The memorial is located on the north end of Trinity Park along West 7th Street. It occupies approximately five acres of park. » Get Directions
Hours of Operation
5:00am - 11:30pm
The displays and paths are always
illuminated.
By Mail
3801 Hulen Suite 101
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
By Phone
817-870-2171
Thomas C. Bounds
Age:
68
Length of Service:
17 years
Date of Injury:
December 9, 1938
Date of Death:
December 9, 1938
Location of Incident:
Crump Street at E. Front
Burial:
Mount Olivet Cemetary
Summary:
In 1921, Thomas C. Bounds became a member of the Fort Worth Police Department and was assigned to the Mounted Section. When the section was disbanded in 1924, Officer Bounds was assigned to the Livestock Pound. The Livestock Pound was a part of the police department and older officers were traditionally assigned there. Officer Bounds always wore his Fort Worth Police badge on his belt, but typically only carried his pistol on his belt while impounding cattle.
Officer Bounds remained in this assignment and actually lived at the Livestock Pound. His primary duty was the corralling and impounding of loose livestock. To this end, Officer Bounds always patrolled on horseback. On the night of December 8, during the late evening hours, Officer Bounds saddled his horse and set out patrolling. He was soon near a section of Fort Worth known as “Irish Town”, a section notorious for allowing livestock in the form of cattle to run loose. Grassy fields as well as neighborhoods surrounded the area, and typically, the residents would turn their animals out at night to graze.
While patrolling this area, Officer Bounds reached the intersection of Crump and Front Street (E. Lancaster), dismounted his horse and descended into a deep ravine. Why Officer Bounds descended into the ravine, and what transpired at the bottom is unknown. It is most likely that Officer Bounds descended into this ravine to round up loose stock or to investigate something that he had seen or heard. What is known is that Officer Bounds was unable to climb out of the ravine, and that he had a heart attack and died in this ravine. He was wearing both pistol and badge the night that he died.
Some hours later, at about 3:45 A.M., Officer Bounds’ horse, it’s reins dragging the ground, returned to the stable. The police department formed a search party, and Officer Bounds’ body was discovered later that morning.
In 1939, Officer Bounds widow, Floy Bounds, petitioned the City of Fort Worth for a pension based on Officer Bounds having died as an indirect result of his duties. The city council, having heard the request of Mrs. Bounds, granted her a pension based on her husband’s service. This was the first police pension ever paid by the city of Fort Worth.
