Fort Worth TX Landmarks ca. 1900

I know the Moran's took some trips out west and these pictures of Fort Worth TX landmarks could've been souvenir photo's of a trip. They also had family living in Fort Worth.  Maibelle Shumate of Newbern TN married Newton Temple Harris of Fort Worth TX  in 1906/1907.  So maybe these are from the Harris clan in Texas.  No matter what their origin they were important enough to someone in the Moran family to keep them.

I've included this image so you can see what they look without
any touchup.
Fort Worth City Hall

So far I've found five dark images of Forth Worth Texas Landmark buildings.  Each picture was annotated on the back which was very helpful.  Kudo's to whichever ancestor took the time to annotate the photographs: the Courthouse (Front and back view), Union Depot, the High School and City Hall.

They haven't been treated too kindly through the years and were in a trunk in the attic of Moran Place.  They are dark, water stained, and scratched. Plus the cardboard backings were warped which meant it was not easy to get a flat scan because I was worried the boards might break.

Fort Worth City Hall when I ran it through paint.net.
You can see barrels and trash from what we're assuming
is construction.

Fort Worth Courthouse from the back.

Fort Worth Courthouse from the front.

Fort Worth High School

Fort Worth Texas Union Depot.

Relaxing on the Lawn at Moran Place ca. 1897

This photograph was probably taken around 1897 when Moran Place was shiny and new.

The dapper fellow in front is without a doubt Charles "Brud" Harrell Moran and the girl petting the dog is his youngest sister, Marion Agnes Moran.   Brud would about 21 years old and Marion is about 12.  I can't be positive but I think the woman holding the umbrella is Fannie Moran Ezzell, the oldest of J.W. Moran and Sophia Riley Gunn's children.  It appears that the woman has a wedding ring on and Fannie married James Ezzell in 1897.   As for the other two women, they remain a mystery for now.

Moran Place - The Dining Room Chandelier

Construction on the house began in 1895 and obviously did not include electricity.  The house wasn't wired until the 1920's/1930's.  So this beautiful chandelier is not original to the house and not as old as you might think. Nathan (Bub) and Maria (Ria) Moran were living in Kansas City but moved back to Moran Place in the late 1960's after the death of Nathan's parents James H. Moran III and Virginia Shumate Moran.  During the early 1970's Ria mentioned she did not like the dining room fixture which had been installed when the house was wired for electricity.  She wanted a chandelier.  Being a thoughtful husband, Bub purchased this chandelier as a gift for his wife.  It was probably purchased from a wholesaler in Martin and was new when it was purchased. 

Bub, with help from his younger son Kent, installed the chandelier in the dining room himself.  Kent remembers that it was exceedingly heavy and they had to drill holes into the ceiling beams in order to secure the chandelier in place.  He also remembers after the center structure was installed that he and his dad had to add the arms onto the center piece.  

On April 29, 2003, at 3:59 am an earthquake took place in Fort Payne Alabama.  It was given a magnitude of 4.6 and the effects were felt even in Dresden.  Mrs. Moran said that she felt the earthquake and that her bed shook waking her up that morning.  Later that day she found a crystal had fallen from the chandelier and landed into the centerpiece bowl below.  A result of the house shaking during the earthquake.

As to what happened to the original ceiling fixture?  It, like most everything else that entered Moran Place, was stored somewhere inside the rambling Victorian home.