41 replies to this topic

[Jeriat]

That is to say, what if the area in question was renewed as a clean, safe, tourism destination (almost like another Sundance Square, only a little more "PG"), what would southern downtown look and feel like? 

And for that matter:

- Where would the Convention Center be? After all, no major city can't have a CC, right? 

- Would there still be Sundance Square? And if so, would it still be THE main district in downtown or 2nd fiddle to HHA? Or shared? 

- Would it be another 6th Street? A Texas version of the French Quarter? Or something totally different? 
- Where would the Water Gardens be, IF there was a Water Gardens...

 

I only ask because of all the recent photos I've seen of the former, shady district. I've known the area's existence, but been more curious as of late. 

[Austin55]

My best attempts. 

 

I see two scenarios.

 

1, If Hell's half acre had'nt been torn down for the CC it'd have likely been torn town for surface lots and international style high rises with block spanning garages. 

2, If Hell's half acre was preserved. 


With these two in mind, 

 

-The CC would have been built somewhere else in DT perhaps the area around 7th and Texas, or perhaps around the Stock Exchange. 

 

-In scenario 1, Sundance would have likely essentially follow the same route it followed today, assuming the Bass influence. . Had #2 gone through, Sundance would probably not exist. Instead, it would probably be comparable to how Sundance is today, with it being the hub while the rest of downtown exists but isn't as walkable, sort of like how Austin is.  While 6th is the buzzing place to be, the rest of the downtown benefits from it but doesn't necessarily top it. 

 

-Scenario 2 is the only way to answer this, so I simply imagine it like a larger version of Exchange Avenue, and with multiple roads, more urban and less cowboy. Maybe something similar to Nashville's Broadway. It keeps a lot of that country atmosphere.

I also wonder- from an urban prospective-is Downtown in the best state it's ever been at the current time? 

[Fort Worthology]

 

I also wonder- from an urban prospective-is Downtown in the best state it's ever been at the current time? 

 

I'd say no, and followed up with a not even close.  Some of DT is in good shape, some of DT is in OK shape, but there are large swaths of nothingness - not like it was back in the day when there were far fewer surface lots, no giant multi-block-spanning buildings, a greater variety of businesses, etc.  Heck, even just talking about this particular area that's the subject of this post, the south end of downtown is still basically a wasteland thanks to the CC and parking lots (and the leftover effects of I-30).  Not even close to what was there before in terms of urbanism and activity.

 

I was walking around the whole of DT taking photos recently, and it reminded me how far DT really has to go once you parse out Sundance and the "best downtown in America/the world/the universe/whatever the marketing message today is."

[John T Roberts]

I would also have to agree with Kevin.  From the old photographs and from my family's recollection of the way things were, I would have to say that downtown was in the best shape in the late 1940's until the early 1960's.  In my lifetime, I would have to say that it would have been in the early 1960's.  Even at that time, the area of the Convention Center was pretty seedy.  I can also remember when all of those buildings were demolished to built it. 

 

If the Convention Center had not been built on Main Street, it probably would have been built on the southwest end of downtown.

[johnfwd]

I would also have to agree with Kevin.  From the old photographs and from my family's recollection of the way things were, I would have to say that downtown was in the best shape in the late 1940's until the early 1960's.  In my lifetime, I would have to say that it would have been in the early 1960's.  Even at that time, the area of the Convention Center was pretty seedy.  I can also remember when all of those buildings were demolished to built it. 

 

If the Convention Center had not been built on Main Street, it probably would have been built on the southwest end of downtown.

Funny thing, I was just reading the historical plaque at the Convention Center yesterday afternoon.  These developments arise from changing times and needs.  The horse-riding cattle drover industry and cowboy culture contributed largely to Hell's Half Acre.  Then came the trains, planes and automobiles...

[John S.]

We mustn't forget that the "Half Acre" was the subject of never-ending criticism and indignation from the more moral segment of Fort Worth's residents almost from the time it became loosely established during the Cattle Drives 1870's. By the early 1900's local preachers and civic reformers zeroed in on the half acre district as the main source of the city's woes and lack of progress. The concept of rehabilitating a former seedy area's reputation was totally alien in the post-WWII era. A more expedient fix for urban blight was concocted by government urban planners under the generic term: Urban Renewal. Whatever it was called, the government funded program (still around in the form of HUD block grants) amounted to a nationwide demolition program to remove as many 19th century streetscapes as possible while paving the way for the progressive new American city of the future as it was envisioned by 1950's architects and urban planners. This progressive theory was put to the test in our own community when the last remnants of the Half-Acre were razed to make way for the then modern, almost futuristic Convention Center. (now itself appearing quite dated) The gist of my argument is that the fabled Half-Acre district never really had a chance for survival given the decades of outspoken criticism leveled against it. Perhaps some of the Half-Acre's soiled doves found redemption through the efforts of evangelical illuminati like J. Frank Norris, but the district itself had too damaged a reputation to have ever evolved into a tourist destination like the Stockyards. (which is alleged to have a former Bordello or two, BTW) Local historian Richard Selcer's well researched book about the Half Acre is a fascinating read and many of my conclusions are based on the information he presented. While the tangible remnants of the notorious vice district are long gone the legends and lore will live on so long as folks have an interest in them.

