HISTORY
The TCU neighborhood gets its
name from the major land owner in the area, Texas Christian University.
The original grantees were Maria Josepha Arocha in 1875, and
John W. Asbury in 1863. The university began in Fort Worth in
1873, but left due to the raucous character of this western town.
In 1910, the college returned, lured by an offer of 56 acres
and $200,000. Fort Worth's population in the 1910 Census was
73,312, and T.C.U. was then located a long way from the city.
The presence of the school encouraged development to the southwest
as the street car line was routed to the campus, and streets
were paved soon after. The area was not annexed by the city until
1922.
The areas to the east of the
present campus, including what is known as Park Ridge and Forest
Park Village, have legal descriptions of Frisco Heights, platted
in 1906, and Prospect Heights, platted in 1890, but are commonly
known as the TCU area. T.C.U. was an early owner of some of that
land in 1929, but sold it to individuals soon after. Part of
the area was occupied as early as 1907 with many lots being purchased
before 1910. The Fort Worth Development Company began developing
some of the land in 1908. One early owner was the McCart family.
The area was annexed by Fort Worth in 1922.
In 1914, Fort Worth was made
a mobilization point for the volunteer army if peace negotiations
fell through and President Wilson declared war against Mexico.
Major Davis picked out the "prairie" near Forest Park
as an area where large bodies of soldiers could be placed and
have a pure drinking water supply at hand, as well as surface
water for stock, washing and other purposes.
In 1923, the City of Fort Worth developed the Worth Hills Golf Course. In 1962, needing more campus space, T.C.U.'s President, Dr. M.E. Sadler, made a trade with the City. He agreed to pay a large sum for the golf course so that the city could buy land near Benbrook Lake for a municipal course, if the city would pay an equal sum to make a boulevard around the new campus area. This boulevard is now part of Stadium Drive and Bellaire Drive South, and the old golf course is where the TCU sorority and fraternity dorms and the soccer field, baseball stadium and track fields are now located.
On the east side of the TCU.
area, Paschal High School occupies the building which was originally
Southwest Fort Worth Junior High School, built in 1935, and later
called W.P. McLean Junior High School. It was remodeled and enlarged
in 1955 to become Paschal. McLean moved to Stadium Drive, and
Technical High School took over the old Paschal building on Cannon
St.
North, west and south of the
T.C.U. campus are sometimes called the TCU area also, but are
properly listed as University Place, University West, Colonial,
Bellaire and Bluebonnet Hills neighborhoods.
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SCHOOLS
Elementary
Tanglewood, 3060 Overton Park W., 817-922-6815 (West of University Dr.) Lily B. Clayton, 2000 Park Place, 817-922-6660 (East of University Dr.)
Middle
W.P. McLean, 3816 Stadium Dr., 817-922-6830
High School
R.L. Paschal, 3001 Forest Park Blvd., 817-922-6600
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OTHER INFORMATION
Nearest Fire Station: 3501 South Hills Ave., 817-871-6800, emergencies 911
Nearest medical facilities: Baylor All Saints Medical Center, 1400 Eighth Ave., 817-927-6102
Nearest Post Office: 2600 Eighth Ave., 817-924-0673
Nearest Grocery Shopping: Westcliff Center, Berry Street.
Nearest Mall: Hulen Mall, Fort Worth Town Center
Nearest Park: Forest Park
City Council District Number: 9
School District Number: 5
Voting Precinct Number: 1081, 1298, 1108, depending on location
of residence.
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