Nefarious
Doings in
Tarrant County:
Some Naughty
History to Visit
Tea, Gambling, and Religion: Texas at its
Best

On top of one of the highest hills in Tarrant County lies a
quiet little school called Arlington Baptist College.

ABC is located on Division Street, which is the main road
that links Dallas and Fort Worth (in Dallas, it's Davis Road;
in Fort Worth, it becomes Lancaster Boulevard). In
numerical terms, Division Street is TX 180 (a remnant of
old US 80).

This road has always been home to some of the more
seedy undercurrents of the "Metroplex." That's not to say
Arlington Baptist College is seedy by any stretch - in fact,
it's quite respectable. What makes its Division Street
location so under-belly-like is that the college used to be
one of the biggest gambling halls, bordellos, and
speakeasies in the Southwest.

Arlington Baptist College used to be Top of the Hill
Terrace. Built in the 1920s out of native sandstone, it was
first used as a Tea Garden. Under new owners, the
complex served illegal booze and hosted a casino during
Prohibition. Patrons used a tunnel to escape during raids.

A baptist minister supposedly vowed to shut down the
sinful operation, and in the 1950s, he got his wish:
Arlington Baptist College was opened on the site of this
former den of decadence.
The guard
house at the
front gate of
Top o' the Hill
Terrace, where
a guard would
alert the casino
when police
were coming
for a raid.
A lonely ruin behind the stone walls at Top o' the Hill Terrace
The escape tunnel, where many a patron would outrun
the law.
A View to Nowhere

The Tarrant County Courthouse is located squarely in the
middle of Main Street in Fort Worth.  From its perch on a
bluff by the Trinity River, it bestows its attention onto the
Stockyard in the north. To the south, the courthouse has a
wonderful view of the strange disc that is the Fort Worth
Convention Center, which looks like it was accidentally
parked, then abandoned, by aliens.

Until the 1960s, however, the courthouse left an imposing
impression on those plying their trades in Hell's Half Acre.
Fort Worth's red light district, which once featured many
a saloon, gambling hall, and bordello, would in later years
house pawn shops, strip joints, betting parlors, and pubs.
Its dilapidated glory was obliterated during Fort Worth's
urban renewal project. The only thing left from Hell's Half
Acre is the Catholic Church, which no doubt had heard
many a confession during Fort Worth's sinful days.
A giant alien spaceship, uh, I mean, the Convention Center,
is now the view to the south from the stairs of the Tarant
County Courthouse. Just forty years ago, the eyes of Justice
rested on the remnants of the notorious Hell's Half Acre.
This Catholic Church is the only remnant of Fort Worth's
"sin city."
This old train station (I think it's an old Santa Fe depot)
occupies the eastern end of Hell's Half Acre, an area that
was converted to a Convention Center, a water garden,
and hotels.
A Highway to Fun

TX highway 199 is known as the Jackboro Highway.
Running north west out of downtown Fort Worth
(where it begins as Henderson Avenue), this road used
to be *the* place to imbibe, sell, and bootleg booze to
the dry areas in West Texas. With its proximity to the
Stockyards, the businesses along Jacksboro Highway
did a booming business every weekend.

For you Larry McMurtry fans: Jacksboro Highway is the
road that Duane and Sonny of The Last Picture Show
took when they decided to get down and dirty in Fort
Worth.

Today, Jacksboro Highway is home to chain
restaurants and stores (and a very lively weekend
Mexican flea market). Its shady past, however, can be
seen in some pockets dotting the four lane road, where
old dance clubs have been converted to muffler shops,
and motor courts into trailer parks.

The neighborhoods around Jacksboro Highway are
unique for their geography as well as their
architecture. Eclectic styles of Victorian, Queen Anne
and Prairie cottages sit side by side some broad and
tree-lined streets.
A water tower themed motor court on Jacksboro Highway is now
an apartment complex.
The Rocket Club now offers welding services instead of beer.
Traveling History

Texas 180
In Dallas: Davis Street
In Grand Prairie: Main Street
In Arlington: Division Street
In Fort Worth: Lancaster Street

You'll be driving through the main streets of Oak Cliff, Arcadia Park, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Handley, and Fort Worth.
Watch for the Texas Theater in Oak Cliff (on Jefferson, parallel from Davis), where Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended
after shooting JFK and a police officer. Arlington Baptist College is at 3001 Division Street. This road hugs some very
beautiful terrain and some very seedy parts of the cities (especially Lancaster Avenue in Fort Worth).

Texas 199
Jacksboro Highway in Fort Worth

There's not much to see except some remains of neon signage. However, the old neighborhoods that sit on the hills
surrounding the highway beg for exploring - the houses are also on the cheaper side, as this is not the "in" address to be
just yet!
Here's a map of the spiderweb of roads
between Dallas and Fort Worth. Just
follow Davis Street west!
A trip for those of us who like to watch parties, not actually
participate in them, or who weren't invited in the first place!