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#1 klopton

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Posted 18 March 2006 - 06:06 PM

Does anyone know the specific location of Amon Carter's Shady Oak Farm. I'd specifically like to know where the main house was located.

#2 Dismuke

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Posted 18 March 2006 - 11:51 PM

QUOTE(klopton @ Mar 18 2006, 08:06 PM)  

Does anyone know the specific location of Amon Carter's Shady Oak Farm. I'd specifically like to know where the main house was located.



I have always wondered that.

Somebody once told me that it was at the location of today's Shady Oak Country Club - but I am not sure if that is the case or not. If you go to this website, you will see the following quote that suggest that the country club location might be it:

"On a hill to the east, overlooking the entire area of the bomber plant and airbase, was Amon Carter's Shady Oak Ranch. From his porch Carter could survey the activities of both facilities as they grew and, just beyond the bomber plant, he could clearly see where the west begins."


The only problem with that is Shady Oak Form is almost always referred to as "near Lake Worth" and the country club is not exactly what I would call near the lake. There is a Camp Amon Carter owned by the YMCA that is near the lake and I have wondered if that might perhaps have been the location of Shady Oaks Farm. It is an interesting question because a great many very famous individuals were guests at the farm over the years.
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#3 Yossarian

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Posted 19 March 2006 - 07:52 AM

QUOTE
I have always wondered that.

Somebody once told me that it was at the location of today's Shady Oak Country Club - but I am not sure if that is the case or not. If you go to this website, you will see the following quote that suggest that the country club location might be it:

"On a hill to the east, overlooking the entire area of the bomber plant and airbase, was Amon Carter's Shady Oak Ranch. From his porch Carter could survey the activities of both facilities as they grew and, just beyond the bomber plant, he could clearly see where the west begins."

The only problem with that is Shady Oak Form is almost always referred to as "near Lake Worth" and the country club is not exactly what I would call near the lake. There is a Camp Amon Carter owned by the YMCA that is near the lake and I have wondered if that might perhaps have been the location of Shady Oaks Farm. It is an interesting question because a great many very famous individuals were guests at the farm over the years.


Shady Oak Ranch (Amon's) was on the W/NW side of Lake Worth. What today is Shady OakS Country Club is on land that belonged to the Leonard family.

#4 JulieM

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Posted 19 March 2006 - 08:38 PM

I grew up one street over from Shady Oaks and used to walk through one of the Leonard's yard to get to Shady Oaks. Fond memories.

#5 Yossarian

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 07:08 AM

QUOTE
one of the Leonard's yard


Well, not exactly. You would have walked through one of two Leonard daughter's yards who by then had different last names...

The Leonard home was at the western dead end of Bryce Ave. The son of the owner of the Houston Texans bought that property about 5 or 6 years ago. A subsequent divorce led to them sell it and it is now subdivided out for 1 to 2 acre homesites.

#6 JulieM

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 11:52 AM

Actually it was O.P. Leonard's yard. There was another Leonard two houses down on Indian Creek and I babysat for two more of the Leonard's in Ridgmar. All with the last name of Leonard.

#7 Yossarian

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 12:43 PM

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Actually it was O.P. Leonard's yard.


Oh, you are right. I had forgotten that O.P. lived on Indian Creek.

#8 JulieM

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 01:12 PM

They had the hugest RV I had ever seen. I remember not to fondly walking down their driveway and waving hello to Mrs. Leonard and having Mr. Leonard jump out from behind it. Got me every dang time.

#9 Yossarian

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 01:37 PM

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They had the hugest RV I had ever seen.


His brother in law had a fabulous early sixties Rolls that my father borrowed to cart my sister and brother in law from their reception ... 20 years ago. Funny, just thinking, but my godfather has a late sixties Rolls and lives about six or so doors down. Must be something about that block.

#10 JulieM

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 02:27 PM

Did you know Bill Paxton and family lived two houses west of the senior Leonards?

#11 Yossarian

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 02:36 PM

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Did you know Bill Paxton and family lived two houses west of the senior Leonards?


Which "senior" Leonards? It would have been impossible to live "2 houses west" of OP senior's house on Bryce.

