City Property, 1914-1916 (Fort Worth Real Estate: Ben F. Allen & Sons Business Records) (Volume 1)

Did you know that in 1915 you could trade your “Ford car” for a house? Or that your water bill in 1916 would be $1.25 a month? Did you know Fort Worth’s historic Flatiron Building, home to the Ben F. Allen realty company, was itself for sale? Did your ancestor live on the streetcar line? Would it be a “plus” to you if there was a chicken house in your city neighborhood? Wouldn’t it be nice to know that the paved sidewalks were already paid for? Would you pay extra for “instantaneous heat?” City Property, 1914-1916, is an edited transcription of records from a real estate business that was located in the historic Flatiron Building in Fort Worth. These in-house records cover “city” property listings in the years leading up to World War I. Genealogist Lisa McKinney “rescued” the books some years ago for a pittance from an antique collectibles booth. They are unique. They are interesting genealogically because of the wealth of names and places and also because of the immense contextual information included. They include not only Fort Worth listings but also properties from all over Texas and several other states. Maps, photos, and typewritten notes are among the gems hidden in these decaying volumes. Further volumes cover additional residential and business properties and farm and ranch land.