April 25, 1953: An aerial view of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport after its completion.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Today only a sliver of crumbling runway remains of what was once a grand airport with gold-leaf murals that served North Texas, right next to where DFW International is today.
It was named Amon Carter Field before becoming the Greater Fort Worth International Airport, which opened with glitzy fanfare and thousands of revelers in April 1953.
Greater Fort Worth International shined during the golden age of air travel. From what we can tell from these Star-Telegram photos, it lived up to expectations, at least in the beginning.
Lobby of Carter Field showing gold leaf murals on wall, April 28, 1953. Star-Telegram
April 16, 1953: The opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport and “Ticket Office.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 1953: A group of skycaps, or porters, in uniform at the opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Jan. 13, 1953: James “Buck” Winn Jr. of Wimberly, Texas, beside one of the three murals he created for the Greater Fort Worth International Airport lobby. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
The first airfield built on the site was Midway during World War II. Army aircraft used it, and the field was later owned by the city of Arlington.
Aug. 20, 1942: Arlington Municipal Airport (Midway Airport), 6.8 miles north-northeast of Arlington, being built for Army use during World War II; field office of M.H. Huffman, resident engineer for War Dept. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/UT Arlington Special Collections
The complex was renamed Carter Field in 1950, after the Star-Telegram publisher, civic booster and aviation enthusiast.
Plans were underway to expand the airport. Fort Worth would relocate commercial service there from Meacham.
The new Greater Fort Worth International was surrounded by a mostly rural landscape at the time, very different from today. Texas 183 looks like a country road in these photos.
July 10, 1950: A crowd jammed one side of Highway 183 to witness the dedication of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport, three years before it opened. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Oct. 20, 1951: Construction at Greater Fort Worth International Airport, view from above Fort Worth Star-Telegram/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 4, 1952: “Although still far from complete, the Greater Fort Worth International Airport near Euless is beginning to make an impression, as show in this aerial photograph. Every known modern facility for the handling of aerial traffic is being incorporated in the giant terminal, which includes Amon Carter Field and Administration Building.” McAulay, Joe Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Dec. 6, 1952: Aerial view of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport under construction Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
The April 1953 grand opening was quite an affair, complete with horseback riders, marching bands and hundreds of well-heeled guests, to include the Carters. Greater Fort Worth International was officially in business.
1953: Photograph of the crowd attending dedication ceremonies at Amon Carter Field, Greater Fort Worth International Airport. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 25, 1953: An aerial view of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport after its completion. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 1953: The opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Minnie Meacham Smith Carter, center, and son Amon Gary Carter attending dedication ceremonies at Amon Carter Field (Greater Fort Worth International Airport). The woman to the left is not identified. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 1953: A woman steps out of a plane to attend the opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport.
April 16, 1953: The opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport included cowboys on horses outside of the terminal and the Carswell Air Force Base Band. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Before construction was complete, the public got a first look in January 1953. Cars backed up for miles on Texas 183 to get inside and see the new terminal.
Jan. 24, 1953: Texas 183 on a Sunday afternoon between Hurst and Greater Fort Worth International Airport. A double line of automobiles, bumper-to-bumper, headed for the city’s “open house” preview of the new airport construction. About 75,000 people went through the grounds and terminal building during the day. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/UT Arlington Special Collections
Jan. 24, 1953: Visitors flowed through the vaulted lobby of the terminal building of the new Greater Fort Worth International Airport during the city’s first public “open house” at the multi-million-dollar layout near Euless. It was 95 percent complete. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Jan. 24, 1953: Visitors at the Greater Fort Worth International Airport were, from left, Raymond C. Gee, vice chairman of the board of Fort Worth National bank; J. Clyde Jones, president of Waples-Platter Co.; T. J. Harrell, president and general manager of Traders Oil Mill Co.; Web Maddox, president of Crystal Ice Co.; R.L. Hosea, Grove State Bank in Dallas; Harvey Gaylord, vice president in charge of Bell Aircraft Corp., Helicopter Division; Roger Ringo, controller of the General Motors plant at Arlington; Maury H. Huffman, executive director of Fort Worth Air Terminal (shaking hands with Ernest Petteway, retired American Airlines pilot of 18 years); B.A. Erickson, manager of flight and chief test pilot at Convair; J.B. Thomas, president/general manager of Texas Electric Service Co.; Loyd Turner, special assistant to Convair’s division manager at Fort Worth; Raymond Buck, attorney and counsel for the terminal corporation; and William Holden, executive vice president of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
During the 1950s, Fort Worth tried to entice Dallas to partner to develop the airport into a larger regional one. Dallas refused, instead invested in Love Field. In 1960, Fort Worth renamed its airport Greater Southwest International, but that wouldn’t spare it from its ultimate fate.
