One ‘Green Book’ home still stands in Fort Worth
One lodging from the 1940s-’50s “Green Book” tourist guides still stands in Fort Worth, but little is known about it.
The Evans Tourist Home in the historic Terrell Heights neighborhood was among rentals listed in the segregation-era tourist guides that were the basis for the Oscar-winning movie.
According to Star-Telegram archives, a retired schoolteacher named Mary Evans and her family lived at that address in the 1300 block of East Terrell Avenue until her death in 1976 at age 96.
Terrell Heights was a street of fine homes, including the now-gone former homes of chef-entrepreneur Lucille Bishop Smith and of millionaire and state Republican Party chairman “Gooseneck Bill” McDonald.
Elvia McBride, a daughter of pioneer physician Dr. Riley Ransom, still lives in Terrell Heights and a family member remembers the Evanses.
“This was a neighborhood of professionals — nurses, lawyers, dentists,” she said.
“It would have been a nice place to stay.”
McBride said her mother, Devalia Ransom, went to Dickerson’s beauty school, 1015 E. Rosedale St., also listed in the Green Book.
The best-known listing is the Hotel Jim, 413-415 E. Fifth St., where bluesman T-Bone Walker led the house band.
Other listings in various editions:
▪ Clover Motel, 1901 E. Fourth St.
▪ Del Rey hotel, 901 Jones St.
▪ Mrs. N.M. Currey’s house, 812 E. Stella St.
▪ South Side Service Station, 970 E. Humbolt St. and later 1151 New York Ave.
▪ Green Leaf Restaurant, 315 E. Ninth St.
▪ Monterey Hotel, 1055 Evans Ave.,
▪ YMCA, 1604 Jones St.
Copies of the Green Book are searchable online through the New York Public Library.
This story was originally published February 25, 2019 at 10:44 AM with the headline "One ‘Green Book’ home still stands in Fort Worth."
