7 replies to this topic

[TXKing]

I took a tour of the Top O' Hill Terrace (now Arlington Baptist College) the other day and it revived my interest in the gambling that went on on Jacksboro highway. Does anyone have any old pics or stories to share? Does anyone know anything about the home at 5409 Jacksboro Hwy having been a gambling establishment complete with escape tunnels in the case as of a raid?

[gdvanc]

Top O' the Hill and Jacksboro gambling are brought up here from time to time.

A member once posted a link to pictures of Top O' the Hill when he took the tour, but it looks like he no longer has a flickr account. Here's that thread:

http://www.fortworth...?showtopic=2763

Of course, you can always Google it. I believe some of the images found are from the same person who posted them here:

http://www.google.co.....Hill Terrace"



As for 5409 Jacksboro, there was actually a thread about that on our old forum. The thread was copied to this forum:

http://www.fortworth...p?showtopic=186

Here's another thread on Jacksboro Hwy. Which, as it turns out, you started. :-)

http://www.fortworth...p?showtopic=892

[hankjr]

The 5409 Jacksboro Hy. location looks like probably Elmer Sharp's place back in 1940's and '50's. I met Elmer in Mid-'50's and his lady called "Big Mama", who operated a small honky tonk on South side of Hy. 199 a couple miles West of Lake Worth bridge. In the late '40's I had summer time job with my uncle who was a hard drinking rounder and he related stories about the mysterous house. One I remember was " some go in and don't come out". There is an excerpt from the book " The Godfather Of Poker" an autobiography by Doyle Brunson relating on page 60 a few lines about Elmer Sharp. The book is 2009 edition and gives a lot more insight into Fort Worth gambling back then.

[detail larry]

5409 jacksboro hwy was the old chateu club , elmer sharps house was two blocks east of there. there are still some old timers around iam sure that know about thunder road. it was visited by old blue eyes "sinatra" and many others. most of the big celebs did there thing at pappy kirkwoods 2222 club. back to elmer sharp he was the meanest man on the hwy , he had a pet , a bear , and he use to play rough with him. cliff helton was the so called mayor of jacksboro hwy. if you want to know more just ask ....detail larry

[fortworthman]

Ann Arnold's book : Gamblers & Gangsters: Fort Worth's Jacksboro Highway in the 1940s & 1950s will give you a good start on most of the famous places plus factual stories of what went on at the time. Good book and good read for Fort Worth history buffs

[detail larry]

The 5409 Jacksboro Hy. location looks like probably Elmer Sharp's place back in 1940's and '50's. I met Elmer in Mid-'50's and his lady called "Big Mama", who operated a small honky tonk on South side of Hy. 199 a couple miles West of Lake Worth bridge. In the late '40's I had summer time job with my uncle who was a hard drinking rounder and he related stories about the mysterous house. One I remember was " some go in and don't come out". There is an excerpt from the book " The Godfather Of Poker" an autobiography by Doyle Brunson relating on page 60 a few lines about Elmer Sharp. The book is 2009 edition and gives a lot more insight into Fort Worth gambling back then.

[detail larry]

just for information , elmer sharp was born in 1913 and died in 1972 . and hes buried at blue bonnet hills memorial cemetary ,in colleville.

[Sailor]

I took a tour of the Top O' Hill Terrace (now Arlington Baptist College) the other day and it revived my interest in the gambling that went on on Jacksboro highway. Does anyone have any old pics or stories to share? Does anyone know anything about the home at 5409 Jacksboro Hwy having been a gambling establishment complete with escape tunnels in the case as of a raid?

My grandfather defended Fred Browning and was almost caught in the raid. They mention the guy with the broken leg. They used to go there on Sunday night and play cards....