Jo Pirtle Collection

Tarrant County Archives > Holdings > Named Collections > P > Pirtle, Jo

Biographical Note

Jo Pirtle was a lifelong resident of Tarrant County, having been born and grown up in Fort Worth and living in Forest Hill from 1951 to the end of her life in 2026. Pirtle was active in the community, always interested in history, and contributed articles to local newspapers. She was a member of the Tarrant County Historical Commission and the Forest Hill Historical Preservation Commission, serving as Cemetery Committee Chair for each organization. She also served for five years on the Forest Hill City Council.

Scope and Contents

The Jo Pirtle Collection contains books, newspapers, clippings, documents, photos, correspondence, and artifacts. Major topics include Fort Worth Jewish history, Tarrant County cemeteries, Forest Hill Home Rule Charter, and the Fort Worth Stockyards. Materials date from 1931-2015, with some undated materials.

Materials in this collection consist of the following:

Books

  • Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial: Remembrance Book, Kevin Foster, Memorial Research Director, 2006
  • A History of The Woman's Club of Fort Worth, 1923-1973, compiled by Marion Day Mullins, Evans Press, Fort Worth, Texas, 1973
  • A Successful Failure, Odie B. Faulk, ill. Carol Rogers, The Saga of Texas Series, ed. Seymour V. Connor. Steck-Vaughn Co., Austin, Texas, 1965
  • The Search for Maturity, Billy M. Jones, ill. Betsy Warren, The Saga of Texas Series, ed. by Seymour V. Connor, Steck-Vaughn Co., Austin, Texas, 1965
  • The Governors of Texas, Ross Phares, Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, LA, 1976
  • Texas Missions: The Alamo and Other Texas Missions to Remember, Nancy Haston Foster, Lone Star Guides, Houston, Texas, 1999
  • The Irish Texans, John Brendan Flannery, Institute of Texan Cultures, University of Texas, Second, revised edition, 1995
  • Deep in the Heart of Texas: Texas Ranchers in Their Own Words, Kathleen Jo Ryan, A CF Ranch Book, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA, 1999
  • People and Places in the Texas Past, June Rayfield Welch. G.L.A. Press, Dallas, Texas, 1974
  • Wreckin' Texas, Ray Hollis, as told to Sam Pendergrast, First edition, Eakin Press, Austin, Texas, 1984
  • Lone Star, A History of Texas and the Texans, T. R. Fehrenbach, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1968, 1st printing
  • Six feet Six, the Heroic Story of Sam Houston, Bessie Rowland James and Marquis James, ill. Lowell Balcom, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis, 1931
  • Texas, A World in Itself, George Sessions Perry, ill.Arthur Fuller, Whittlesey House, New York, Eighth printing, 1942
  • Historical Atlas of Texas, A. Ray Stephens and William M. Holmes, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, 1989, First edition
  • Jeff Davis's Own: Cavalry, Comanches, and the Battle for the Texas Frontier, James R. Arnold, Castle Books, Edison, New Jersey, 2007

Buildings

  • Bass Performance Hall
    • Computer rendering of A/C duct work above dome, Bass Performance Hall
    • Bass Performance Schedule, July - January: 2001; 2005
    • Early concept drawing for Bass Performance Hall, titled Fort Worth Performing Arts Hall. 20 by 13 inches print. Undated and unsigned

Cemeteries

  • "Arlington is striving to preserve sacred burial grounds," Arlington Citizen-Journal, vol. 23 no, 13, March 27, 2019
  • 2010-2011 Tarrant County Cemeteries list, multiple copies, some annotated, 2010-2017
  • Grey Staples Survey, annotated, 2015, undated
  • Various maps, some annotated, 1951-1972, 2007
  • Photographs, digital photographs, documents, and correspondence on the following cemeteries, and some unidentified cemeteries: Allen; Arwine; Ayres; Bear Creek; Bedford; Benbrook; Birdville; Burke; Calloway; Calvin; Absalom H. Chivers; J. W. Corn Ranch; Cowan-Whitehead; Day; Dido; Alexander Dobkins Family; Thomas Easter; Ebenezer (Handley Hill); Emmanuel Hebrew Rest; Everman; Forest Hill; Gibson; Gilliland; Goforth; Grimsley-Dalton; Handley; Harrison; Hawkins; Henderson; Hill Family; Hitch; Hood; Hudson; Hudson Family; Indian Burial Site Fort Worth; Indian Creek; Isbell; Johnson Station; Jopling; Judd Street; Lake Como; Laurel Land Memorial Park; Lawrence; Mansfield; Middleton Tate Johnson Plantation; Mosier Valley; Mount Gilead; Nash Farm; Northcutt gravestone; Oakwood; Parker; Pioneer's Rest; Polytechnic; Power; Rendon; Riley; Snider; Tannahill Family; Tate; Thompson Public; Tucker; Turck; Walnut Creek; White Settlement; Witten; Willburn; Wilson; Wyatt's Chapel

