William Whitlow's Tombstone

The Whitlow tombstone in Fort Worth's Oakwood Cemetery may have been made by Ft Worth Marble and Granite Works, which stood just a few blocks northeast from the Whitlow Blacksmith Shop in downtown Fort Worth in 1894.

William Whitlow's 3-D tombstone at Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth is truly an in-your-face kind of memorial, and the story behind it really encapsulates Fort Worth's short but colorful history.

Since I love to research material culture, and since Whitlow isn't a common name, it was an easy and fun Saturday morning research project that quickly went beyond the initial Ancestry search.

William Whitlow was born in Missouri in 1857 and came to Fort Worth at least two decades prior to his death with his mother and father. He and his dad were blacksmiths, whose shop stood at the corner of W. Weatherford and N. Taylor streets in downtown Fort Worth, now the site of a parking garage (but of course). They commuted almost 2 miles from their home in the "suburbs" of the Daggett Addition in south Fort Worth. Their home stood at St. Louis Street, which is now a parking lot (but of course).

During his short life, William Whitlow was shot in the arm in 1880, paid a $25 fine after being found guilty of "aggravated assault" in 1890, and attended the "Witcher Trial" in Cleburne (Johnson County) in 1885, where Vincent Witcher shot Charles F. Hall with a double-barrel shotgun. Charles F. Hall, also a Fort Worth resident and probably Whitlock's friend, is also buried at Oakwood Cemetery.

Whitlow died an "untimely death" in Waxahachie (Ellis County). His wife, Minnie Virginia Small Whitlow, sent a telegram to her father-in-law D.A. Whitlow to come at once, but the telegram was instead delivered to "D.A. Whitboro," causing the dad to miss a last visit with his son. Whitlow sued Western Union for damages. The suit was filed in the 48th District court, No. 9059, D.A. Whitlow vs. Western Union Telegraph Company, on April 4, 1895. I'm uncertain of the outcome, but similar "mental anguish" claims against undelivered telegrams did not favor the plaintiffs.

In this period, the Ft. Worth Marble & Granite Works (aka Ft. Worth Marble & Granite Monuments) stood at the "NE Corner of the Public Square" in downtown Fort Worth, just a few blocks from Whitlow's shop. Of course I'm speculating, but perhaps D.A. Whitlow, grieving father to William Whitlow, paid for this tombstone to be carved by the Ft Worth Marble & Granite Works. Perhaps an award from Western Union helped to pay for it?

The Fort Worth Public Library has a catalog from the Fort Worth Marble and Granite Works in their archive. Take a look! https://www.fortworthtexasarchives.org/.../id/30/rec/6 

Okay, I'm done with this portion of the Ted Talk, so enjoy the photos!

City directory listing for the Whitlows, Fort Worth, 1892.

The Whitlow blacksmith shop in Fort Worth, from the Sanborn Map of 1893.

Northeast from the Whitlow blacksmith shop was the Ft Worth Marble & Granite Works, 1893 Sanborn Map.

The Ft Worth Marble Works at Rusk and Belknap streets in the 1880s or1890s. The business later moved to southward to Throckmorton and Houston streets in downtown Fort Worth (Fort Worth Public Library).

William aka Billy Whitlow experienced violence throughout his short life, but his send off in the Fort Worth Daily Gazette on April 3, 1894 depicted him as a genial, generous, and charitable chap.

They don't make tombstones like the used to, that's for sure. RIP, Billy Whitlow and wife Minnie.