Fort Worth, once known as “Queen City of the Prairie,” developed as a small frontier outpost during the 1850s, and became the Tarrant County seat in 1860. The arrival of numerous transportation modes and routes, from stage lines to railroads, during the last quarter of the twentieth century made Fort Worth a major hub. In 1920, the Bankhead Highway was rerouted to pass next to the new Army installation, Camp Bowie. The construction of brick paved Camp Bowie Boulevard, eventually lined with restaurants, motels, and gas stations, marked the beginning of the auto-tourism era. In 1957, the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike was constructed north of the Bankhead Highway, diverting traffic away from the historic route and sparing the thoroughfare from later development, leaving its auto-related buildings from the highway’s heyday intact. While you’re in town take a detour across town and release your inner cowboy at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, where cattle drives are a daily event.
Camp Bowie Boulevard
3100-5300 Camp Bowie Blvd.
The main route on the west side of town, its original grassy medians separate sections of brick paving lined with historic gas stations, restaurants, and motels. Be sure not to miss the boulevard’s mosaic tile street names embedded into the curbing.
More Locations in Fort Worth
Hotel Texas
815 Main St.
Opened in 1921, the ornate Hotel Texas, designed by architects Sanguinet and Staats, reflects the booming economy of Fort Worth in the early twentieth century, but perhaps the hotel is even better known for its tragic place in history as the hotel where President John F. Kennedy stayed the night before his assassination. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Firestone Auto Repair Shop
1001 W. 7th St.
During the 1920s, Fort Worth’s 7th Street was known as “Automobile Row,” lined with dealerships and auto shops. This ornate Firestone—meticulously refurbished in the 1990s—remains as a relic from this period in the city’s history; a time when its neon signs were beacons to weary travelers.
Fort Worth Botanic Garden
3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.
Immerse yourself in natural beauty as you wander through the 109 acres comprising the state’s oldest botanic garden. Dedicated in 1933, the garden lets you travel the world—to Europe in the Rose Gardens, to Asia in the Japanese Garden, and across Texas in the Perennial Garden—all without traveling far from the Bankhead Highway.
Landmark Lodge Motel
7501 Camp Bowie Blvd. West
Let the Landmark Lodge’s giant neon red arrow guide you back in time to the 1960s. This modern motel surely was packed with tourists taking in the many sites of bustling Fort Worth.
Griff’s Hamburgers
4224 E. Lancaster Ave.
After checking out all the motels, gas stations, and museums in Fort Worth, you’re going to be hungry. Head to Griff’s Hamburgers and eat in the 1960s A-Frame building for which the iconic regional burger chain was known. Although the business originated in Kansas City, Missouri, this location was the first in Texas and it still sports its original illuminated sign.