Communities

  • Fort Worth
    • "Things I Remember About Early days in the History of Fort Worth," Sam H. Smith. Booklet published circa 1965 by author, River Oaks Printing
    • 2000 Fort Worth tornado and aftermath newspaper clippings, 2000-2001
    • Tarrant Business, June 25, 2000, March 26, 2001
  • Fort Worth Jewish Community
    • "Fort Worth Jewish Community Sesquicentennial Celebration and Tour," Sunday, June 29, 1986.  Printed map with points of interest and commentary with notes, memos
    • Rosen Heights Land Company, with excerpt from "History of North and West Texas," Vol. 1, page 202, by B. B. Paddock, 1906, concerning Rosen Heights
    • "The Jewish Experience in America," six-page narrative, author believed to be Ellen Mack
    • "Unto the Land that I will Show Thee." Jewish Experience Western Style. Sixteen-page narrative describing experiences of early Jewish citizens in Fort Worth
    • "Emanuel Hebrew Rest Cemetery," five-page history
    • "Show Business Came into Town on a Stagecoach," Fort Worth Press, Jack Gordon. July 13, 1949, typewritten copy of article, Greenwall Family
    • "Rite and Wrong" by Jim Jones, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 17, 1992
    • "Milestones in the History of ORT, Organization for Rehabilitation through Training"
    • Dan Danciger Jewish Community Center brochure, 1992, sponsoring lectures on Jewish history and rites
    • Biographies:
      • Rosenthal Family, four-page biography
      • Sam Joseph, three-page biography
      • Drescher Family, two-page biography
      • Henry Gernsbacher, three-page biography
      • Gilbert Family, two-page biography
      • The Sam Anton Family, two-page biography
      • Max Mehl, one-page biography
      • The Greines Family, two-page biography
      • Prayer for Senior Citizens Award Dinner honoring Dr. Abe Greines
      • Louis J. Levy, two-page biography
      • Mack Family, four-page biography
      • Shanblum Family, five-page biography
      • Rosen Family:
        • "Sam Rosen," five-page narrative written by Ellen Mack from interview with Sam Rosen, September 22, 1985
        • Four advertising flyers, copies, for Rosen Terrace, date unknown
        • "Fort Worth Native is cartoon-happy," Fort Worth Press,  April 6, 1958
        • "North Sider gets Laughs from Cartoon Collecting," by Chuck Cole, October 29, 1968
        • "Heart Attack Fatal to Rosen" December 21, 1931; "Old Rosen Home on North Side Will Come Down"; "Vandals Use Spray Paint" May 17, 1962
        • Notes from Fort Worth City Directories concerning Rosen Heights Company and City of Rosen Heights, 1906-1908
        • "Sam Rosen: an immigrant's dreams come true," by Hollace Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 24, 1986
        • "Pioneer was on the right track," by Hollace Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 23, 1986
        • Sam Rosen School celebrating 100th anniversary of Fort Worth ISD, May 24, 1983
        • Postcard, "Happy New Year" 1908, from Meyer to Mr. and Mr. Sam Rosen
  • City of Forest Hill

