In memory of General William Jenkins Worth, Fort Worth was established on June 6, 1849 by Major Ripley A. Arnold on the bluff overlooking the confluence of the West and Clear Forks of the Trinity River.  The bluff is rooted in Fort Worth’s history as the birthplace of the city, as part of the Chisholm/Eastern Trail that identifies Fort Worth as Cowtown, and was fundamental in establishing the location of the Tarrant County Courthouse (1895).

The Tarrant County College District’s (TCCD) new campus required permits from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for its planned pedestrian bridge across the Trinity River and buildings. The Corps found that the TCCD project would have an “adverse effect” on the historic levee, the bluff, the Tarrant County Courthouse and the Paddock Viaduct (North Main Street Bridge).   Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, groups that work in the field of historic preservation were invited into mitigation meetings to find ways to avoid, reduce and/or mitigate these adverse effects.

The process led the Corps to determine in early 2007 that the bluffs qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP). TCP’s are rooted in the community’s history and are important to maintaining the continuing cultural identity of the community. In short, the citizens of Fort Worth, bound by a common cultural heritage, constitute a living community with shared social and economic practices that started at the bluffs above the Trinity River.   On February 1, 2008 the Texas Historical Commission concurred with the Corps that the bluffs are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property.

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