<P> The police department compiled statistics showing that 50% of the violent crime in Fort Worth occurred in the Acre, which confirmed respectable citizens' opinion of the area . After Camp Bowie (a World War I Army training installation) was located on the outskirts of Fort Worth in 1917, the military used martial law to regulate prostitutes and barkeepers of the Acre . Fines and stiff jail sentences curtailed their activities . By the time Norris held a mock funeral parade to "bury John Barleycorn" in 1919, the Acre had become a part of Fort Worth history . The name continues to be associated with the southern end of Fort Worth . </P> <P> On March 28, 2000, at 6: 15 pm, an F3 (some estimates claim an F4) tornado smashed through downtown, tearing many buildings into shreds and scrap metal . One of the hardest - hit structures was the Bank One Tower, which was one of the dominant features of the Fort Worth skyline and which had Reata, a popular restaurant, on its top floor . It has since been converted to upscale condominiums and officially renamed "The Tower". This was the first major tornado to strike Fort Worth proper since the early 1940s . </P> <P> When oil began to gush in West Texas in the early 20th century, and again in the late 1970s, Fort Worth was at the center of the wheeling and dealing . In July 2007, advances in horizontal drilling technology made vast natural gas reserves in the Barnett Shale available directly under the city, helping many residents receive royalty checks for their mineral rights . Today, the city of Fort Worth and many residents are dealing with the benefits and issues associated with the natural gas reserves under ground . </P> <P> Fort Worth was the fastest - growing large city in the United States from 2000 to 2006 and was voted one of "America's Most Livable Communities ." </P>

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