Cabbage, unshelled nuts, chestnuts were once the focus during fall in Fort Worth. Trick-or-treaters got more attention after the 1940s.
The earliest mentions of Halloween in Texas newspapers focus not on local celebrations, but on descriptions of Queen Victoria’s celebrations and discussions of Robert Burns’ poem, “Halloween.”
In 1881, the Fort Worth Daily Democrat reproduced Burns’ poem, which listed a number of ancient spells – including the use of cabbages – to predict who would marry. One, which eventually turned into a party game, involved writing names of potential suitors on unshelled nuts. The nuts were tossed into a fire to see in which order they burst.
Private parties were also fashionable. Most included typical features such as costumes, buffet dinners, and fortune telling, but there were more unusual offerings. An 1899 party chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. Frank O. Barron and Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Harrison included a trip through a new North Side oil mill with, “an inspection of its fine machinery.” There was no mention of any hired goblins but, given the location, it might have been Fort Worth’s first House of Horrors.
Trick-or-treaters don’t get much coverage until the late 1940s, as suburban neighborhoods grew and downtown merchants struggled to stay afloat. In 1949, over 8,000 trick-or-treaters swarmed the central business district, getting candy from businesses along Main and Houston streets.
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