#12 JulieM

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 03:02 PM

I meant O.P. sorry.

#13 Yossarian

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 03:12 PM

In relation to your question then, i did not. Interestingly, the mother of Harriet Sansom Harris (of Desperate Housewives fame and old friend of Bill Paxton) lived accross the sreet and one block east of OP senior's estate until her death seven years ago.

#14 hooked

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Posted 20 March 2006 - 03:50 PM

QUOTE(Yossarian @ Mar 20 2006, 03:12 PM)  

In relation to your question then, i did not. Interestingly, the mother of Harriet Sansom Harris (of Desperate Housewives fame and old friend of Bill Paxton) lived accross the sreet and one block east of OP senior's estate until her death seven years ago.


Elanor was one of the most interesting people I've ever met. It's easy to see where Harriet gets her flair for the dramatic. She was great as Frasier's agent. I was glad to see her in the new role.

#15 klopton

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Posted 21 March 2006 - 04:30 PM

Well, I think I answered my own question. I called the Amon Carter Foundation and spoke with Patrick Harris, Executive Vice-President and he said that the farm was indeed located where the country club now sits. He said that after Carter died the Leonard brothers bought the land and opened the country club. (circa 1956) He told me that the house burned down several years ago and a lot of memorabilia was lost including photos and shady oak hats.

#16 Yossarian

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Posted 21 March 2006 - 07:57 PM

From Wikipedia:

"The well-publicized hospitality of his Shady Oak Farm near Lake Worth was open to any major celebrity or businessman passing through Fort Worth."

Shady Oak Ranch(Farm) was indeed located on Lake Worth's upper west and northwest side. Whereas Amon may have owned the land where Shady Oaks CC sits at one time, that IS NOT where the famed outpost was located - with all due respect to Mr. Harris, he is wrong. My source on this remembers visiting Shady Oak on numerous occasions as her parents where close friends of Amon and Minnie.

#17 JulieM

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Posted 21 March 2006 - 08:37 PM

Wow, I went to the Shady Oaks website to read about it. I had no idea that the club had been damaged by fire and because of asbestos torn down and replaced with a new structure. Oh the fun we had there in high school playing tennis and swimming. I loved playing golf there with my dad. It's the most difficult course I have ever played.

I need to go back through my really old photos and see if I have any pictures of the clubhouse. I've found several taken by the pool and in the Acorn room, but nothing of the clubhouse.

#18 klopton

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Posted 21 March 2006 - 10:01 PM

I think I agree w/ Yossarian on this but the question is where exactly on the west or northwest side of the lake was it. I know there's a street called Shady Oak Manor that's off Jacksboro Highway and 820, but this isn't exactly west or northwest. You do get a straight shot view across the lake to the airbase and the plant from this point but like I said, it's on the east side of the lake. I've always assumed that he had a golf course on his farm because you can read about celebs and such going to the farm and playing golf.

#19 Yossarian

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Posted 21 March 2006 - 10:50 PM

I'll check about the golf. The stories about looking down on the "bomber plant" may be exagerated. I have been led to believe that it was far enough up the lake so that it was not readily accessable by The West Texan should it have been on the lake.

#20 wbutler

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Posted 19 April 2006 - 06:11 PM

QUOTE(klopton @ Mar 18 2006, 07:06 PM)  

Does anyone know the specific location of Amon Carter's Shady Oak Farm. I'd specifically like to know where the main house was located.

Are you talking about Amon Carter's Shady Oaks Farm? If you are it was located on north side of Lake Worth across Meandering Rd. from the lake. If you are familiar with the lake the entrance was directly across from Reynold's Inlet. Nothing is still standing. As late as a year ago the Shady Oaks Lake was still there. For years the property has been dumped on, even though it is posted. It is shown on The Lake Worth Map(ca. 1939). The lake maps used to be free and available at Water Dept.Production/Lake Worth, 7601 Cahoba Drive. Aerial photos can be purchased from Special Collections Division at U.T. Arlington.

#21 Buck

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Posted 20 April 2006 - 10:10 AM

Is this on Cahoba?

Can we get a better location? I don't have a map that shows Reynold's Inlet.