[Jeriat]

Seems like the consensus for the Convention Center is around where Burnett Plaza is. 

 

I love our downtown, but yeah, we STILL have a long way to go, even with the progress the city has made since the 90's. 

I just think it would have at least added some more tourist spots and even created another mixed-use area in downtown and extended Main Street. But like I said, I understand the reasons for getting rid of the area, and "Hell's Half Acre" doesn't sound like the best name to market to non-Fort Worthians. Would have been interesting to see what would happen if it stayed. 

[Austin55]

It reminds me of the way St. Louis dealt with their problem district.

[johnfwd]

"Hell's Half Acre" may not be an appropriate name for a city block of reputable retail establishments, but I'd bet some tavern or restaurant would find It a wildly popular name, like "Redneck Heaven" restaurant. 

[LSY]

I'll pass on the redneck stereotype.

[gdvanc]

...A more expedient fix for urban blight was concocted by government urban planners under the generic term: Urban Renewal. Whatever it was called, the government funded program (still around in the form of HUD block grants) amounted to a nationwide demolition program to remove as many 19th century streetscapes as possible while paving the way for the progressive new American city of the future as it was envisioned by 1950's architects and urban planners. ...

 

I've posted this before, but I'll post it again here as it fits nicely with your statement: The Dynamic American City - from the Prelinger Archives collection on the Internet Archive. "From now on we shall be seeing much demolition - the first step in making our cities better places to work, better places to live." Lots of great quotes to make New Urbanists nauseous. Somewhere I lost count of the times the narrator used the words "obsolete" and "obsolescence" in reference to older structures and streetscapes. (There are quite a few other good videos in that and other collections there as well.)

 

As far as Hell's Half Acre goes, I think most of the buildings were pretty much doomed with or without the convention center. My impression is that many of them were poorly maintained by that point. I could be wrong.

 

I wonder if sites farther west might've been considered if not the current site - perhaps closer to the Museum District.

 

I don't think "Hell's Half Acre" would be an unmarketable name in the right context. It still has a bit of mystique and would be no worse than "Sin City". There is a patina of seedy in the images of many cities (Las Vegas, New York, New Orleans, ...) that continue to pull in the tourists. And as much as many here disdain the cowboy image and believe it to be a turn-off, it still sells in some markets. And, no, not just west Texas. The problem is being considered nothing more than a hick town. It's possible to include the western heritage in the marketing mix - and preferable to emphasize it more to some audiences and less to others.

[Volare]

Probably a lot like Omaha's Old Market area. Downtown Omaha is nicer than DT Fort Worth, IMHO.

[RD Milhollin]

" I don't think "Hell's Half Acre" would be an unmarketable name in the right context. It still has a bit of mystique and would be no worse than "Sin City". "

 

No worse than NYC's "Hell's Kitchen"...

[John S.]

 

...A more expedient fix for urban blight was concocted by government urban planners under the generic term: Urban Renewal. Whatever it was called, the government funded program (still around in the form of HUD block grants) amounted to a nationwide demolition program to remove as many 19th century streetscapes as possible while paving the way for the progressive new American city of the future as it was envisioned by 1950's architects and urban planners. ...

 

I've posted this before, but I'll post it again here as it fits nicely with your statement: The Dynamic American City - from the Prelinger Archives collection on the Internet Archive. "From now on we shall be seeing much demolition - the first step in making our cities better places to work, better places to live." Lots of great quotes to make New Urbanists nauseous. Somewhere I lost count of the times the narrator used the words "obsolete" and "obsolescence" in reference to older structures and streetscapes. (There are quite a few other good videos in that and other collections there as well.)

