Fort Worth earned a reputation as one of the rough and tumble towns in the Old West, and most of the mayhem took place in a part of Fort Worth known as “Hell’s Half Acre.” Located in the general location of today’s Fort Worth Convention Center, “Hell’s Half Acre” had a reputation for alcohol, gambling, and about any other vice a trail-weary cowboy was seeking. Unfortunately, it was also the location of its share of violence, including the famous gunfight between Luke Short and Jim Courtright. Courtright lost. Although “Hell’s Half Acre” gave way to progress in the late 1800s,…
Author: Billy Huckaby
Billy Huckaby
Billy is a member of the Texas Lakes Trail and as co-owner of Wild Horse Press, helps preserve the history of rodeo and the West. With a life-long passion for rodeo, Billy has driven more than his fair share of miles in order to engage in his life-long passion for rodeo
Glen Rose is billed as the Dinosaur Capital of Texas, but the Central Texas town of about 2,700 is much more. Situated on the banks of the Paluxy River, it offers a charming small-town atmosphere, which tends to attract quaint, small businesses such as the Storiebook Café. Storie Sharp moved to Glen Rose twelve years ago from Sonora, where she had been the editor of the Devil’s River News. Sharp joined the staff of a newspaper in Glen Rose called The Rose, and spent four years there as a feature writer. “I fell in love with this little building and…
Perhaps, no figure in the world is more iconic than the American cowboy. Working cowboys have always been known for their roping, riding and ability to wrangle cattle. Hollywood brought us the fast draw and singing cowboys, but it is the lesser-known art form of cowboy poetry that keeps real cowboys’ stories and values alive. “Real cowboy poetry that is authentic is a recorded history of a particular group of people that existed during a particular period in the history of mankind.” said singer and cowboy poet Red Steagall. “They have a love of the land; they primarily deal with…
Texas is well known for its diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds, so travelers can find a cornucopia of cuisines and dining choices across the state. One of the best representations of the Czech culture originating in Eastern Europe is the Czech Stop and Little Czech Bakery in West. From its beginnings in 1983, when a former marine took over a chain convenience store twenty miles north of Waco, Czech Stop has become a roadside institution. It’s a magnet to pull travelers off of a busy Interstate 35 and spend some time in the community that has one of the largest…
