Storybook Land

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In 1956, Mother Goose and her brood settled down in the metroplex. Storybook Land opened in April of that year to the delight of area children, who flocked with their families to the theme park located just east of Carter Field on Highway 183. Any theme park with a storytale theme wouldn’t be complete without… Read more »

University of Dallas Celebrates 60 Years

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This year, the University of Dallas celebrates its sixtieth year of education and enlightenment. In September of 1956, 96 students began undergraduate studies at the newly-founded University of Dallas, located in what is now Irving. Today, nearly 3,000 students attend the University. Bishop Thomas K. Gorman became chancellor of the university, which the Sisters of… Read more »

Underground Homes

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Would you believe that earth-sheltered homes were once on Fort Worth’s wish list? It’s true. The city wanted to construct earth-sheltered dwellings to provide sustainable housing, primarily for middle-income families in the northside and Stockyards areas of town. The North Central Texas Council of Governments approved $650,000 in funds for the construction of these homes… Read more »

Bilingual Education in the Metroplex

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“Bilingual” didn’t used to be as cut-and-dry as it is today in America. Whereas Americans in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries often spoke German, Dutch, Italian, or French in addition to English, nowadays if someone is bilingual, it usually means that they speak English and Spanish. When legislators and education agencies talk about… Read more »

The End of St. Paul Medical Center

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Hospitals are often over-looked landmarks in a city’s history. For many people, though, hospitals are the backdrop of treasured first moments with children or last moments with parents. It can be a little sad to see a hospital close or, in the case of St. Paul Hospital in Dallas, demolished. The original hospital building on… Read more »

The “Crazy Quilt” and the Wildlife Conservation Act

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The Lone Star State is great for hunting. North Texas offers access to whitetail deer, bobcats, coyotes, grey and red fox, badgers, raccoons, ringtail cats, wild hogs, teal, ducks, geese, and a variety of fish. In 2015, there were 1,060,455 registered license holders, according to the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service. The Texas Parks and… Read more »

Fort Worth Children’s Museum

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In 1945, two rooms at De Zavala Elementary School in the Fairmount neighborhood of Fort Worth welcomed the collections of the Fort Worth Children’s Museum. Although the museum had been established in 1939 by the local council of the League of Administrative Women in Education, these two classrooms were the institution’s very first home. Two… Read more »

State Blue Laws

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Blue laws are pretty common in the United States, and the term refers to restrictions of sale. In areas where blue laws are in effect, Sundays are traditionally off limits for most retail establishments and liquor is completely off limits. Today, blue laws in Texas restrict only two types of purchases: automobiles and alcohol. Car… Read more »

The SIDS Information Center in Dallas

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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as Crib Death, is believed to have devastated families since human origin. It is only recently that the medical and political worlds have come together to understand SIDS. Now, it is well-known that babies under age one are at risk of dying in their sleep with no apparent… Read more »

Amon Carter Museum of Western Art

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In 1961, the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art opened its doors in Fort Worth, Texas. Plans for a museum were left in the will of Amon G. Carter, Sr., who passed away in 1955 after suffering several strokes. His acquisitions, including the work of Charles M. Russell and Frederic Remington, would become part of… Read more »