The Fort Worth Stockyards have long stood as a symbol of Texas pride and resilience. Once one of the largest livestock markets in the country, the Stockyards has evolved into a vibrant cultural destination that draws visitors from around the world eager to experience Fort Worth's western heritage. Now, through the Joseph K. Dulle Stockyards Photograph Collection, housed in UTA Libraries' Special Collections, researchers, students, and community members alike can explore the story of that transformation in vivid detail. 
 

"The Stockyards Collection was donated by Joseph K. Dulle, who was the owner of the White Elephant Saloon for about 27 years," Erica Rousseau, Processing Archivist, said. "The White Elephant Saloon originally opened in Hell's Half Acre in downtown Fort Worth in the 1880s and closed around 1920. It was resurrected in 1976 in the Stockyards by Dulle. Dulle had a vision of resurrecting the Stockyards, which were not what they are known as today. He was really one of the pioneers for boosting tourism in that area of Fort Worth and making it a destination for the city." 

The photographs in the Dulle Collection capture a pivotal time in Fort Worth's history, from the decline of the Stockyards in the 1970s to their rebirth as a hub for entertainment, culture and community. These images document not just buildings and events, but the people who helped shape the area's identity. They reveal the effort, creativity, and collaboration that revitalized one of Texas's most beloved landmarks. 

"The collection documents the history of the White Elephant Saloon in the Stockyards," Rousseau said. "It shows notable acts and notable guests. There are photos of musician Charlie Daniels, which are really cool. One of my favorite pictures in the collection is of actor Michael Keaton's visit. The White Elephant Saloon was also the set for C.D.'s Bar and Grill in the television show 'Walker, Texas Ranger.' Multiple other things were filmed in the saloon, which adds to the history of the place." 

Spanning from the 1970s into the early 2000s, the Joseph K. Dulle Stockyards Photograph Collection offers an invaluable resource for those interested in Fort Worth's cultural evolution. Beyond serving academic researchers, it invites the broader public to reconnect with a shared local past. 

"The collection showcases the community's effort that it took to revitalize that section of town," Rousseau said. "I think that researchers and community members alike will find it pretty cool. They might even find themselves in these photos because there are New Year's Eve parties and Halloween parties at the White Elephant. The collection is unique in that it shows a different side of Fort Worth and the Stockyards as it was being transformed into what we know today." 

In capturing the evolution of the Fort Worth Stockyards and the White Elephant Saloon, the Joseph K. Dulle Collection reminds us that history is not only found in the distant past, but it also lives in the memories, photographs, and efforts of those who work to save their communities. Through UTA Libraries' stewardship, that legacy remains accessible to all who seek to explore it.