Outpost on the Trinity by Oliver Knight - Book Report/Review Example

The Author aims at providing an understanding of how and why the city operates especially because of its unique foundation as he traces its development through a century.
When Knight worked on this book, he had access to most primary sources particularly the invaluable reminiscences of the executives of the Star-telegram. Some of these sources had first-hand information about Fort Worth thus increasing the credibility of the sources used by Knight. In the book, Knight attempts to tell the story of Fort Worth from a human perspective as he emphasizes political and economic development. From the first to the last chapter, the book goes through all the crucial stages of the development of Fort Worth in the aftermath of World War II. It begins by taking the reader through a scene where the soldiers at Fort Worth carry out the mission of breaking up Indian raids, thus serving the purpose of protecting the wild frontier of northwest Texas (Knight 5).

According to the author, Fort Worth served as a buffer between Indians and White for several years during which North Texas experienced pioneered development. After the war and the exit of troops, citizen gentlemen set on the process of converting the fort into a town. This is evident from the setting up of businesses by merchants, the creation of industries, and the development of leadership structures (Knight 65). After the war ended, the town then undergoes extreme changes that see it become a well-developed modern city with diverse cultures. One can call it a metropolitan city.
The successful growth of Fort Worth resulted from the determination and sacrifice of its people as well as booming economic circumstances. According to Knight, the people of Fort Worth proceeded with their own culture as they carry on with their lives in their homes, schools, and churches. One notable feature about the town is that people tend to focus more on the present, and not the past despite its vivid past. In his bid to tell the story of Fort Worth about human political and economic development, Knight manages to create an understanding of the origins of the town. He takes the reader from the crucial times of fighting to protect the North West Texas frontier, to the slow development of business and industries, and finally to political development and stability. All this is in an attempt to show how the town persisted during hard times and managed to keep on developing.

In the book, Knight is keen to outline how the education system developed from basic, crude structures with remarkably few students to large and highly established institutions (34). He also traces the development of the political system to a stable governable unit. Since the future of Fort Worth was highly uncertain, its successful development depended on chance, without which, it could wither away just like some isolated village. Knight provides an understanding of how the town developed and stabilized into a modern operating unit with reliable systems in place. However, we see that this tranquility does not come without a price as the town had to undergo several challenges to achieve its status. Knight uses an extremely efficient tactic in his book to enlighten the reader about Fort Worth. He shows both the positive and negative sides of the story to avoid any one-sided bias. With scenarios of crime and corruption as well as civic pride and community spirit, Knight traces the development of Fort Worth through its first hundred years (118).
Before it developed into a modern city, Knight informs the reader about how Fort Worth developed from an unorganized background characterized by lawlessness to a modern city with law and order. To this effect, it is clear that the author attains his purpose in writing the book. He aimed at enhancing the understanding of the development of Fort Worth, a city whose water source is the West Fork of the Trinity River. Reading through the book, one gets first-hand information about a city that developed through many challenges. Compared to other western towns that experienced similar situations, Fort Worth did not recede under pressure or competition. Instead, the strong-willed inhabitants of the city made it possible for the establishment of strong economic and political social statuses. Read More