 

Back in the 1950's planners truly believed they could create a better city superior in every way to those that came before. In Brazil, they carved out the Amazon jungle and brought in International style architects Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer to design the city of Brasilia beginning in 1956 and in 1960 started construction as the nation's new capital executed in modernist/International style. Pioneer urban designer Le Corbusier proposed a modernist city of 3 million as far back as 1922. No wonder cartoonists of the '50's believed we would all soon be living like the Jetsons in the not too distant future. But as you noted, post-modernist urban planners see a need for more pedestrian friendly, human scaled cities which is one reason why surviving old 19th century streetscapes have remained so popular over the years. Southlake's Town Square development was designed along those lines. It's interesting to note that Sundance Square as it expands is also decidedly "retro" yet still seems to naturally blend in with the existing streetscape suggesting its a good match. But Hell's Half Acre was not noteworthy architecturally by most accounts. It's immoral reputation was offensive yet fascinating. There have not been suggestions put forward that if the old structures still stood that we could capitalize on reopening a modern red light district but merely a nostalgic wish to preserve the old brothels, saloons, and gambling dens as a legacy of Fort Worth's Wild West past. Given that the Stockyards stand in handily in that regard (at least the Western lore part) the loss of Hell's Half Acre wasn't that bad, in my opinion.

[John T Roberts]

John S., there were a handful of architecturally significant buildings in that area.  If they were to have kept only one, it should have been the Majestic Theater.  The architects for the Convention Center even begged the County to not demolish it.  It would have been a great fit for the center.  The building site was used for the Mechanical Plant for the center.  If they had bought land to the south, that property could have been used for the mechanical equipment.  Eventually, the county purchased that property.  Even though the Majestic Theater would have been more toward the back of the center, it was still close enough to the arena that it could have been integrated into the facility.

[Austin55]

 

I wasn't around at the time, but we're structures like the T&P Station, Sinclair, Will Rogers Tower, etc, viewed in a poor light? Perhaps how we view Brutulism today? Was it a "tear it down, it's worthless" attitude, or a "Just fix it up to look ok" attitude? Was there really any interest in historic preservation? Where even iconic structures like the U.S. Capitol viewed as poor?

Seeing the what happened to 714 Main and the Courthouse's tumor make me think no. 

[John T Roberts]

Back then, anything old was viewed in a poor light.  The Civil Courts Building on the west side of the Courthouse was actually supposed to have a companion on the east side.  Both buildings were going to be designed to handle more floors constructed on top at a future date.  After the eastern building was completed, the Courthouse in the middle was scheduled to be demolished, and then Main Street would be extended through to the Paddock Viaduct.  I'm really thankful this plan was not carried out. 

 

If a building was structurally sound and functional, they just remodeled the base of the building.  714 Main, the Bob R. Simpson Building, the Fair Building (now Star-Telegram), the Fort Worth Club, and others are great examples of this.

[John S.]

John S., there were a handful of architecturally significant buildings in that area.  If they were to have kept only one, it should have been the Majestic Theater.  The architects for the Convention Center even begged the County to not demolish it.  It would have been a great fit for the center.  The building site was used for the Mechanical Plant for the center.  If they had bought land to the south, that property could have been used for the mechanical equipment.  Eventually, the county purchased that property.  Even though the Majestic Theater would have been more toward the back of the center, it was still close enough to the arena that it could have been integrated into the facility.

Thanks, John. I wasn't aware of the theater. Too many great old theaters have been lost across the country.

[Jeriat]

Back then, anything old was viewed in a poor light.  The Civil Courts Building on the west side of the Courthouse was actually supposed to have a companion on the east side.  Both buildings were going to be designed to handle more floors constructed on top at a future date.  After the eastern building was completed, the Courthouse in the middle was scheduled to be demolished, and then Main Street would be extended through to the Paddock Viaduct.  I'm really thankful this plan was not carried out. 

 

 

Wow, seriously? 

That would have been the WORST possible decision this city ever made. Couldn't imagine Main Street without the Courthouse as a bookend. 

[johnfwd]

Someone mentioned letting the passing of "Hell's Half Acre" was one of the worst downtown decisions ever (in another thread lately).  He may be right, but it's passing was certainly lamented  by the cowboys (among others) in the city's midst, who partook of the saloons and brothels.  My understanding is that "Hell's Half Acre" failed to survive the neo-revivalist movement of the fundamentalist Christians in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Remember, those with such religious fervor teamed up with the prohibitionist forces of Carrie Nation and her disciples throughout the country during this period.

 

I'd like to see casino gambling come to the Stockyards, but the remnants of the above religious movement remain even in our century. 

[Fort Worthology]

I think by "Hell's Half Acre," they are referring to the area of downtown that was nuked for the Convention Center.  It kept the name long after there were any cowboys in the area.

