Texas is cattle country, and there probably isn’t a better testament to that than the Fort Worth Stockyards. The stockyards became an important part of the Texas story thanks to the cattle trade, which took off in the 1870s when they started nailing down tracks for railroads. The meatpacking companies followed, and by 1907, published reports claimed a million cattle were sold each year at the stockyards
These days, more tourists than cattle are herded through the stockyard district, which was designated as a historical site in 1976. Its a place where you can get a taste of old Texas. But later today, Fort Worth city council will take a vote that could change the stockyard district forever. KERA’s Fort Worth-based reporter Christopher Connelly has been following the story. He says a California-based developer is teaming up with a local Fort Worth-based company for a development near the stockyards, and the boundaries for the historical district are up for debate. But many residents aren’t happy about the plan.
“Their vision, I think, is trying to be in keeping with the legacy of the stockyards, but it’s kind of come into conflict with what preservationists see as preserving the historical buildings in the stockyards to keep it what it has always been for to the city,” he says.
What you’ll hear in this interview:
– What the plans for the development include
– What it means for the historic buddings currently in the district
– How residents feel about the proposal