#22 klopton

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Posted 20 April 2006 - 02:09 PM

I looked on Google Maps earlier and there's a triangle-shaped area between 820, Jacksboro HWY and Cahoba. There was a small pond on the map and a few apartments nearby on a street called Shady Oak Manor. This area is directly across the lake from the NAS runway. Is this the area to which you're referring?

QUOTE(Buck @ Apr 20 2006, 11:10 AM)  

Is this on Cahoba?

Can we get a better location? I don't have a map that shows Reynold's Inlet.



#23 fwpcman

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Posted 21 April 2006 - 10:24 AM

I have a 1943 map that has Shady Oak listed on it. It was located directly east of where Osage Trail dead ends into Dakota Trail in Lake Worth (then called the town of Indian Oaks) making it about 1 to 1.25 miles north/northeast of the main runway of Carswell. Where Cahoba Drive currently is, was then called Reynolds. Where Charbonneau Road currently is, was then called Indian Oaks. All of this was located very close to the current intersection of Jim Wright Freeway and Quebec Street or maybe up to a half mile west of there.

#24 wbutler

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Posted 21 April 2006 - 01:18 PM

QUOTE(klopton @ Apr 20 2006, 03:09 PM)  

I looked on Google Maps earlier and there's a triangle-shaped area between 820, Jacksboro HWY and Cahoba. There was a small pond on the map and a few apartments nearby on a street called Shady Oak Manor. This area is directly across the lake from the NAS runway. Is this the area to which you're referring?

QUOTE(Buck @ Apr 20 2006, 11:10 AM)  

Is this on Cahoba?

Can we get a better location? I don't have a map that shows Reynold's Inlet.


Apparently you were looking in the right place. Shady Oaks Lake is still there, sorta. I have a map that shows it but I don't know how to send it. I also have an aerial photo the property.

#25 headlinesman

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Posted 15 June 2008 - 06:46 PM

I just discovered this website about a week ago and have been fascinated with it since then. From the time I was 6 mos old until i was twelve ('47 - '59) our property abuted Shady Oaks Farm on the west side. We lived in the 2900 block of Caddo in Indian Oaks. Shady Oaks Farm ran from the intersection of Jacksboro Hwy and Roberts Cutoff all the way down to Indian Oaks. There was no development on the south side of Jacksboro Hwy at that time. It ran south all the way to Meandering Road, or just accross the street from Lake Worth. So the farm was bounded by Jacksboro Hwy & Carbonneau on the north, Roberts Cutoff and Meandering Road on the east, Indian Oaks on the west, and Meandering Road on the south. This was our playground, although as a 10 year old I was intimidated by the Brahama cattle on the place. I have fished in the pond. It didn't hurt that my Cub Scout den mother's father was the caretaker. I remember Mr. Carter had an open air bar which decorated as an old west saloon. The brick work around the base of the flag pole was beautiful, I read one time that Billy Rose had the flagpole constructed whan he was here at Casa Manan in '36. You could always tell when Amon was entertaining as there would be numerous flags on the flag pole.

#26 Buck

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Posted 15 June 2008 - 07:59 PM

So where was the ranch house?

#27 headlinesman

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Posted 15 June 2008 - 09:14 PM

You can see the stand of trees from 820.
About 100-150 yds northeast of the Navajo exit, about 200 yds south of 820. I was there a few years ago with a metal detector. Nothing is left. From 820 look south and you will see some trees a little taller than the others. Lots of interesting things about Shady Oaks. When I was a kid the Isaac Parker log cabing now in log cabin village was on Shady Oaks. Once when I was little a B-29 hit a tree in our back yard and crashed on the farm. We used to find pieces of metal from the plane.

#28 cbellomy

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Posted 15 June 2008 - 09:42 PM

Great thread! I grew up across the lake from Shady Oak Farm, never realizing that the view from my house was locally historic. All this time I assumed it was located where Camp Carter is today. Another reason to love the FW Forum!


#29 Buck

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Posted 16 June 2008 - 08:54 AM

So is there really a B-36 at the bottom of the lake?

