Fort Worth and the Trinity River had a long, violent history before May 1949. A major flood struck the city in 1908, and another in 1922 left deep scars. Over the following quarter century, the city built levees and flood control measures meant to prevent a repeat. They were not enough. When the Trinity River rose again in May 1949, it surpassed every flood stage on record and tore through the city with a force that left ten people dead and more than $15 million in damage.
The disaster began with a slow-moving frontal storm on the night of May 16. The storm system crept along the West Fork and Clear Fork River basins, stretching from near Wichita, Kansas, all the way south to Junction and Del Rio, Texas. Thunderstorms fired along its entire length. By the time the storm ended, eleven inches of rain had fallen near the junction of Bear Creek and South Bear Creek, close to the Tarrant-Parker county line between Cresson and Benbrook. Twelve inches fell in the Sycamore Creek watershed southeast of Fort Worth. The ground could not absorb that volume of water fast enough, and it all ran toward the city.
WBAP cameraman filming Trinity River flood waters from the 7th Street bridge during 1949’s flood.
As the water rose through the early morning hours of May 17, it spread far beyond the riverbanks. Floodwaters reached Camp Bowie Boulevard, Seventh Street, University Drive, and Bailey Street. At the west end of the Van Zandt viaduct on West Seventh Street, water reached ten feet deep. Houses ranging from small shanties to six-room homes were washed into the viaduct and smashed to pieces. The force of those collisions was powerful enough to shake the concrete bridge itself.
Montgomery Ward Warehouse after flood, 1949
Four separate levee breaks made the flooding dramatically worse. Police drove through neighborhoods using loudspeakers to order residents in the Crestwood and Linwood additions to evacuate immediately. The streets filled with bumper-to-bumper traffic as thousands of people tried to move to higher ground before the water cut off the roads entirely. It was the middle of the night, and Fort Worth was in full emergency motion.
Harvest Seed Company after the 1949 Fort Worth Flood. There is mud covering the ground all around the building.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949
The commercial district along West Seventh Street absorbed some of the worst punishment. The large Montgomery Ward building, a prominent landmark on that corridor, received extensive damage. The floodwaters that swallowed Seventh Street turned the area into an inland sea, with rooftops and building facades barely visible above the waterline. Aerial photographs taken in the days that followed showed the full scale of the inundation — entire blocks of homes and businesses submerged, with downtown Fort Worth visible in the distance through the haze.
WBAP cameraman filming Trinity River flood waters from the 7th Street bridge during 1949’s flood.Flood damage looking north, 1949Aerial of 1949 flood in Fort Worth; Montgomery Ward store along West 7th Street, looking northwest.
Businesses across the city bore the brunt of the floodwaters. Lloyd Patton Motors, Coates Floor Covering and Curtains, Byrd Glass & Paint, the Stationers Distributing Company, the Gulf Tire & Supply Company, and the Loma Plastic Company all sustained serious damage. The interiors of several of these businesses were gutted by mud, water, and debris. At the Packard dealership, broken trees and wrecked railcars sat alongside damaged vehicles in a scene of total disorder.
Lloyd Patton Motors after flood, 1949Flood damage under the Lancaster Street Bridge, 1949Flood damage looking north east, 1949
Residential neighborhoods were hit just as hard. Aerial views showed entire subdivisions with only rooftops above the waterline. In at least one photograph, residents had piled their belongings on top of their home’s roof while they waited for rescue. Others were spotted standing on roofs as the water surrounded them. Streets that had been busy roads just hours earlier were now navigable only by boat. At the intersection of University Drive and Seventh Street, near the Seventh Street Theater, residents and rescuers moved through the floodwaters in small boats.
Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Flood damage: University Drive and Texas & Pacific Railway, 1949Flood damage at a park, 1949. Men observing the flood damage.
The city’s water supply infrastructure failed under the flood. Fort Worth’s water pumps were completely submerged and stopped functioning. With the municipal water system down, the Fort Worth City Council ordered all non-essential businesses that did not have their own private water supplies to close. The order stayed in effect until the pumps could be restored and the water system was back online. Colonial Country Club and Rockwood Golf Course also took significant flood damage, adding to the city’s growing list of losses.
Coates Floor Covering and Curtains after flood, 1949The Byrd Glass & Paint storefront after the 1949 Fort Worth flood.Flood damage at what might be a park, 1949Fort Worth, Texas flood, 1949
When the water finally receded, it left behind a city covered in mud, wreckage, and debris. Streets near the river were lined with broken timber, shattered household goods, and the remains of structures that had been swept off their foundations. Workers with shovels and heavy equipment moved through the damage clearing concrete rubble and debris piled against buildings. The scenes stretched across the West Seventh Street corridor, along Henderson Street, near the Frisco Railroad tracks, and out to the levee breaks themselves.
