Mark Twain, A Black Panther, Kay Granger, Trout Fishing & Fort Worth Light Rail in Trinity Park

That is Mark Twain reading a book and looking at the Trinity River in Trinity Park today around noon. Vandals had vandalized Mark with graffiti.

I don't know why there is a statue of Mark Twain in this location. Did he visit Fort Worth? He wandered all over the west and wrote stories about what he saw. I'm sure if he ever saw Fort Worth he would have written a story that used this town's many quirks as story fodder. Maybe Fort Worth was not so quirky back in Mark Twain's time.

I think I've mentioned previously that Fort Worth has some nicknames. It is known as Dirty ol' Town, Cowtown and Panther City. I forgot the Panther City nickname the last time I mentioned Fort Worth nicknames. Why Panther City you can't help but wonder.

Well, way back early in the last century a Dallas newspaper reporter was in Fort Worth. When he got back to Dallas he wrote that Fort Worth is so lifeless that he saw a panther sleeping on the courthouse stairs. At first Fort Worth was quite upset at this latest horrible Dallas slander. But then people decided to embrace the sleeping panther.

Well, today while in Trinity Park I spotted a lazy black panther who posed politely for pictures. He did not seem too menacing.

Near Mark Twain I did see something a bit menacing. A plaque dedicated to Congresswoman Kay Granger. On the plaque it says...

"This View Is Dedicated
To Her Love And Vision For The
Trinity River
Play, Work, Learn, Live"

Well, Ms. Granger did have the vision to see that the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle would provide an excellent job opportunity for her son. And she had the vision to know that no one in Fort Worth would object to such nepotism, because it's the Fort Worth Way. The special way only Fort Worth operates.

Apparently it is safe to eat the fish you catch in this section of the Trinity River. You have to have a license and you are limited to 5 rainbow trout per day.


That is Fort Worth's only light rail transit train above. I believe the transit line runs from Trinity Park to the Fort Worth Zoo. And back. Over and over again. All day long.