In 1964, the feds ordered Fort Worth and Dallas to agree on a new location for a single regional airport — what would become DFW, just north of the old airport.
Greater Southwest closed in 1974 and was demolished. One of its former runways became Amon Carter Boulevard. A small section of crumbling runway is still visible just north of Texas 183.
Here are more photos from the Star-Telegram archives of the construction and grand opening of Greater Fort Worth International, aka Amon Carter Field, aka Greater Southwest International.
Photos from above ...
April 16, 1953: Greater Fort Worth International Airport’s opening. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 25, 1953: An aerial view of cars driving into parking areas at the new Greater Fort Worth International Airport before an opening ceremony. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 25, 1953: An aerial view of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport after its completion. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 16, 1953: An aerial view of the new Greater Fort Worth International Airport terminal, runway, parked airplanes, and parked visitor cars. The airport is also known as the Greater Southwest International Airport and Amon Carter Field. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Inside the terminal ...
April 16, 1953: A shot of inside the terminal of Greater Fort Worth International Airport, with signs for American Airlines, Braniff Airways and Pioneer Airlines. The airport is also known as the Greater Southwest International Airport and Amon Carter Field. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 16, 1953: Interior shot of a room with many chairs and couches at the Greater Fort Worth International Airport. The carpet has an intricate floral pattern. The airport is also known as the Greater Southwest International Airport and Amon Carter Field. Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
1953: The Greater Fort Worth International Airport lobby in the airport with couches and chairs. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
More scenes from the 1953 grand opening
Two childen look at an airplane parked on a runway in the distance at the opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport in April 1953. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 1953: A group of cowboys ride horses outside the terminal at the grand opening of Greater Fort Worth International Airport. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 16, 1953: Miss Rachel Moore at the console of the public address system announcing arrival and departure of planes at Greater Fort Worth International Airport. She and five other women announced flights in English and Spanish. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 26, 1953: A Braniff International Airway hostess, Jean Vickrey of Dallas, smiles while drinking coffee during the grand opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 25, 1953: Mrs. Amon Carter and guests at the opening of Greater Fort Worth International Airport. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Mrs. Amon Carter, seated in white, and guests at the opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport on April 25, 1953. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 1953: The opening of the Greater Fort Worth International Airport. The airport is also known as the Greater Southwest International Airport and Amon Carter Field. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 16, 1953: A boy is laying on a couch at an event before the opening of Greater Fort Worth International Airport. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 16, 1953: Greater Fort Worth International Airport terminal and airport control tower. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
Sept. 14, 1953: Six airliners unloading and picking up passengers at the Greater Fort Worth International Airport terminal’s two long “fingers.” At upper left is an American Airlines plane en route from New York to Mexico City. At upper right is a Delta-C&S plane (operating interchange service with American Airlines and National Airlines) en route from Miami to San Francisco. On the lower side of the top finger, at left, is an American Airlines that flies to El Paso. To its right is an American Airlines plane en route from New York to Los Angeles. To the extreme right is a Delta-C&S plane (operating interchange service with American Airlines) en route from Atlanta to Los Angeles. At the lower finger is a Braniff Airways plane en route from Chicago to Corpus Christi. Bob Bain Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
MORE: Check out other historic photo galleries from the Star-Telegram archives here, including these:
Matt Leclercq is senior managing editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He previously was an editor at USA Today in Washington, national news editor at Gatehouse Media in Austin, and executive editor of The Fayetteville (NC) Observer. He’s a New Orleans native.
