Forgotten History - La Corte Barrio, Fort Worth
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PHOTO GALLERY
La Corte Barrio, near Heritage Park Plaza, Fort Worth Texas
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The remains of a Hispanic neighborhood from the early 1900's are some of, if not the, oldest building ruins in FW. Sadly, what remains of the La Corte Barrio has been neglected, despite its historically significant value. My husband and I visit the structure from time to time to take pictures, and we always find it a humbling experience. The barrio stands on a bluff, in the shadow of law offices and the criminal court buildings, and faces the Trinity River.
Such history and sadness are all rolled up into one here. It's easy to imagine the energy and life that once lived here. There are at least four or five foundations on the bluff that have survived to varying degrees. We urge the city of Fort Worth to take measures to protect and preserve it. Information about the area is scarce but I did find this reference to it in an East Texas Historical Journal by Kenneth N. Hopkins. (link) "The three Hispanic areas-the southeastern side of downtown Fort Worth, the stockyards north of the city, and the roller mills south of the city-that had developed at the tum of the century continued to attract the newer immigrants. The Fort Worth City Directory for 1920 indicated that some blocks in these areas were solidly Hispanic. In addition, a fourth Mexican community known as "El Corte Barrio" developed on the northwestern edge of downtown; its boundaries included the Trinity River bottoms on the north and Lexington on the west, West Bluff on the south, and North Florence streets on the east. Whites often criticized all of these areas, popularly called "Little Mexicos," as unsightly and unsanitary slums, but for the Mexican residents they were places of hope. The humble houses, which were superior to the box-car dwellings of the migratory workers, were brightly colored with cactus, shrubs, flowers, and various decorations." 
Dig a Little Deeper
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