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All About The Lost Maps of Fort Worth on CDROM |
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Click here to buy this CDROM on Amazon.com
The Lost Maps of Fort Worth CDROM is now up to 270+ digital pages packed full of old maps, pictures, captions and old clippings arranged to present an eclectic history of the city’s first 100 years. A number of uncommon Tarrant maps are included as well.
Note: This CDROM has been tested only on Windows® XP & Vista. It does not run on the current Mac operating systems or on Linux operating systems without Windows® emulation software.
If this were a printed publication then it might be described as a thick, large format coffee table book that is very pleasant to look at and read casually. We all have these fine books in our collection.
The Lost Maps of Fort Worth is a digital book that is also very pleasant to look at and read in a casual fashion. Unlike a printed book however, the digital format offers an expanded reading and viewing experience that actually allows the reader to become intimately involved through the ability to zoom deeply into any map, picture or clipping while panning across the image. Suddenly visible are details on a map or picture that would be obscure or practically invisible from a regular printed page or even the original map or picture itself. The reader can easily see things that previously only a cumbersome high power magnifier could bring out. In addition, the digital format allowed cross linking topics and pages together so that back referencing and comparisons are easy. Bookmark tabs allow easy navigation between sections.
Tying Fort Worth history to its maps is a little different approach, but one that has a number of advantages. Like pictures and illustrations, maps provide a visual window into the specific moment when they are published. When used with historical text to fill in the details, the result can be illuminating.
This collection is probably the first time that all these major maps of Fort worth have been assembled for easy view in one place. It has taken over 10 years to gather all these maps together.
Mystery: One of the objectives during our development was to try to answer some of the little mysteries abounding in Fort Worth lore as well as to offer some fact based starting points for those that might want to pursue various historical topics on their own. While there is a good deal of useful genealogical material included, no attempt was made to do more than casually include individual or family histories.
History: The history we present here is not always the textbook party line. We hope that our dating and presentation is accurate, but there was no intent to produce a rigorous scholarly work. Since the digital format allows us to periodically update to a new version we hope that the reader will give us the benefit or their opinions and any corrections or additions that would improve the product.
The linked Table of Contents is 8 pages long with about 30 lines per page. Here is a quick summary of the general organization of the Lost Maps of Fort Worth digital book:
The Great Maps of Fort Worth: These include most of the major city & street maps of Fort Worth from the earliest days to 1950. It consumes about the first 75 pages and is in chronological order giving a good idea of the changes as the Fort Worth grew. They are presented in groups from 1853-1900, 1900-1920, 1920-1930, 1930-1940 and 1940-1950. In this category we begin to explore through his maps, the effect that George Kessler, the famous landscape architect of the early 1900’s had on the Trinity Bluffs, road planning and the city park lands.
While not rare, many of these historic maps truly have been lost to most historians and casual lovers of Fort Worth history because they have been spread widely across a number of private owners, libraries, museums and in other places. Many have been buried out of easy sight.
Some of the maps are on a single page and a few are spread across two facing pages or double trucked. All can be zoomed into and panned by the reader. These maps generally have a caption and description and comments on their general place in the city history. Often they are surrounded on the pages by seldom seen pictures or illustrations of the time. News clips from publications of the time are also included where appropriate to fill in the historic content.
Central Business District: This section is a group of older maps of the CBD or Central Business District. Because of its physical restrictions the Fort Worth business district could not expand a lot, but the internal changes were constant in the district.
Plats & Small Maps: Contains a miscellaneous collection of Fort Worth maps of all kinds. Plat maps, promotional maps, brochure maps Oil & gas maps, and maps of small sections of the city and county. These include some old plat maps of Poly and Riverside/Sylvania as well as some real estate promotional plats that are both interesting and entertaining. You may be surprised at what can be found here as we move over 112 pages of maps in total to this point.
Special Collections: In this section we use our maps as a general framework to present some history on specific topics that keep recurring in the Fort Worth story. This section has about 70 pages densely illustrated pages.
Camp Bowie: A fairly complete summary of the World War I army training camp that sprang up in the Arlington Heights area. Included are the two best maps of Camp Bowie and Arlington Heights plus some excellent pictures and illustrations.
North Fort Worth ~ The Stockyards: Deep with maps, illustrations and pictures of this vibrant area that sprang up after 1890. This is a big section with some material that is not too common.
