Fort Worth History
Fort Worth Started as a U.S. Army Post in 1849
The U.S. War Department officially named the outpost Fort Worth on November 14, 1849 — it was built to protect settlers from Comanche raids.
Major Ripley Arnold established the post on a bluff above the Trinity River's West Fork. It was named after Major General William Jenkins Worth, who commanded U.S. forces in Texas at the time. The post was abandoned by 1853 when the frontier line moved west.
A small civilian settlement stayed and eventually grew into a city. Fort Worth became the county seat of Tarrant County in 1860. Today the name honors both the fort and the county's military origins.
Source to confirm: Tarrant County – History