City News
Fort Worth Flashback: Amber bulbs shone through the holidays for many years
Posted Dec. 21, 2012
Insurance executive Hubert Foster convinced downtown businessmen and building owners in 1959 to outline their buildings in gold and white bulbs during the holiday season.
The first building to sign on was the Petroleum Building, 611 Throckmorton St. The next year, the Downtown Fort Worth Association led the effort, and 24 other building owners lit up with 25-watt amber bulbs spaced 4 feet apart.
The wintertime tradition continued until 1995, when one of the worst hailstorms in our country’s history shattered most of the bulbs. Many buildings did not replace the destroyed bulbs, and the effect was never the same.
This photo shows the city Christmas tree at Burnett Park, and a view down Seventh Street with all of the prominent buildings illuminated.
The Fort Worth Library has approximately 10,000 items pertaining to the history of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. These items include city and county government documents, newspapers, directories, cemetery association records, maps as well as popular and scholarly books written by local authors or about local subjects. To learn more, call 817-392-7740 or email the Genealogy, History and Archives Section.
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