entertainment icon Mike Nichols, looking for something I could learn by or about him. I was startled to see this book with his byline, wondering how he could have had any interest in my hometown. It took a while for me to realize his namesake was another writer, a different guy who was a born-and-raised Fort Worthian and newspaperman.

[Aubrey Caudill]

Poorly assembled. The book reads as if I'm reading straight from historical markers. A lot of slang is used throughout. the paragraphs are very jumpy, often ending with a reference to something historical that never gets further elaborated on. the layout of the chapters could have been better tied together. the lead in paragraph of each chapter could have built up the subject matter better. there were a lot of random references to printed newpaper articles thrown in and sometimes it didn't help. a few times they just rather confused me because the old article held references to things I didn't understand and the author never elaborated on. which, I'm sure some of those distractions weren't worthy of explaining. however, don't put in it unless it helps paint a historical picture of the place, the person, or the event. I did like the subject matter, I just got frustrated with the manner in which it was presented. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone wanting to learn some casual history. Oh, and it also confused my that no dates were given in any of the pictures, granted sometimes nobody knows the date, but usually historical texts try to provide dates of when the picture of taken.

[Nicola]

Fort Worth, Cowtown, Texas.

This book's focus is "Lost". There is so much history of how the Army Fort grew into a metropolitan city.

Stories of mass transit by way of trolley, train, and an actual subway. I fondly remember riding the subway myself, easy access to the downtown location of the FW Public Library. So sad to hear that it is no longer in operation.
Talk of the Sanger Brothers who brought large department stores to FT W. When I was a kid these stores were called Sanger-Harris until purchased by Foleys.
The brothels and bars of Jacksboro Hwy. Which even during my years growing up was known to be rather sketchy.
Stories of Sam Bass caught my eye. An outlaw, who has a main road in Round Rock named after him.
It ends with The Italian Inn. Italian food in Cowtown, the popularity of it (and no burgers or BBQ). I remember going on a date to the Ridglea location. Sadly, neither location exists anymore.

I would have liked more information on the settlements surrounding the Fort. Possibly discussion of the segregation within the city. More talk of the Stock Yards and the Chisolm Trail. There was just so much more that could have been touched upon.