On this day, December 14, 1918, Leonard Brothers Department Store opened in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. This video was made for our friends who love and remember the iconic department store that serviced a greater community on Leonard’s 100th Anniversary in 2018. Thank you to the many participants of Fort Worth who added pictures and shared how their lives were touched through this pictorial treasure. We hope you enjoy this look into the world of Obie & Marvin Leonard. Thanks for the memories Leonard’s Department Store!
Made for Leonard’s 100th Anniversary in 2018.
*Special thanks for photo courtesy: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collections, UTA Library Special Collection, and numerous people who donated their Santa pics.
Bronze statue of Will Rogers and his horse, Soapsuds in front of Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, TX. Photo Courtesy UTA Libraries Special Collections, W.D.Smith Photography
Do you know the name of the man sitting on the horse? It’s American entertainer, radio personality, film actor, and writer who was famous for his pithy and homespun humor and social commentary. It’s the country’s beloved, Will Rogers. The statue of Will and his horse, Soapsuds, sit in front of his Fort Worth namesake, Will Rogers Coliseum and Pioneer Tower.
Dedication of “Riding Into The Sunset” at Will Rogers Memorial Center, 11-4-1947. General Eisenhower in attendance seated to the left of podium. Photo Courtesy UTA Libraries Special Collections, W.D.Smith PhotographyGood friends having a laugh. Humorist, Will Rogers (left) and Fort Worth’s iconic figure, Amon G. Carter (right).
Will was a close friend to Fort Worth’s, Amon G. Carter, and visited Fort Worth often to enjoy time with his good buddy. August 15th, 1935 brought sad news to many, Will Rogers died in a plane crash at Point Barrow, Alaska territory along with pilot, Wiley Post.
Will Rogers (left) and Wiley Post in possibly the last photo taken of both of them. Standing in front of Wiley’s pontoon plane.
On a trip to the northwest in search of new material for his shows, Rogers decided to join Wylie Post who would be piloting his pontoon plane. The trip had gone well, but on takeoff from Point Barrow, Alaska Territory, the plane flipped nose first killing both Rogers and Post.
Wreckage of death pontoon plane. Newspapers would circulate this photo upon the announcement that Will Rogers had died in a plane crash.
The country was devastated by losing one of it’s most beloved stars, but none more brokenhearted than Amon G. Carter. He would use his immense power and influence to insure that his great friend would be remembered in Fort Worth through the ages.
In 1936 a great memorial would come to fruition in the building of the Will Rogers Memorial Center as part of the grounds of the Frontier Centennial celebration. Amon would commission a bust, a mural and a bronze statue depicting his good friend, Will, even capturing his horse, Soapsuds. The bronze statue, Riding Into The Sunset, would be sculpted by Electra Waggoner Biggs. The niece of Fort Worth’s well known, Electra Waggoner of Thistle Hill, the Wharton-Scott House on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Statue unveiled with sculptor, Electra Waggoner Biggs in attendance. Fort Worth Star Telegram.
“Riding Into The Sunset” is 9’11” tall, 3200 lbs, solid steel poured and in cased in brass. There were four made and all identical. In 1942, the first one was finished and installed in 1947 in front of Will Rogers Coliseum. The second was installed in 1950 on the campus of Texas Tech in Lubbock. The third was also made and installed in 1950 at the grave of Rogers in Claremore, Oklahoma. In 1989, a fourth statue was made and installed at the Anatole Hotel in Dallas.
Amon’s favorite photo of his friend Will Rogers. He would keep this photo framed in his office for the rest of his life. Amon would also use this photo when he commissioned the bust that now stands in the rotunda between the coliseum and the auditorium.
The bust of Will Rogers that stands in the rotunda between the coliseum and auditorium. Made in the likeness of Amon’s favorite photo. It’s tradition to rub his nose for good luck.
The Will Rogers Complex, built in 1936. Named in honor of the world famous writer, actor, and humorist. The photo is an aerial in the days just after it was finished. Photo courtesy UTA Special Collections.
The grand mural of Will Rogers that adorns the wall behind the ticket office in the rotunda of the coliseum that bears his name. Artist Seymour Stone stands next to his creation on the same day that the statue was unveiled.
In 1937, Amon Carter commissioned Electra Waggoner Biggs to sculpt the statue of Will Rogers and his horse, Soapsuds. She finished it in 1942, but Amon decided not to unveil it until 11/17/1947. This photo was taken on that day with Electra standing by the statue that Amon named “Riding Into The Sunset”. Photo courtesy UTA Special Collections.
