Fort Worth had color and cowboys. As a primary railhead in the 1870s, it was the end of the Chisholm trail for cattle drives, which gave it the Cowtown nickname. Eventually, every major oil company had an office here. Later, Bell Helicopter fueled the economy as did Convair, which churned out B-52s on the city's west side. The cultural district grew, particularly with the renowned Kimbell Art Museum, which acquired world-class works of art.
Oil fields run dry, however.
By the 1970s the oil companies had all moved to Houston and its port. With the end of the Vietnam War, aircraft production had slowed. The old money remained, but, without an influx of new wealth, the city began to decline. In 1979, downtown was drab, dirty and largely empty. The last theater had closed its doors and the last department store had moved to the suburbs.