[John T Roberts]

Kevin is correct.  The area kept the name long after the cowboys left.  However, there were still several late 1800's buildings that were still standing at the time they were demolished for the Convention Center.  The Jack White Collection has a whole section of photographs devoted to the buildings that were demolished for the center.

[johnfwd]

Also, this 2011 article in the Fort Worth Gazette has what appears to be a creditable historical account with a map of the area.  

 

http://fortworthgaze...e-probably.html

[McHand]

What are the chances of a developer designing a new Hell's Half Acre entertainment district? 

[djold1]

Fort Worth's Hell's Half Acre, extending from about 10th St. down to Lancaster, is simply a romantic dream about 50+ years gone.  There were certainly a few buildings that should have and could have been saved, but by the 50's the Acre was a tired old lady long past her prime of the late 1800's and early 1900's. 

 

Does anyone really doubt that Fort Worth desperately needed a competitive convention center and performance venue by the 1960's? Downtown was run down. Dangerous at night. Retail was fleeing to the suburbs.  The Sun did not Dance at all. 

 

Where was a more logical place to put the new convention center?  The options didn't exist. Exactly where it is now is where it made sense and since that time it has done its job. The would be no new buildings, hotels, retail, Sundance Square and other people pleasing places without the convention center. 

 

As time has passed its style has lost favor.. probably a blessing.  But the resources were there to update several years a go and the resources exist now to send the saucer to its reward to be replaced by something more useful today. 

 

Maybe in remembrance one of the new auditoriums or halls could be be named for Hell's Half Acre.  Except when the Baptists come to convene..  

[McHand]

Except when the Baptists come to convene..  

 

 

I wouldn't worry about 'em.  They have the Seminary. 

 

I think a namesake is a wonderful idea.

[Doohickie]

"Hell's Half Acre" may not be an appropriate name for a city block of reputable retail establishments, but I'd bet some tavern or restaurant would find It a wildly popular name, like "Redneck Heaven" restaurant. 

 

Well someone's exploiting the local color to promote a product....

 

[John S.]

A sinister figure in raggedy clothes to visually represent the "Acre"?  While shady characters were a mainstay of the district quite a few businessmen and other respectable types frequented the Acre. Some of the high-rolling gamblers wore nice suits. Not sure if a Snidely Whiplash type figure really typifies the flavor of the acre but since its for a local brew, I suppose it doesn't matter. An illustration of some grinning "working girls" showing fancy stocking wearing legs out on a balcony or dust-covered Cowboys off the trail and fortune seeking strangers quenching their thirst at a fancy Victorian type bar in a saloon might be more representative of the Acre, but since this is a "limited release" local beer, historical accuracy isn't important. It's the notorious old name that counts...I'll give a thumbs up to any product that commemorates Fort Worth's early history.

[Austin55]

Like Vegas then? Its got a very high class reputation with a seedy underside.

[Volare]

This is what Rahr posted on their Facebook regarding the release and the "sinister character":

 

Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. announces 2015 release of new 4-pack series, Hell’s Half Acre.

August 8th, 2014 – With a focus on producing award winning craft brews, Rahr & Sons will begin a new Limited Release 4-pack series in 2015 with 2 new beer styles planned for 2015 and additional styles to follow in 2016. The 4-pack series will be named “Hell’s Half Acre” as a nod to the notorious historical area of downtown Fort Worth. Nothing in Fort Worth's history is quite as wild as "Hell's Half Acre," a rough and rowdy district filled with saloons, dance halls, gambling parlors, and bordellos. This area thrived in the late 1800s, when cowboys on the Chisholm Trail would stop by, kick up their heels, and patronize the "lonesome doves." Hell's Half Acre was located on the south end of downtown along Commerce and Calhoun Streets. The scandalous activities of Hell’s Half Acre ebbed and flowed throughout the early 1900s. The era of Hell’s Half Acre finally ended when the land was cleared to build the Tarrant County Convention Center in the 1960s. Rahr & Sons hopes to revive the wild and rowdy ways of “The Acre” with a series of big and bold brews worthy of their namesake.

“We felt that the wild and rowdy reputation of the area known as Hell’s Half Acre was the perfect match for our Limited Series of big, bold beers planned for this venture. Hell’s Half Acre managed to push thru prohibition and side-step it’s way into the history books. Our 4-pack series will feature a Rahr family illustration of the human manifestation of “Prohibition” knocking at your door. Here’s to the repeal of prohibition and here’s to Hell’s Half Acre!” -Fritz Rahr

Rahr & Sons will continue to expand it’s offerings thru the Hell’s Half Acre series continually pushing the envelope and seeking national awards for innovative brews.