#30 cbellomy

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Posted 16 June 2008 - 09:16 AM

QUOTE (Buck @ Jun 16 2008, 09:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So is there really a B-36 at the bottom of the lake?


Very doubtful. The U.S. military has never been inclined to leave its hardware laying around for anybody to scavenge. In 1985 when the F-4 crashed in the lake, the Air Force had that part of the lake cordoned off and the surrounding roads blocked within an hour, and it stayed that way until they recovered the aircraft.


#31 hankjr

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Posted 25 July 2008 - 09:35 AM

regarding Amon Carters Lake Worth area farm or ranch brings back a memory of a time when my dad and brother and I were checking on cattle we pastured at Charbonneau's acreage on Azle Av. It was probably during the 1940's and Mr. Charbonneau got a phone call from Carter place that they had a grass fire and needed help. We all rushed over and grabbed some burlap bags (tow sacks back then) wetted them down and became real smoke eaters. We did get the fire out after a while. Those were the days. One thing about the Carter place that sticks in my memory was a building with open front that had a full size replica of a horse. Very impressive for a depression era child to behold.

#32 fjc1522

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Posted 17 August 2017 - 12:36 PM

Amon Carter Shady Oak Farm location – Lake Worth, Texas

 

Identified as being located on the Southeast side of Loop 820 (Jim Wright Freeway), just Southwest of SH 199 (Jacksboro Hwy\Lake Worth Blvd.) and between Cahoba Dr. and Quebec St. overlooking the southeast end of Lake Worth.  On the west side of Loop 820 the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is almost opposite across from the farm.  Former Carswell AFB is visible almost due south of the farm location across the waters of Lake Worth. Much of the acreage attributed to the farm appears to be acquired for the right of way for Loop 820 (Jim Wright Freeway).

 

As of date August 2017 per Google Maps the only remains of the farm are the pilings for the dock in the private lake, no other traces of the farm remain. There is currently a natural gas well facility on land that appeared to be part of an orchard next to the main house during the existence of the farm. (Note: I have not visited the location other than Google Maps and the mentioned websites below.)

 

Identification of the Shady Oak Farm location gathered from information in previous http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/ forum discussions regarding Shady Oak Farm and with a little investigative work using https://www.historicaerials.com/ the key’s to identification of the Shady Oak Farm location was locating Amon Carter's Travel Air 5000 aircraft after being noted it was located on the farm until the early 1960's and Amon Carters black bass stocked private lake.

 

 

In the early 1960’s it's believed, based on information from web articles posted on following Fort Worth related historical websites http://historicfortw...-5000-aircraft/ and http://fortworthavia...ravel-air-5000/ Amon Carter’s Travel Air 5000 was purchased and moved to Hamilton Texas for restoration by a Mr. Harry Hansen, then acquired by the Fort Worth Aviation Museum through several intermediaries from Mr. Hansen sometime after 2010 for complete restoration and display at the Historic Star-Telegram Building (400W. 7th Street, Ft Worth , Texas).

 

I have prepared a PDF document containing images of the farm location from 1952 through 2017 that will attached to this post once able to upload the PDF.



#33 Doohickie

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Posted 17 August 2017 - 01:28 PM

Identified as being located on the Southeast side of Loop 820 (Jim Wright Freeway), just Southwest of SH 199 (Jacksboro Hwy\Lake Worth Blvd.) and between Cahoba Dr. and Quebec St. overlooking the southeast end of Lake Worth.  On the west side of Loop 820 the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is almost opposite across from the farm.  Former Carswell AFB is visible almost due south of the farm location across the waters of Lake Worth. Much of the acreage attributed to the farm appears to be acquired for the right of way for Loop 820 (Jim Wright Freeway).

 

Based on your description, it looks like it was at the western end of the small lake (pond?) in this view from Google Maps.  Going to HistoricAerials, the buildings are visible just west of the lake from 1952 to 1970; by 1979 they're gone and the trees are taking over.


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#34 RD Milhollin

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Posted 18 August 2017 - 11:15 PM

Too bad this important part of Fort Worth's history was neglected into oblivion. There were lots of very famous and/or influential people who were guests of Mr. Carter there back in the day. 






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