Power Plants: Selections from a collection of pictures, maps and illustrations that light up Fort Worth. Lots of smokestacks.
Water: Water has always been important to the growth of Fort Worth as has its relation to the Trinity River. This is a long section covering many facets including the river, flood control, the Trinity bridges, the waterworks, the quest for reliable artesian water, the development of Lake Worth as both a stable water supply and recreational spot, some of the other recreational lakes and their facilities. There is a large amount of history here beginning with an 1880 map proposing a large bridge across the Trinity behind the courthouse.
Hell’s Half Acre: Everyone has heard of it, very few know where it was and what it really was. The excellent maps tell the story and the illustrations and old clips fill it out. And then there’s Etta Place…
Arlington Heights: This 1890’s suburb to the west has always captured the interest of those who like Fort Worth history. Included are some good maps, pictures and clips including the fabled Arlington Inn. All this ties in well with the Camp Bowie section above.
The Spring Palace: This section has a little different slant than the standard tales we hear now. Told in the voice of those publications that covered the successful first year and the tragic second year. And there’s a little mystery attached.
Parks & Plans: As Fort Worth grew there were many park plans set forth and renderings of proposed business and governmental buildings drawn that never materialized. This section has a few pages on some of the most interesting.
Cemeteries: Fort Worth has two beautiful old public cemeteries that have accumulated a great deal of history. Most of the history is due to those who are buried there, but the cemeteries themselves have generated a little news and history on their own which we touch upon in a few pages.
Transportation: Fort Worth could not have survived without excellent transportation both internally and for trade & commerce. Before the railroad came in 1876 everything moved into and out of the area in small slow wagons or on stage coaches. After that time, the city began to grow rapidly and by 1900 was becoming a major Texas city. This section is something over 40 pages long.
Transit: A detailed look at the maps and views of the excellent streetcar, trolley & interurban systems that lasted until the late 1930’s and the motor coach or bus lines that continued until after World War II. There is a considerable amount of seldom seen maps and views in this section.
Railroads: Even before the first railroad made it into the city, the dreamers like B.B. Paddock were envisioning vast feeder lines bringing the raw materials from west Texas into Fort Worth and then onto the Gulf or to the east. For the most part those dreams were realized and the city became a major rail center. Included are some unusual and scarce maps of the railroad facilities as well as some interesting images of the old depots, scarce switching maps & rail yard detail maps as well as some scheduling information.
Flight: A section of maps and images of the early airports including the World War I military bases that were satellites to Camp Bowie.
Roads & Highways: Not only was Fort Worth on the major cattle trails it was always on the major wagon and stage roads that crossed Texas. As the road systems grew and pavement between cities expanded the access to the city became better and added to its dominance of west Texas trade. The growth of the road system is shown in a series of maps and views. Also shown is the graphic way that road maps themselves changed.
City Views: We have included over 20 pages of some interesting and sometimes stunning aerial and panoramic views of the city.
Tarrant County: With county maps dating from 1885 to the 1940’s, these county maps put Fort Worth and the other cities into perspective. These maps graphically show the road systems, land ownership, the schools, churches, geographic and topographic features and other detail. Included in the collection is the fabulous 1895 Sam Street map of Tarrant County. Included are some images of the time.
1924 Fort Worth Plat Map: The 1924 Brookes Baker city plat map in the Electric Books Collection runs to 350+ pages showing intense detail. We have included the four sectional guide maps from this volume.
Reference: This section was developed to allow us to add bulky historical material that we hope will flesh out some of the earlier material for those that are interested. Topics included expanded waterworks material, some more items on Arlington Heights, Hell’s Half Acre related material on Jim Courtright and Luke short including the great railroad strike of 1886 and the shoot out near the White Elephant saloon. Also included is a long clip on George Kessler’s 1910 analysis of Fort Worth, the use and preservation fo othe Trinity bluffs and its possibilities as a place of major parks.
Index: The two page simple Index starts at page 275.
The suggested retail pricing of $20.00 USD has not increased.
The Lost Maps of Fort Worth CDROM is currently available at: The Stockyards Museum in the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building Fort Worth Museum of Science & History ~ 600 Gendy, Fort Worth Books, Etc, in the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building Mapsco, 6353 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth Mail Orders: (US Only) Send a check for $20.00 USD to: Electric Books 5704 Stone Meadow Lane Fort Worth, TX 76179 Or purchase with a credit card direct from our eBay Store below |
