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Named the “Antique Capital of Texas” Forney is a small suburb just east of Dallas in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Forney traces its early history back to 1847 when Sallie Daugherty brought her four sons to the area and purchased 1,000 acres of land. Soon, more settlers began to arrive and the community adopted the name Brooklyn, either because of a small brook which ran through the wooded area of the town or for the Brooks family who arrived in the 1860’s. Eventually, however, the town changed its name to Forney because the name Brooklyn had already been registered with the U.S. Post Office Department. With the coming of the railroad and the ability to market its agricultural products in the east, Forney became central to the cotton industry in Texas. Boasting eight gins, Forney processed fifteen to twenty thousand bales of cotton each year for shipping across the United States.

Glenn “Red” Whaley opened the first antique store in Forney in the 1960’s. Little did he know that he would open the floodgates for antiques and by 1987 there would be over 100 antique stores in Forney, many of them along what has come to be known as Antique Row. But, because of changing demographics, antiques are just not as popular as they once were and Whaley predicted in a 2012 interview that he didn’t think antiques would play a role in the town’s future. Today, however, Forney still seems to be the prime place for those looking for relics and curios from a past age.

Only a few miles east of Dallas, the city of Forney benefits from its proximity to the major metropolitan area. Dallas is host to numerous attractions and activities including culture, sports, shopping and much more. Must see things to do in Dallas might start with a visit to Pioneer Plaza and a look at the life-size sculptures which depict a nineteenth century cattle drive along the Shawnee, and later, Chisholm Trail. And, while in the neighborhood it’s a quick walk over to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza which chronicles the assassination of John F. Kennedy. A Forney tutor will be able to fill you in on all the details related to one of our most famous presidents.

For those more interested in nature, the Dallas World Aquarium, nicknamed the “Oasis on the Prairie,” is home to coral reef and kelp forest ecosystems in natural displays including a 20,000-gallon walk through tunnel exhibit that features hundreds of fish native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The “Mundo Maya” exhibit is highlighted by a 400,000-gallon habitat featuring sharks, rays and sea turtles, native to the Yucatan Peninsula, once home to the ancient Mayan culture. The aquarium also houses the seven story Orinoco Secrets of the River exhibit which brings alive a tropical rainforest ecosystem replete with several species of exotic birds.