Panther City Fountain

by Joan Carroll

Title

Panther City Fountain

Artist

Joan Carroll

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photography

Description

I never knew Fort Worth was called Panther City. There is a women's soccer team called the Fort Worth Panthers, and the Fort Worth baseball team is called the Cats (formerly the Panthers). There is Panther Island in the Trinity River near downtown. And Paschal High School in Fort Worth are the Panthers. I never knew, or wondered, why! I guess if you live someplace long enough you find out. I was walking through downtown Fort Worth and came upon this fountain that was put up in 2002. (Notice that someone has put socks on the statue!) The accompanying plaque reads: "Panther City Fountain, 2002. The wit and imagination of the citizens of Fort Worth in the early 19th century have been perpetuated in the nickname of Fort Worth as the "Panther City". A newspaper story reported that Fort Worth was such a dull and drowsy place that a panther was seen sleeping in the city on the steps by the courthouse. This story captured the imaginatino of early settlers of Fort Worth. In their initial endeavors at establishing this city's identity, the nickname of Panther City was adopted for Fort Worth. The name was catchy and stories carried forth the panther theme. The local newspaper, For worth De3mocrat, added to its masthead a drawing of a panther, further adding to the historical significance of "Panther City". Live cubs were housed at the city fire hall and at many of the local businesses. At one of the community parades n Dallas (a small town east of Fort Worth), the representatives of Fort Worth carried panther cubs on their floats in representation of "the city where the West begins". Many citizens talked about panthers roaming through the frontier town during the early settlement period. More recently, city police officers have added a panther to their badge emblem. These are but a few of the many historical references of how Fort Worth became known as "Panther City". This statue and fountain are dedicated to the unique heritage of Fort Worth."

FEATURED PHOTO, Hodge Podge group, 4/16/22

FEATURED PHOTO, Showcasing The South group, 5/10/19

FEATURED PHOTO, Fountains Of The World In Color, 7/15/16

FEATURED PHOTO, Out of the Ordinary group, 3/15/15

FEATURED PHOTO, Urban Images group, 3/15/15

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February 8th, 2015

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