In the aftermath of the Mexican American War, the U.S. War Department decided to establish a series of ten forts in the vicinity of Texas’ Trinity River. The government hoped the military outposts would protect the hundreds of settlers passing through the area to settle territories further west. The main sponsor for the whole assignment was General William Jenkins Worth, a war hero who had commanded all the local army units in the region. Construction on the forts began in 1848, although General Worth died just a few months into the project. The loss of his influence undermined its overall progress, resulting in the creation of just seven bases. One such station was developed at the confluence of the West and Clear Forks of the Trinity River. Life at the newly created fort would prove to be difficult, as it was constantly beset by frequent floods. To remedy the problem, General William S. Harney, Worth's replacement, subsequently instructed Major Ripley A. Arnold to find another suitable location for the garrison. Major Arnold rebuilt the facility atop a nearby bluff in 1849, which he named “Fort Worth” in honor of the late General Worth. Nevertheless, Fort Worth remained small for some time, despite its strategic importance to the federal government. U.S. Army officials had gradually concluded that the cost to operate the fort was too great and abandoned it just a few years later.

But a vibrant village had sprung up around the now-defunct fort. Adopting the same name as the deserted outpost, it had specifically emerged due to the development of a prosperous local livestock trade. Indeed, countless cowboys had started to drive their cattle through the area along a route that would become the legendary “Chisholm Trail.” Trinity River was an important pitstop along the trail, as its water was used regularly to refresh the ranchers’ animals. Several entrepreneurs decided to open their own business in the vicinity of Fort Worth as a way of supporting the countless cattle drives that passed through the area. The ranching industry thus became thoroughly ingrained in the local community by the eve of the American Civil War, with many throughout Texas referring to it as “Cowtown.” The new town of Fort Worth grew rapidly during the latter half of the 19th century too, reaching the size of an actual city in decades. However, railroads soon supplanted the Chisholm Trail as the preferred method of transportation among the cattle ranchers, which gave rise to a massive depot known as the “Fort Worth Stockyards.” Many new auxiliary businesses opened around the same time that continued to provide services to the visiting cowboys. Some of the most prominent were recreational in nature, such as saloons and gambling parlors. Most of those venues debuted inside a specific section of Fort Worth that was notoriously called “Hell’s Half Acre.” The neighborhood quickly attracted all kinds of infamous gamblers, outlaws, and lawmen including Doc Holliday and the Earp brothers.

Fort Worth grew to resemble a typical metropolis in the Old American West, although several of the city’s leading citizens came to initiate a social reform movement that turned areas like Hell’s Half Acre into modern-like suburbs. Fort Worth’s economy remained strong for generations thereafter, especially once land surveyors discovered oil reserves nearby. Prolific petroleum companies debuted in downtown Fort Worth as a result, including the Sinclair Refining Company, Texaco, and the Humble Oil and Refining Company, a precursor to the formidable Exxon Mobil Corporation. Fort Worth is still one of Texas’ most celebrated cities, thanks in large part to its prosperous economy. In fact, the city is currently home to such renowned corporations as American Airlines, Pier 1 Imports, and GM Financial. Fort Worth is a major cultural capital, hosting respected cultural institutions like Texas Christian University (TCU), Texas Wesleyan, and the Texas A&M University School of Law. Tourism is a significant part of the city’s current identity with thousands of visitors arriving each year. Cultural heritage travelers have thoroughly enjoyed experiencing Fort Worth and its many fascinating attractions, including the Kimbrell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

When architect Preston Geren Jr. originally built the Hotel Texas’ gorgeous annex, he chose the aesthetics of Mid-Century Modern design as the source of his inspiration. An offshoot of the earlier International and Bauhaus movements, Mid-Century Modern sought to portray a seemingly futuristic aesthetic that reflected the popular concepts of civic progress. Professional architects utilized the style from the 1930s to the 1960s, when American society was rapidly undergoing huge transformations. Architects thus embraced the design ideals of function, simplicity, and rationality to create sleek-looking structures with a communal purpose. Mid-Century Modern designs made explicit use of vertical, flat lines and irregular rectangular shapes that conveyed a lack of formality. Overt ornamentation was abandoned, too, as monochromatic brickwork, steel, and concrete served as the essential building blocks for the exterior. Inside, most of the rooms were subdivided into split levels, giving a sense that the structure had undergone a notable change in elevation. Modernist buildings featured wide, open spaces filled with natural light that represented practicality and comfort. Large windows often functioned as the primary way the architects achieved such a feature. The introduction of spacious windows sought to better incorporate nature into the design, making the surrounding landscape seem as if it were part of the building itself.