H.R. No. 660
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The historic Ryan Place neighborhood of Fort Worth
is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2011; and
WHEREAS, Developer John C. Ryan was a strong proponent of the
City Beautiful movement that was sweeping the United States at the
turn of the 20th century; after visiting 18 American cities on a
fact-finding tour, he returned to Fort Worth with the goal of
creating the finest residential district in the South; on March 16,
1911, he signed the original deed for a parcel of land about three
miles from downtown; and
WHEREAS, The property was subdivided and construction began
on the entranceway; built of the finest polished marble, it is still
an attractive and notable landmark a century later; this was the
first development in Fort Worth to employ landscape architects,
place utilities in the alleys, and include plantings, entrance
gates, and facade lines in the master plan; much of the landscape
design was created by George E. Kessler of Dallas, who was famous
for having designed the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 and Fair Park
in Dallas; and
WHEREAS, When the neighborhood was still in its infancy, it
played a part in aviation history; on October 17, 1911, Calbraith P.
Rodgers landed his Wright Brothers-built plane, the Vin Fiz, on the
then open spaces of Ryan Place, where several thousand spectators
had gathered; the aviator's visit to Fort Worth marked a mid-trip
stop for what is recorded as the first transcontinental flight
across North America; and
WHEREAS, During the neighborhood's first two decades, the
residential lots were filled with fine homes in a variety of
architectural styles; examples of Italianate, Tudor, Spanish,
Georgian, Colonial, Dutch, Federal Revival, and localized versions
of the Prairie School are all represented within its boundaries;
another building boom took place in the years after World War II;
though originally designed as an upscale and exclusive enclave,
Ryan Place came to encompass houses in a variety of sizes, ranging
from 700 square feet to over 6,000, with current home values that
are equally diverse; and
WHEREAS, In 1969, the Ryan Place neighborhood association was
formed, and 10 years later the neighborhood's Elizabeth Boulevard
Historic District was established; today, Ryan Place is home to
some 2,000 residents, and its charms have been celebrated with
accolades such as being named Best Neighborhood by Fort Worth,
Texas magazine and Neighborhood of the Year by the City of Fort
Worth and the Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, These honors reflect the tremendous pride that Fort
Worth citizens take in this venerable district, which has played a
central role in the city's history for the past century; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
establishment of the Ryan Place neighborhood in Fort Worth and
extend to its residents sincere best wishes as they celebrate the
past and look to a bright future.
Burnam
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 660 was adopted by the House on March
2, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House