Special thanks for article collaboration with historian, Mike Musgrove. Photo Courtesy: Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Special Collections, UTA Library W.D. Smith collections
A very well-known haunted cabin lies in Fort Worth at a place called the Log Cabin Village. Among the various historic log cabins in the area dating from between 1843 and the 1880s the most infamous is the one called the Foster Cabin, once owned by a man named Harry Foster and his family and now the location of the village staff’s offices and the gift shop. Built in 1853 near Port Sullivan, Texas the Foster Cabin is one of the few surviving plantation homes in Texas and one of the largest log houses dating to the mid-nineteenth century.
Photo Courtesy: Log Cabin Village of Fort Worth, TX.
According to the lore, Harry Foster’s wife died here in childbirth, after which he went on to marry the nanny, a woman named Jane Holt, who would also die in later years. It is Holt that is said to still remain in the cabin, and one of the biggest signs of her presence is the heavy smell of lilac perfume, which she had been rather fond of in life, which appears from nowhere and dissipates just as quickly. There are also reported mysterious roving cold spots, objects that disappear to turn up in strange places, and anomalous footsteps often heard, especially emanating from the attic above the second floor.
Sweet smells of lilac sweep through the cabin.
It is unknown why this ghost should be the one to remain tethered to this place, but she has become a rather popular curiosity for people visiting @logcabinvillage off University Drive.
The downstairs living area of the Foster Cabin. The fireplace would have been used for warming and cooking in the Foster Cabin.
Do you have a haunting Fort Worth story you’d like to share? Send us a message, we’d love to hear.
In August of 1967 a group of U.S. soldiers hunkers down deep in the steaming jungles of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, 9,000 miles from home. War-weary minds, clouded from months of sleep deprivation and constant enemy fire, search for threads of hope in the dismal situation.
In the darkness, one lone young soldier scrawls a selfless letter, seeking some sort of encouragement, some token of acknowledgement to raise the morale of his comrades.
The letter soon finds its way to DeWitt McKinley, Mayor of Fort Worth. Touched by the simple humility of a hometown soldier in the throes of war, asking for nothing but a glimmer of hope, the Mayor and the people of Fort Worth respond to the heart-felt plea with great compassion.
In September, Fort Worth’s reply to the letter arrives in Vietnam. Duffel bags stuffed with cookies, cakes, and letters of support arrive weekly. Churches, schools, lodges, and Scout troops all confirm their support of the soldiers. Some people offer prayers for the soldiers’ safe return; others just want the troops to know that someone really cares about them. Tucked among the letters and desserts are proclamations declaring that the City of Fort Worth has officially adopted the soldiers, formally known as Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate).
For the soldiers, the flood of reassurance comes at a time when morale is particularly low. One soldier later commented…”You have no idea how that compassion turned us around.”
Memorial plaque in Botanic Gardens for Charlie Company containing the story quoted here.
Thirty-four years later… July 6, 2001. Twenty-nine surviving members of Charlie Company convene at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden to again say “Thank You” to the people of Fort Worth who lifted them up in their time of need. Sadly among the missing is James David “Shorty” Haas, the soldier who, at 18 years of age, wrote the letter that touched so many lives.
Memorial tribute to Charlie Company located in the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.
This memorial stands as a tribute to all those who unselfishly served their country, and as a reminder to us all of the enduring importance of compassion.
Symbolism of the Memorial: *The Circle illustrates both the cohesion of the band of soldiers and the perpetual nature of time, with no beginning and no end. *The Seven Pillars express wholeness and perfection. *The Broken Pillar laid awkwardly askew pays homage to the soldiers who fell in service to their country. *The Bur Oak epitomizes strength and endurance.
The 1907 O’Keefe home once stood on Summit Ave. Fort Worth. Demolished in 1950, the limestone columns were salvaged. Some of these columns can be seen standing at the Charlie Company Memorial in the Botanic Gardens.
The stately 1907 Quality Hill home owned by Cattlemen Col. O’Keefe, 520 Summit Ave. served dual purposes first as a home and then ultimately as a tribute. Upon demolition of this house in 1950 some of the limestone columns were rescued from doom, saved by C.L. Richhart (a dedicated Fort Worth Star Telegram reporter to Amon G.Carter) and stand at this memorial of Charlie Company in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
December 25th, 1988 Charlie Company members send greetings via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to their adoptive “home”.
Members of Charlie Company never forgot the compassion and goodwill shown to them at a time most needed by the Fort Worth community. In December 1988 they would send Christmas greetings of appreciation to Fort Worth through the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Neil P. Anderson building then & now split image. This building has held it’s spot on 7th Street since 1921. The “Cotton Exchange” was built by Sanguinet & Staats after the late Anderson had passed away in 1912, his son’s honor his memory with this namesake. Anderson was a talented broker, putting Fort Worth on the map in setting the pace for cotton trading in the Southwest markets. With cotton bas-reliefs on the outside and adorned with urns on top, this building housed some of the city’s leading businesses. The Exchange closed in 1939, but the Anderson interest owned the building until 1963. A recorded Texas Historic Landmark -1978.
