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When a neighborhood changes, how do we make sure its people and their stories aren’t forgotten?

In Episode 20 of We Got The Funk, Don the Barber takes you into Fort Worth’s historic Stop Six neighborhood to explore the story behind Babers Manor—and the community legacy that gives its name meaning.

This episode connects the history of neighborhood advocate Clarence Donald Babers with the story of Cavile Place and families who settled it. Along the way, we look beyond buildings and development to talk about the people who make a neighborhood worth remembering.

Because a place can be demolished, rebuilt, or renamed—but the memories of the people who grew up there still matter.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The story behind the Babers Manor name and the legacy of Clarence Donald Babers.
• Stop Six’s roots and the pride carried by generations of residents.
• The families, relationships, and memories that shaped the neighborhood.
• Community life and the importance of preserving Fort Worth’s Black history.
• A new chapter of housing in Stop Six and its connection to the past.
• What preserving history asks of us as our city grows and changes.

This conversation is for everybody who came up in Stop Six and anybody who believes Fort Worth’s future should remain connected to the people who helped build it.

A special shoutout to the families, elders, neighbors, and community builders of Stop Six. Your experiences deserve to be heard. Your contributions deserve to be remembered. And your stories belong in the history of this city.

We Got The Funk uses Fort Worth history to explore purpose, identity, belonging, and legacy. Hosted by Donald “Don the Barber” Wenslow, the podcast honors the shoulders we stand on while encouraging the next generation to leave Fort Worth better than they found it.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

What do you remember about growing up in Stop Six? Who helped shape your life, your block, or your neighborhood? Share those memories with your family and help keep these stories alive.

Subscribe to We Got The Funk wherever you listen to podcasts. Share this episode with somebody from “the Six,” and leave a rating or review to help more people discover Fort Worth’s stories.

“Keep your mind sharp, keep that spirit grounded, and by all means keep honoring the shoulders you stand on.”

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We Got The Funk with Don the Barber
Preserving Fort Worth’s history. Honoring its people. Inspiring the next generation.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and share this episode with someone from Stop Six.

“Keep your mind sharp, keep that spirit grounded, and by all means keep honoring the shoulders you stand on.”

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Every day, thousands of people travel Lancaster Avenue through Fort Worth, but few stop to ask who Lancaster actually was.

In Episode 19 of We Got The Funk, Don The Barber launches the Funkytown Streets series with the story of John Lynch Lancaster, the railroad executive whose leadership helped reshape Fort Worth in the early 20th century.

From his beginnings as a teenage railroad survey rodman to his rise as president of the Texas & Pacific Railway, Lancaster’s career became deeply connected to Fort Worth’s growth. His leadership helped guide the railroad through financial trouble, modernization, major downtown infrastructure projects, and the construction of the iconic Texas & Pacific Terminal.

In 1931, Fort Worth honored his impact by placing his name on one of the city’s most recognizable streets: Lancaster Avenue.

This episode explores the man, the railroad, the buildings, and the transformation behind a name Fort Worth residents still say every day.

Subscribe to We Got The Funk for more stories about the people, places, streets, and history that shaped Fort Worth.

Host: Don The Barber
Series: Funkytown Streets
Episode: 19

Keep your mind sharp, keep that spirit grounded, and by all means keep honoring the shoulders you stand on.

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Episode 18: The Mystery House of Handley

What if one of Fort Worth’s darkest true-crime stories was hiding in plain sight?

In this episode of We Got The Funk, DonTheBarber investigates the chilling story of the Mystery House of Handley—a Depression-era crime saga involving a million-dollar robbery, hidden rooms, secret compartments, missing gang members, narcotics, Alcatraz, and a fortune that may have never been fully recovered.

The story begins in 1933 with one of the largest mail robberies in Texas history. What started as a theft of $71,000 in cash quickly spiraled into a triple homicide that shocked Fort Worth and captured headlines across the state.

At the center of it all was Olin DeWitt Stevens—a respected pharmacist who allegedly lived a dangerous double life. His stone farmhouse outside Handley became infamous for its hidden rooms, secret panels, and rumored tunnel system, earning the nickname “The Mystery House.”

When three men disappeared after demanding their share of the robbery proceeds, investigators uncovered a trail of evidence that led from the Trinity River to Stevens’ hidden fortress. The case would eventually involve murder trials, a death sentence, multiple escape attempts, alleged connections to Bonnie and Clyde, and time spent inside the legendary prison known as Alcatraz.

Nearly a century later, many questions remain unanswered.

What really happened inside the Mystery House?

Where did the missing money go?

And could part of the stolen fortune still be hidden somewhere on the property today?

In This Episode:

• The 1933 Railway Mail robbery in Fort Worth
• Olin DeWitt Stevens and his criminal empire
• The construction of Handley’s infamous Mystery House
• The disappearance of Jack Sturdivant and the Rutherford brothers
• The Trinity River murders
• Hidden rooms, tunnels, and secret compartments
• The narcotics discovery that shocked investigators
• Stevens’ death sentence and eventual acquittal
• His imprisonment at Alcatraz
• The mystery of the unrecovered robbery money
• Why the former crime scene is now a preschool

Fort Worth Locations Mentioned:

• Handley
• Downtown Fort Worth
• Lancaster Avenue
• Trinity River
• East 1st Street Bridge
• Childtime Preschool (former Mystery House site)

Connect With We Got The Funk

Follow DonTheBarber and We Got The Funk for more stories from Fort Worth’s hidden past:

Facebook: @Don Wenslow
Instagram: @DonTheBarber_817
TikTok: @DonTheBarber_817
YouTube: @DonTheBarber_817

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who loves Fort Worth history, true crime, and unsolved mysteries.

And if you’ve ever heard local legends about the Mystery House of Handley, leave a comment and join the conversation.

Because every city has secrets.

And Fort Worth is no exception.

#FortWorthHistory #TrueCrime #HandleyTexas #MysteryHouse #TexasHistory #WeGotTheFunk #FortWorthPodcast #Alcatraz #TexasTrueCrime #DonTheBarber

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