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Asked 2026-05-27 · Answered 2026-05-27

When was Fort Worth founded and how did it get its name?

Fort Worth was established in 1849 as a U.S. Army outpost on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River. Major Ripley Allen Arnold founded it as a military outpost against Comanche raids. It was named for Major General William Jenkins Worth, the commander of U.S. troops in Texas at the time. The city was incorporated in 1873 with a mayor-council government. Source: TSHA Handbook of Texas, City of Fort Worth, Britannica.

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