People lining street at water’s edge during flood, 1949Fort Worth flood of 1949 showing 7th Street under water. The large Montgomery Ward building received extensive damage.Cars parked in front of stores and shops with Coca-Cola sign in front after the 1949 Fort Worth flood.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949
The levee breaks were documented from multiple angles — on the ground and from the air. Aerial photographs show the precise points where the earthen walls gave way, with water spreading across everything behind them. The four breaks overwhelmed the flood control system that had been built after the 1922 disaster, exposing just how inadequate the existing infrastructure was in the face of that much rainfall concentrated over such a short period.
Flood damage looking south, east and across the levees, 1949Flood at Fort Worth intersection of University and 7th Street near 7th Street Theater with people in boats, May 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing flooded homes and apartment buildings. The large Montgomery Ward building pictured in the upper left received extensive damageFlood scene at the Packard Company, Fort Worth, 1949
The Fort Worth Stockyards were also affected. Aerial images show the stockyards and the nearby Armour & Company facility surrounded by floodwaters. At street level, men stood at fences surveying the damage, and water climbed the front steps of stockyard buildings. The flooding there added another dimension to a disaster that had already spread across most of the city’s major districts.
Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Flood damage at the Loma Plastic company, 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing 7th Street under water. The large Montgomery Ward building received extensive damage. Downtown Fort Worth is visible in the distance.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949
The total death toll reached ten — surpassing both the 1908 and 1922 floods. The financial damage exceeded $15 million in total, with the city of Fort Worth itself accounting for $11 million of that figure. The destruction was spread across residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, infrastructure, parks, and recreation facilities. No part of the city that sat near a waterway was left untouched.
Men clearing concrete debris and wreckage after flood, 1949Flood scene at the Old Plantation Cafe, 1949Fort Worth, Texas flood, 1949Damaged houses and debris on road from flood, 1949
The aerial photography taken during and after the flood gives the clearest picture of how completely the Trinity River overwhelmed the city. From Farrington Field looking north toward West Lancaster Street, West Seventh Street, and the Montgomery Ward building, the scale of the inundation is unmistakable. Entire blocks of homes are underwater, with only rooftops breaking the surface. The same views looking east along West Seventh Street toward downtown show the Montgomery Ward structure rising above the flood like an island, with water covering everything around it for blocks in every direction.
Aerial view of the 1949 flood showing the 7th Street bridge and the Montgomery Ward building, Fort Worth, Texas.Fort Worth Flood Scene Panorama, 1949. Buildings, trees and flooded area are seen.Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing a neighborhood of homes under water. The large Montgomery Ward building received extensive damage.Fort Worth, Texas flood, 1949Citizens Flood Control Committee men, along with city and county officials, attending a picnic marking completion of levee repairs.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing 7th Street under water.Flood damage looking east from Henderson Street, 1949Flood damage looking west, 1949Debris on the side of a building after flood, 1949Fort Worth flood of 1949 showing a neighborhood of homes under water, 1949Levee break flood scene, 1949Levee break flood scene, 1949Aerial view of 1949 flood in Fort Worth showing Trinity River overflowing its banks, 7th St., and Montgomery Ward buildingFort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing 7th Street under water. The large Montgomery Ward building received extensive damage.Fort Worth Flood Scene Panorama.Buildings, trees and flooded area are seen, 1949Panorama Fort Worth flood scene, 1949Flood damage looking southeast from the levee to the park, 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing a neighborhood of homes under water, 1949Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Levee break flood scene, 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing 7th Street under water. The large Montgomery Ward building in the upper center received extensive damage. Downtown Fort Worth can be seen in the distance.Montgomery Ward & Company Retail Department Store after flood, 1949Plastelite Engineering Company building after flood, 1949Aerial of 1949 flood in Fort Worth; looking north from Farrington Field high school football stadium toward West Lancaster Street, West 7th Street, and Montgomery Ward.Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing a submerged neighborhood of homes. Downtown Fort Worth is visible in the distance.Looking South from South Side of West 7th St. Viaduct, 1949Flood damage to the interior of the Stationers Distributing Company, 1949Fort Worth Flood Scene Panorama. Buildings, trees and flooded area are seen, 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing 7th Street under water, 1949Flood damage to the interior of the Stationers Distributing Company, 1949Aerial of 1949 flood in Fort Worth, Texas; looking east along West 7th Street from where University Drive. and Bailey intersect with West 7th toward Montgomery Ward, Trinity River, and downtown, 1949Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Mother and daughter standing beside flood-destroyed home, Fort Worth, 1949.Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing 7th Street under water. The large Montgomery Ward building in the upper center received extensive damage. Downtown Fort Worth can be seen in the distance.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Flood damage looking south, 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing submerged homes. Downtown Fort Worth is visible in the distance.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Lloyd Patton Motors after flood, 1949Flood damage looking south at the Frisco Railroad tracks, 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing a break in an earthen dam from a bird’s-eye-view.Fort Worth flood of 1949 showing 7th Street under water.Flood damage looking north and across the levees, 1949This photograph shows the Container Corporation of America building exterior after the 1949 Fort Worth flood.Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing 7th Street under water. The large Montgomery Ward building in the upper center received extensive damage.Flood damage looking south. 1949Flood damage at the gates of Fort Worth Water Works, 1949Flood scene at the Vergal Bourland Home Appliance store, 1949Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing a submerged neighborhood. Atop one home sits the residents’ possessions. A few people can be seen standing on the roof of another home.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Cox Brothers Gas station after flood, 1949Fort Worth Stockyards post-flood, 1942Men walking alongside debris on the side of a road after flood, 1949Fort Worth Flood Scene Panorama. Buildings, trees and flooded area are seen.Fort Worth Stockyards post-flood, 1949Flood damage from the north railroad track off the levee off of Henderson Street, 1949Citizens Flood Control Committee men, along with city and county officials. Amon Carter Sr. and group gathered around a picnic table.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949The flood of Marine Creek which submerged Maverick Café, 1942Flood damage at Henderson Street, 1949Debris on the side of a building after flood, 1949The Fort Worth Stockyards after a flood. Two men are standing by a fence looking at the damage.Levee Break–Flood Scene. There is automobile on the road.Levee break flood scene, 19491949 flood, flooded street, Green Stamps sign and Mobil Gas station, 7th St., University Dr., Camp Bowie intersection, Fort WorthThe Fort Worth Stockyards after a flood. A building has water coming up the front steps. A person is standing at the top of the stepsFort Worth Flood Scene Panorama. Buildings, roads, trees and flooded area are seen, 1949Fort Worth Flood Scene Panorama. Buildings, trees and flooded area are seen.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Flood damage looking west from the south side of the viaduct.Fort Worth Flood Scene Panorama. Buildings, trees and flooded area are seen, 1949Side view of the Plastelite Engineering Company building after flood, 1949Debris on the side of a building after flood, 1949Levee break flood scene, 1949Detour bridge across Live Oak Creek, 1949Levee break flood scene, 1949Aerial of the Fort Worth stockyards and Armour & Company during 1949’s flood.Flood scenes of commercial and residential buildings, 1949Flood damage to the interior of the Stationers Distributing Company, 1949Aerial of 1949 flood in Fort Worth; looking east-northeast along West 7th Street toward Montgomery Ward, Trinity River, and downtown.Village Creek at normal stage along the Fort Worth-Dallas pike.Train unloading shale in front of the Montgomery Ward building, 1949Pig Stand restaurant partially under water during the May 1949 flood in Fort Worth, TexasAerial of flooded neighborhoods along University Dr., Forest Park, Park Hill, 1949Farrington Field, 1948Flooding along North Main St., Fort Worth, aerial of flooded LaGrave Field, Cats baseball park, 1949Flood Damage–Center of North Bridge. Automobiles are on the road and people are walking at the side of the street, 1949Man standing in front of remains of damaged house, 1949Farrington Field, 1948Fort Worth, Texas flood, 1949Looking west on Seventh Street for storm damage, 1949LaGrave Field at night, 1948Montgomery Ward car service station, 1949Group planning repairs after the Trinity River flooding in Fort Worth, Texas.Fort Worth, Texas, flood of 1949, showing a flooded neighborhood. There are few cars on the roads that have not been completely flooded. Groups of people are gathered in front of their homes and in the streets.
Every time I take the family to West 7th, I think of the flooded “Monkey Ward’s”. I remember my parents telling me hundreds of times “It flooded up to the 3rd floor! ” Minutes later, I’m ordering a Chuychanga.
Every time I take the family to West 7th, I think of the flooded “Monkey Ward’s”. I remember my parents telling me hundreds of times “It flooded up to the 3rd floor! ” Minutes later, I’m ordering a Chuychanga.
A couple of my uncles got work helping clean up the mess at “Monkey Wards.”