We can credit cows – cattle really – for revitalizing the Texas economy after the Civil War. Longhorns weren’t worth much in Texas in the late 1800s. Just a couple of bucks a head. But cowboys who took the long trek to Kansas City got 20 times that. A man needed a place to hang his hat, grab some chow, and let loose before he headed up North. Fort Worth was a cowboy’s last chance to do that.

Today, you don’t need to be a drover to see a cattle drive. You can drink a cold beer and watch the Longhorn hoof it up on East Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District. Those cattle come through town twice a day. And the Stockyards offer more than cattle - shopping, hotels, and restaurants abound.