    • Home Rule Charter, City of Forest Hill, Texas, paper bound booklet that was the working copy of the draft for the Home Rule Charter. It contains many hand-written notes showing changes of wording, with the dates the changes were approved. Written in red ink on the cover: "Secretary Copy Home Rule Charter Comm. 1975-1976"
    • Home Rule Charter City of Forest Hill Texas paper bound booklet of the proposed Home Rule Charter that was voted on August 14, 1976
    • A Guide for Charter Commissions National Municipal League, 4th Edition, 1960, 4th Printing 1972
    • Model City Charter, 6th Edition, 1964. National Municipal League
    • "Forms of Municipal Government...How Have They Worked?" National Municipal League, 1968
    • The Story of the Council-Manager Plan, Most Democratic and Efficient Form of Municipal Government, 30th Edition, National Municipal League, Paper bound booklet
    • City Employees and the Manager Plan, National Municipal League, brochure, no date
    • Facts about the Council-Manager Plan, National Municipal League, brochure, no date
    • Advantages of Home Rule, Texas Municipal League: containing Adoption of a Home Rule Charter, Annexation under a Home Rule Charter
    • Meeting Notices and agendas for the Forest Hill Home Rule Charter Study Committee: July 25, 1975 correspondence naming donor to study committee
    • November 14, 1975 correspondence from Forest Hill secretary to donor following election deciding whether to seek a Charter Commission
    • Meeting notices and minutes from the Forest Hill Home Rule Charter Commission beginning November 25, 1975 and ending December 20, 1975
    • Meeting schedule for December 1975 and January 1976
    • Meeting notices and minutes: January 6, 1976 through May 22, 1976
    • Memorandum, June 8, 1976, from Jo Pirtle to City Secretary Ann Marion
    • City of Forest Hill City Council Agenda for June 15, 1976
    • Meeting Notice and minutes for Home Rule Charter Commission: June 21, 1976; June 26, 1976
    • Forest Hill City Council Meeting Agenda, June 28, 1976
    • Debate Material for Home Rule Election, August 14, 1976
    • Newspaper clippings concerning Home Rule Election
    • Letter to Editor: Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Voices of the People, from Jo Anna Pirtle
    • Corrected draft of the Forest Hill Home Rule Charter, approved May 22, 1976, by the Charter Commission
    • Attendance records of Charter Commission members and roster
    • City Council members and City boards' members for Forest Hill in 1976
    • Maps
      • City of Forest Hill, 1982, Rady and Associates Inc., showing city streets
      • City Map of Forest Hill, Compliments of Forest Hill Area Merchants and Forest Hill Jaycees. 1969. All State Mapmakers
      • Tarrant County and Inner Cities Tourist Map: English/Spanish. Peak Enterprises, 1993

Education

  • Fort Worth ISD
    • Report card for City Public Schools, Fort Worth, de Zavala School, 1907-1908 
    • Report Card for City Public Schools, Fort Worth, Van Zandt School, 1904-1905

John F. Kennedy Assassination

  • "Note to JFK: Demos in Texas are in Trouble," Fort Worth Press, vol. 43 no. 43, November 21, 1963
  • "Nation in shock," Fort Worth Press, special edition, November 23, 1963
  • "Johnson schedules talk to congress on policy," Fort Worth Press, vol. 43 no. 45, November 24, 1963
  • "JFK followed all the way on last journey by Jackie," Fort Worth Press, vol. 43 no. 46, November 25, 1963
  • "The Warren Report," Life, October 2, 1964

Miscellaneous

  • Telephone book covers for Yellow Pages for Fort Worth and Greater Dallas/ Fort Worth Business Edition: October 1981; October 1982; July 1983; July 1989-1990
  • Master Drawings from Degas to Lichenstein, Catalog for exhibit: June 1 - June 28, 1965, Fort Worth Art Center

Posters

  • Texas Frontier Forts Muster, 2003-2007
  • "Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo: This Thing is Legendary," 2009
  • Alltel United States Cowboy Tour: Professional Rodeo, Cowtown Coliseum, 2010
  • Circus Gatti, all new 40th Edition, Cowtown Coliseum, 2018

Stockyards

  • Rodeo programs for 2005, 2007, 2008
  • Summer Cutting Spectacular program, 2005 
  • Visitor's Guides: 2005-2009
  • Informational Brochures: 2004-2009
  • Stand-up cards: 2005; 2007; 2009
  • Business Press: Stock Show, January 17-February 8, 2004
  • Whoa! Stock Show newsletter, July 2005
  • The Story of the Fort Worth Stock Show, brochure
  • Welcome pins: 2003-2009