The Fort Worth Zoo

This postcard shows the sign that served as a beacon for the Fort Worth Zoo for decades. Located just off University Drive, the sign greeted southbound traffic as they crossed the Trinity River, just in time for them to take the next left on Colonial Parkway. I don’t know when the sign was first erected, but it was certainly in place prior to 1960. I’m also unclear as to when it was taken down. I want to say it was just removed only ten or fifteen years ago, but I can’t find a definitive answer. One thing I do know is that the sign was an important Fort Worth landmark, one of many that have disappeared over the past 25 years.
My sister Carol and I decided to have all the old 8mm home movies transferred to DVD a few months ago, and we were amazed at how much footage was shot at the zoo. There’s at least three different zoo visits captured on film, one of which included my grandfather, Homer. (shown at right with my sisters Gail and Carol) While most of their visits to occurred before I was born, my Ohio grandparents took the train down at least two or three times after the family relocated to Fort Worth in 1949. Homer had retired from the railroad in Columbus, so he and Goldie rode for free.