Stop Six, Fort Worth, Texas facts for kids

Stop Six is a neighborhood located in the southeastern part of Fort Worth, Texas in the USA. It's a community mostly known for its strong African-American heritage and for Dunbar High School, which has a very successful basketball team. This team won the state championship for high schools in 1993, 2002, and 2006!

The name "Stop Six" comes from its history. It was the sixth stop on an old electric streetcar line called the Northern Texas Traction Co. This streetcar ran between Fort Worth and Dallas. It was simply known as "Stop Six" because there wasn't another special landmark there to give it a different name.

History of Stop Six

The story of Stop Six began around 1896. A woman named Amanda Davis was the first African-American person to live in this area. She bought about 1-acre (0.40 ha) of land and built a small cabin there.

Later, around 1902, a couple named Alonzo and Sarah Cowan bought a house in the area. For a while, the community was even called Cowanville after them! Other families, like the Brockmans and Stalcups, also became important parts of the growing community. In its early days, Stop Six was a place with small farms and homes.

By the 1920s, the neighborhood started to look more organized, with streets and buildings developing.

What Stop Six Looks Like

Stop Six is bordered by several streets: Berry Street, Miller Street, and Rosedale Street. It's also near Interstate 820, which is a big highway. On the other side of Village Creek, you'll find another neighborhood called Polytechnic Heights.

Even today, some people say that Stop Six still feels a bit like a rural, countryside area, even though it's part of a big city. Inside the larger Stop Six area, there are smaller communities like Bunche-Ellington, Carver Heights, Ramey Place, Stop Six Sunrise Edition, and Village Creek.

Education in Stop Six

The schools in Stop Six are part of the Fort Worth ISD (Independent School District). The district runs Dunbar High School, two middle schools, five elementary schools, and one alternative school in the area. One of the elementary schools, Maudrie M. Walton Elementary School, was even featured in a TV show called A Tale of Two Schools on PBS in 2002.

The first school in Stop Six was called Prairie Chapel Colored School. It started with help from the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church. Later, it became part of the Sagamore Hill School District. In 1925, a wooden school building was built. The school district paid $5,000 for it, and local residents helped by raising $300. The Rosenwald Foundation also gave $1,000 to help build it.

In the 1930s, the area's schools joined the Fort Worth school district. The wooden building later became known as Dunbar Middle School. In February 2008, this old school building was turned into the Stop Six Heritage Center, which helps preserve the history of the community.

Religion in Stop Six

The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church was built in Stop Six way back in 1878. It has been an important part of the community for a very long time.

Famous People from Stop Six

Stop Six has been home to some very talented people:

• Elmo Henderson (boxer): A skilled boxer who came from the neighborhood.
• Robert Hughes (coach): He is one of the most successful high school basketball coaches ever! Coach Hughes led the "Flyin' Wildcats" team at Dunbar High School for 32 years, from 1973 to 2005. His teams won 30 district titles, played in 13 state finals, and won 3 state championships in 1993, 2003, and 2006. He retired with an amazing record of 1,333 wins and only 262 losses. In 2017, he was honored by being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Theresa A. Powell (1952-2023): She was an important academic administrator.