Fort Worth's Mistletoe Heights is standing a bit taller today, thanks to a new book that delves deep into its past, painting a vivid picture of life in the early 1900s neighborhood through text and rare photos. The book, titled "Mistletoe Heights: A Centennial Neighborhood – Fort Worth, Texas," stems from a 1988 letter by Dr. Arvel Ponton Jr., who reminisced about growing up at 1208 Mistletoe Drive and even drafted a detailed map that now provides a nostalgic blueprint for the history buffs, according to the City of Fort Worth.
Drawing from its spirited mix of architecture from small cottages to sprawling estates, and situated near Fort Worth's myriad attractions like the zoo and TCU, the book wraps together years of volunteer efforts, led by Melanie Smith, into over 600 pages of neighborhood tales that span over a century; it speaks to the durability and heart of Mistletoe Heights, not skipping on details like the kids fishing for crawdads or the streetcars that once rumbled along, to paint a full picture of this historical enclave.
The hefty tome isn't just a run-of-the-mill neighborhood chronicle; it celebrates the intimate moments of those who lived there, from the horse-drawn deliveries of ice blocks to the clinking and clanking of illicit moonshine stills, which admittedly might have met their end in fiery blowups. This book seems to have it all. It has become a treasured possession for residents and history enthusiasts alike, eagerly distributed at a book-signing event earlier this year.
