The History of Fort Worth's Tarantula By John Cirillo
The story of the Tarantula began in 1872 when a stranger came riding into Fort Worth and stopped at the Van Zandt general store. The young stranger introduced himself as B.B Paddock and announced that he was settling in Fort Worth. Van Zandt asked what kind of work he planned to do. To this, the young Paddock replied that he wanted to start a newspaper. Van Zandt made him an offer: Fort Worth had a newspaper, the Democrat, and Paddock could have it if he would run it. Thus began the career of editor and civic leader Buckley B. Paddock.
In 1872 Fort Worth still did not have a railroad, though rumors and rumblings about a railroad were heard with some regularity. Finally in 1873 the Texas and Pacific Railroad agreed to a charter for a railroad through Fort Worth, with the stipulation that tracks be laid and ready by January of 1874. In a moment of enthusiasm and vision, editor Paddock dreamed up a map with Fort Worth in the center and railroads spreading out in all directions. It is this map that later became known as the "Tarantula Map" since at a glance it resembles a spider, although it actually has nine legs, not eight.
The tracks didn't get put in by January as required, and in fact Fort Worth was facing very hard times. Its population, recently numbering near 1500, had dwindled down to a thousand or less. The railroad had stopped laying tracks thirty miles east. It wasn't until July 19, 1876 that the first train rolled into Fort Worth on the new T&P tracks. But Fort Worth finally had a railroad! And in time, Paddock's dream of railroads spreading out in all directions became a reality, even down to the ninth leg on his map.
It has been many years since the coming of the railroad to Fort Worth. Indeed we are in an age where the railroad seems to have less significance on commerce in general.
But in the mid 1980s some daring businessmen and businesswomen in Fort Worth decided that Fort Worth's tourist trade needed a shot in the arm. They eyed the decaying, though historically significant, stockyards area near the then-defunct Billy Bob's Texas, once declared the largest honky-tonk in the world. The area was nothing more than a bunch of run-down stock pens and dirty streets, home for homeless people and derelicts. Still, the area had a beauty to it. There were still many functional and picturesque shops and hotels along Main and Exchange streets. They decided that if properly renovated, the area would make an excellent tourist area. It seemed almost overnight that the renovation took place, and their vision became a reality. Along with the renovation, a small company was started, known as the Fort Worth and Western Railroad. The company's plan was to purchase vintage rolling stock and steam engines and make use of the old Burlington tracks that ran from 8th Avenue near TCU through Trinity Park and straight into the Stockyards. They would name the train "The Tarantula" in memory of the visionary map by B.B. Paddock. The idea was like an add-on to the stockyards picture: People could park-and-ride at the 8th Avenue station and ride the train to the Stockyards. The idea worked, and the FWWR company (now known as Tarantula Incorporated) has been adding rolling stock and lengthening the route of their sightseeing train to include a ride from Grapevine, Texas into Fort Worth. And yes, Billy Bob's Texas is once again thriving.
