Bill Text: TX HR660 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Honoring the centennial of the Ryan Place neighborhood in Fort Worth.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-03-03 - Reported enrolled [HR660 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HR660-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 660 | ||
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| 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 | ||