[johnfwd]

A sinister figure in raggedy clothes to visually represent the "Acre"?  While shady characters were a mainstay of the district quite a few businessmen and other respectable types frequented the Acre. Some of the high-rolling gamblers wore nice suits. Not sure if a Snidely Whiplash type figure really typifies the flavor of the acre but since its for a local brew, I suppose it doesn't matter.

I think you've got a point here, so far as being an art critic is concerned.  The cartoon figure depicted in Rahr & Son's advertising looks more like a Dickens-era character, circa 1850s.  Fort Worth was barely in existence at that time.  I would have suggested a cowboy drover-type or perhaps a Brett Maverick-looking card-sharp caricature.

[Doohickie]

Everybody's a critic. I'm guessing the people drinking the beer in this series will be more concerned about the beer itself. I also wouldn't be surprised if there were a series of logos to go with the different beers, maybe tracing the history of the Half Acre.

[John S.]

 

A sinister figure in raggedy clothes to visually represent the "Acre"?  While shady characters were a mainstay of the district quite a few businessmen and other respectable types frequented the Acre. Some of the high-rolling gamblers wore nice suits. Not sure if a Snidely Whiplash type figure really typifies the flavor of the acre but since its for a local brew, I suppose it doesn't matter.

I think you've got a point here, so far as being an art critic is concerned.  The cartoon figure depicted in Rahr & Son's advertising looks more like a Dickens-era character, circa 1850s.  Fort Worth was barely in existence at that time.  I would have suggested a cowboy drover-type or perhaps a Brett Maverick-looking card-sharp caricature.

 

True. Johnfwd...beaver fur top hats were popular until the time of Lincoln. A Cowboy would be more representative of old Fort Worth if we were looking for authentic cultural icons. An error was made when referring to the Acre's working girls as "Lonesome Doves". The original name came from Lonesome Dove Creek near Grapevine where a group of twelve Peters Colonists gathered in the early 1850's to form the Lonesome Dove Baptist Church. (from J.K. Garrett's Fort Worth-A Frontier Triumph) Of course, author Larry McMurtry took the Lonesome Dove name and made it the title of books, a TV mini-series, and a film script.  I believe the Lonesome Dove reference pertains to the bird call of the American Mourning Dove or also called a Turtle Dove-a very common game bird across the Plains. Loneliness may have been a part of the hard life of the Acre's working girls but the threats from violence/physical abuse, alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as disease were far worse. Local preachers tried to portray the Acre's "soiled doves" as victims of society deserving a better life in their morality sermons aimed at closing down the acre. I think we tend to look back on the Acre nostalgically through rose colored glasses with the passage of time but its difficult to find much positive to say about the district. (outside of the handed-down stories which some are probably pure fabrication such as the "Crucifixion of Sally" for which author of Hell's Half Acre, historian Dr. Richard Selcer, could find no factual evidence to support) Now with all of the talk about the Rahr labeled beer, I feel obliged to try some the next time I encounter the brand.

[John T Roberts]

CBS 11 is starting a five night series on Hell's Half Acre, starting tonight and running every night this week at 10 PM.  If you get a chance, tune in.  I'm sure they will have the series online as well.

[johnfwd]

Here's yesterday's piece.

 

https://dfw.cbslocal...NP1FfYcAL-NC9pQ

[Jeriat]

Forgot to tune in.

Also forgot about this thread, and I'm the one who started it... it's almost a decade old. 

[John T Roberts]

Here's the link to tonight's Part 2 on Hell's Half Acre slightly in advance:

 

https://dfw.cbslocal...els-fort-worth/

[John T Roberts]

Here's the link to Part 3 airing on Wednesday night at 10 PM:

 

https://dfw.cbslocal...y-city-coffers/

[John T Roberts]

Link to Part 4 of the series:

 

https://dfw.cbslocal...own-fort-worth/

[John T Roberts]

The End of Hell's Half Acre.  Part 5 of the series.

 

https://dfw.cbslocal...cre-fort-worth/

[Stadtplan]

The debauchery of Fort Worths Hells Half Acre took no holidays, not even on Christmas BY RICHARD SELCER

Read more at: https://www.star-tel...l#storylink=cpy

(Author-historian Richard Selcer is a Fort Worth native and proud graduate of Paschal High and TCU.)

[johnfwd]

Rightly or wrongly, we tend to judge the past by today's moral standards.  Pity the poor young man of the Wild West.  Little education, most likely job position being as a drover, gun slinger, or outlaw.  Maybe a sheriff's deputy.  Not likely a long life span.  And lacking cultural entertainment in towns like Fort Worth, what else but saloons and brothels?