Ryanwood

HISTORY

The neighborhood of Ryanwood lies seven miles east of the Fort Worth Central Business District. It is bordered on the north by I-30, the east by Sandy Lane, the south by Meadowbrook Dr., and the west by Loop 820. It is included in four early surveys: the 1869 Isaac Caradine Survey, the 1864 John W. Haynes Survey, the 1859 Rector Collins Survey and 1859 Wm. S. Sublett Survey. In the northwest corner of the Ryanwood area, which sits on the northern border of Meadowbrook Drive, east of Loop 820, is the former town of Ederville.

During the 1870's, the Eder family owned a large amount of land in the area. Around this time, J.S. Works, of the Fort Worth Real Estate Company, established settlements along the Fort Worth & Denver Railroad, and was subsequently given 90 acres near the Eder family's land. The Ederville Hotel was located on this land, so when Works platted and established a community on this land in 1913, he named it Ederville.

The Ederville Hotel has a unique past, which was recorded in the November 25, 1887 edition of the Fort Worth Gazette. The Gazette touted the benefits which the blue mineral water issued from wells would have on Fort Worth. According to the Gazette story, "If Fort Worth gets her just desserts as a watering place, our city will be crowded all winter with people from all sections."

In order to tap the potential revenue association with the mineral wells, a "pretentious" two- story frame hotel containing mineral baths was built by W.D. Wilder and W.A. Disbrough. They ultimately convinced 150 Fort Worth citizens to invest in the hotel, and they built a street-car line from downtown Fort Worth to the hotel. Fort Worth's population at the time was 29,000.

Ederville's public square and town center was bordered by First Street on the south, Nottingham on the west, Eder on the north and Milan on the east. Land along the northern edge of the old town was sold to the Texas Turnpike Authority in 1955 for the construction of the Dallas Turnpike, now I-30.

Today the land, which made up Ederville, contains only a few old boarded-up structures. The intersection of Loop 820 and I-30 covers most of the former town and the mineral wells have been capped. The only thing left of Ederville is a street, which is not even located in what was Ederville.

Early landowners in the area included Frank Isham and J.S. Works who are now remembered in street names. Landowners also included J.O. Reeves in 1893, and Mrs. M.A. Godsey in 1908. Cass O. Edwards, who owned the Edwards Ranch in southwest Fort Worth, also owned land in north Ryanwood around 1912.

People involved in the development in Ryanwood include J.H. Ryan, who build homes around 1945, and B.F. Beaty, W.B. Grove and T.R. Fricks who built around 1962. Builders B.W. Giles and Avante Homes built homes in the area in the early 1970's.

NEIGHBORHOOD DESCRIPTION

Ryanwood was originally developed in stages around an 1800's town. Most of the structures built before the turn of the century have been demolished, leaving only a few small frame buildings as examples. Most of the homes built in the 1960's and 70's are of the traditional one story ranch style with plenty of shade trees. The homes in the area must be at least 1,500 square feet and be 80 percent masonry. The only restrictions mentioned prohibited trailers and moving old homes onto lots.

SCHOOLS

Elementary
Atwood McDonald Elementary, 1850 Barron Lane, 817-496-7445

Middle
Handley Middle School, 2801 Patino Road, 817-496-7450

High School
Eastern Hills High School, 5701 Shelton St., 817-496-7600

WILLIAMS TREW

FORT WORTH REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

Williams Trew is a Fort Worth real estate brokerage specializing in residential real estate and offering some commercial real estate properties throughout Tarrant, Parker and Johnson Counties and serving the following cities: Aledo, Azle, Arlington, Benbrook, Burleson, Crowley, Fort Worth, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Haltom City, Keller, Kennedale, Mansfield, Mid-Cities, North Richland Hills and Watauga.