Welcome To Texas: The Fort Worth Stockyards
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FORT WORTH (CBS 11 NEWS) - Whether you're new to North Texas, or you've lived here forever, chances are you're already familiar with the Fort Worth Stockyards. But there's so much more to the area than you might be aware.
When you visit the Fort Worth Stockyards, it doesn't take long before you start to feel the pull of the area's rich history. Whether you're there for the music, food, drink or simply a walk along the cobblestone streets, it's easy to get a sense of the generations of Texans who came before us.
"When you think of Texas, the Fort Worth Stockyards is really the picture you paint in your mind," says Pam Minick. "This was actually a stop on the Chisolm Trail, and the great thing about the Fort Worth Stockyards is other an electricity and modern conveniences, and maybe newer music, not much has changed in 100 years."
For decades, Minick was the face of the legendary honky-tonk, Billy Bob's Texas. She retired two years ago, but is still active in many other aspects of the Stockyards.
"There's no place else like it," she said. "I've been to Tombstone, I've been to Deadwood, I've been to Dodge City, but there's no place that I think perpetuates the spirit, and I think really entertains and educates as many people as we do in the Fort Worth Stockyards."
Visitors will find all kinds of entertainment in just a few square blocks: a twice-daily longhorn cattle drive, year-round rodeos, the White Elephant Saloon and Stockyards Hotel—each dating back more than 100 years. And that doesn't even touch on the world-class music at Billy Bob's—where some artists cut their teeth…well before they became world-class.
"The first time Garth Brooks played there was in August of 1989," recalls Minick. "I didn't even have a computer at that time, I was still typing the entertainment schedule, and I still have that typed piece of paper: general admission was $5, reserved seats were $7.50, there were about 500 people who came to Billy Bob's that night, and Garth said from the stage, 'I'll sign autographs for anyone that wants one.'"
Minick also remembered a man later to become famous for wearing a black cowboy hat. "When George Strait first played there, he was the house band so he was the opening act that played the front stage. And he came to Billy Bob's with a dually pickup and a U-Haul trailer and his equipment."
In the coming weeks, Karen will take you to another Stockyards favorite: the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Just one more reason to spend time in Cowtown.
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