Vaquero de Fort Worth Between downtown and the historic Stockyards stands a sculpture that pays homage to the cultural and economic contributions of the Mexican cattle herders. The more-than-10-foot-tall bronze Vaquero was installed on the corner of North Main Street and Central Avenue in 2012. The sculpture commemorates and preserves the Hispanic history in Cowtown.
A plaque rest beside the Vaquero sculpture reading as follows “ The vaquero, or “cowman,” is a skilled mounted horseman whose stock-tending techniques significantly contributed to the ranching tradition dating back centuries. Originating in Mexico during the Spanish colonial period and continuing into the trail-driving era of the nineteenth century, the vaquero shaped the working methods of the modern-day cattle industry.
Vaquero De Fort Worth plaque
Vaquero de Fort Worth captures the spirit of these proud and skilled men, who left their mark on the city’s cattle industry. Details such as the sombrero, saddle, and chaps are distinguishing elements of the vaquero’s expertise and affirm the rich Hispanic traditions that define the city’s diverse cultural roots. The vaquero’s legacy can still be seen in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.”
1897 Photo Credits: Fort Worth Library and Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, Special Collections University of Texas at Arlington
The parade route lines up in front of the old Fort Worth jail (built 1884) that was located behind the Tarrant County Courthouse. The Labor Day parade is headed east down the 100 block of Belknap Street past the Tarrant County Jail. “John A. Mugg, Jr. is seated on the left in the 1st buggy; his son M.E. Mugg is the small boy in the wagon. John A. Mugg, Jr. was grandson of Archibald Franklin Leonard and Mary Ann Foster Leonard.”
Two interesting points about this photo. One is that the Mugg family pictured here (my third cousins 3x removed) are the grandchildren of Archibald Franklin Leonard. In 1849 Leonard and Henry Clay Daggett (1 of 3 Fort Worth Daggett brothers) became partners in a business of great historical significance. They built a log cabin under a big live oak tree a mile northeast of the original fort (Fort Worth) and opened Fort Worth’s first business: a trading post. That big live oak lives on today in Traders Oak Park on Samuels Avenue.
Trader Oak Park on Samuel Avenue
Second interesting point: We see the first Tarrant County Jail pictured at 100 Belknap. This first permanent jail was built in 1884, directly behind the County Courthouse on Belknap Street (north of the Courthouse). The new County Jail was a magnificent structure, the building was three stories high plus a basement, constructed of brick in a “Victorian” style. The interior doors of the building were steel, the windows and cells had steel bars. The wooden exterior doors had large steel plate coverings. An underground tunnel connected the County Jail and the Courthouse basements, and was used to take prisoners to trial without exposing them to the public or an unsecured area.
Tarrant County Courthouse (right) with old city Jail located behind it off the then Belknap Street.
Take some time out today to step into the past. Visit Turner Oaks Park on Samuels Ave. Sit a spell under the old oak tree and imagine the conversations of sell or trade with the boys at the Fort. Then enjoy a drive behind the courthouse and picture the old jail sitting there and the Mugg family lined up for the 1897 Labor Day parade.
Crystal Springs Dance Hall – The Birthplace of Western Swing (5653 White Settlement Rd) credited as the pre-honky-tonk birthplace of Western Swing. With the help of such Western Swing pioneers as Bob Wills and Milton Brown, the huge old time dance hall became the most popular night spot in the state of Texas for dancing, drinking, and listening to a new music genre that fused West Texas Fiddle with Hillbilly Hokum, New Orleans Jazz, Mississippi Blues and even Mariachi.
The pavilion got its start as a Trinity Riverfront swimming hole in March 1916 under the proprietorship of “Papa” Sam Cunningham and continued to remain under family control until fire consumed it in December 1966. It was named for the natural springs at the site. The dance hall was set up from a discarded building moved from nearby military Camp Bowie. In 1930, the Lightcrust Doughboys featuring Bob Wills with his amazing fiddle breakdowns and Milton Brown’s melodic vocals, attracted thousands of dancers and their families who came to swim in the clear crystal springs and hear this awesome new fusion of hot dance music.
The music venue grew and in 1932 moved into a new building constructed on the premises. This structure had a capacity of about 1,000 persons and could accommodate approximately 800 on its dance floor. By 1933, people at the Crystal Springs Dance Hall could hear Milton Brown singing popular tunes of the day after he formed his own band, the Musical Brownies, they became the featured performers there. People walked, drove, and even took the Crystal Springs shuttle bus from downtown Fort Worth to hear Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies play a totally new kind of dance music called cowboy string jazz, where Milton’s innovative steel guitarist (Bob Dunn) literally invented the world’s first amplified electric guitar. In addition to Brown’s famous group, the hall had a modestly successful house band called the Crystal Springs Ramblers. Look up these groups on YouTube for a step into the past!
