The first time I came to Fort Worth was for a television broadcast at the rodeo in Cowtown Coliseum. Steve Murrin walked me up the brick streets of Exchange Avenue for lunch. Looking at the buildings and western heritage, I knew I was born to live in Fort Worth. I felt like the Stockyards was my home. I moved from Arizona two months later. I also met my husband Billy here, and we've lived happily ever after. Loving the Stockyards, Rodeo, Billy Bob's, the Herd Cattle Drive, and offering this experience to visitors from everywhere.

Being part of the Fort Worth Stockyards has granted me the opportunity to interact with people who, on a daily basis, take an unforgettable glimpse into the past. As I turn the corner onto Exchange Avenue, walk on the remarkable brick streets, hear the western music, shop, dine, and take in the historical architecture, I am able to share with others the mystique that is still alive at the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Of course, I’m biased but the most exciting part of being at the Stockyards is Fort Worth Herd’s twice daily cattle drive. Where in the world can you walk along the sidewalk and hear the jingle of the spurs, the cattle bawling and the rhythm of the hoof beats everyday at 11:30 and 4:00?

For over 100 years, the Stockyards National Historic District has meant many things to a large number of people. First of all it was the lifeblood of the Southwest with the livestock trade. The Cowtown Coliseum has been a center of entertainment for millions of people. The birth of indoor rodeo, western swing music, the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show and concerts by the most important entertainers of their time, have set the tone for the entire city of Fort Worth, its heritage and legacy. 2007 will be the 17th year that the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering and Western Swing Festival takes place in this uniquely Texas setting. I can't imagine presenting the heritage, traditions and values of the cowboy way of life anywhere else on thus planet. I love the Stockyards and all that it stands for. I look forward to many more years of entertaining, shopping, and dining in the Stockyards National Historic District of my home town of Fort Worth, Texas

My first exposure to the Fort Worth Stockyards was in the early 1950’s when our family would eat at Cattlemens, our favorite place to eat.  The Stockyards was very active in those days and we would watch the cattle being “worked by the Cowboys”.

In the late 1960’s, as a CPA working for Arthur Young & Co, I became involved with the closing of the Swift Packing Plant.  Over a period of about three years, I witnessed the closing process and worked many a day in the Swift office building.  It was a sad and very difficult time for everyone involved.

By the mid-1970’s, I was the Chief Financial Officer for Justin Industries.  Mr. Justin gave me the assignment of doing every thing possible to keep the Justin Boot dealers open in the Stockyards, some of the oldest boot retailers doing business with Justin Boot Company.  This became an impossible task as the Stockyards was becoming a “ghost town” and unsafe for customers.  However, the Stockyards was still a major draw for visitors to Fort Worth and several community leaders including Steve Murrin and Billy Bob Barnett, were working to revitalize the area.

In 1983, I became part of the Billy Bob’s organization and helped Mr. Barnett raise the capital necessary to acquire over 75% of the land (150 acres) in the Stockyards National Historical District.  Billy Bob had a very ambitious plan for the Stockyards and after investing close to $25,000,000 (including $5,000,000 of his own money) the plan collapsed, primarily as a result of the failure of the savings and loan industry.

Billy Bob’s Texas closed in January 1988 and the Stockyards was once again in jeopardy.  With the support of Keller Smith, our banker, and the help of Steve Murrin, we were able to keep Billy Bob’s Texas in tact and we reopened the Club in November.

For me, the Stockyards is a living legacy of our Texas heritage.  The Stockyards is a true to life Texas experience much as it was in the early 1900’s.  If our community allows the Stockyards to fade away, I believe Fort Worth and Tarrant County will loose its unique identity and tourism for the entire State of Texas will suffer.

I have been here for almost 30 years. When I first showed up, I knew immediately that it was one of the most unique places of history in the United States. The Stockyards are a wonderful recognition of Cattlemen and Cowboys steeped in the tradition of the American West; a place today doing primarily the same thing we were doing over 100 years ago. Cattle drives, rodeo, steam train, honky tonks, great places to shop and eat and more. There is no better place to bring your family to learn and enjoy.