May 25th Tarrant County Courthouse

Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth

When I left the Handley Cemetery I drove south to Camper World to have my solar power converter fixed. I arrived a little early for my 1:00 appointment but spent the time shopping for a few things I needed. After the lunch break I went out to the shop to show them where the converter was hidden. The technician asked me a couple of questions about what the problem was, he tested for electricity flow, then moved a little black switch into the “on” position and voila my problem was fixed – No charge! So, now all my technical problems were fixed and I had time to visit the Tarrant County Courthouse that afternoon.

It is a beautiful building designed by Gunn & Curtis Architects in the Renaissance Revival style. The original cost of construction was $408,840 and the citizenry thought the politicians were so extravagant at the time they voted them out of office.  The interior of the building is also spectacular. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Hallway of the Tarrant County Courthouse

After finding a parking space directly across the street from the courthouse, I made my way to the City Clerk’s office. The man at the front desk informed me that the marriage record I sought for my great grandparents did not exist because there had been a fire and ….. just then one of his co-workers, Mary Boyd, returned from her break and chimed in, “oh, yes we do have those records”. The front desk person looked dubious but Ms. Boyd escorted me into the adjacent room filled with computer workstations and within five minutes had located my prize. She explained, “we only get requests for these old records about once every five years, so they forget that we have them, but I love looking for them.”

Stairway and balustrade

So, once again I felt I’d found what I was after by a small miracle. Unfortunately, it is a minimalist document that provided me no new details about the couple’s family. The only new information I now have are the names of the two officials who signed the document – J.P. Woods, County Clerk and J.J. Canafax, M.G.

I inquired about death certificates for the three children buried in the Handley Cemetery but those apparently really were destroyed in the fire. I was sent four blocks away to inquire about possible land records but the very pleasant young archivist was unable to find any type of documents associated with my great grandparents, so I left downtown Fort Worth content that I’d obtained the official marriage record and drove back to Cedar Hill State Park just 10 miles south of Dallas.

Looking up from the center of the main lobby

Detail of the stair post

The main entrance is comparatively subdued
but the plates at the door handle are elaborately cast.