Summer 1980 was such a scorcher, people made T-shirts — “I survived the 1980 Texas heat wave.”
It was 100+ degrees all of July. But the hottest days were June 26-27, when temps hit 113. Luckily, it cooled to 112 the next day.
These newly digitized photo negatives are seen for the first time since they published in the Star-Telegram newspaper more than 40 years ago. Enjoy!
Curious about photos of places or events from our archive? Reach out to mleclercq@star-telegram.com.
June 26, 1980: The temperature gauge reads 110 degrees on the Texas Electric Service Co. sign in downtown Fort Worth. Vince Heptig/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 25, 1980: A swimmer jumps in off the diving board into Burger’s Lake as Fort Worth reached temperatures over 100 degrees during a heat wave. Paul Iwanaga/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 11, 1980: The Trinity River under the Lancaster Street Bridge was the coolest spot this bull could find after jumping a fence near Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth. The bull spent over an hour in the river, then moved to Trinity Park before it was captured. Rodger Mallison/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 3, 1980: Fort Worth fire dispatcher Frank Calaway answers the phone in shorts and moccasins after an air conditioning failure at the office. City officials are allowing informal dress and six-hour shifts to ease the effects of searing heat. Ron T. Ennis/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 29, 1980: Bessie Woolen sits in her Colvin Street home in Fort Worth, fanning herself to get relief from the heat. Woolen was one of over 150 Tarrant County residents who applied for heat relief aid. Vince Heptig/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 27, 1980: A family cools off in the log flume ride at Six Flags in Arlington during a heat wave across North Texas and Fort Worth. Paul Iwanaga/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 26, 1980: Maxine Harkridge, owner of Rusty’s Hot Dogs, stands next to a sign reading “Closed, no air!” and wipes sweat off her brow while waiting for the air conditioning repair person. Vince Heptig] Vince Heptig/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 26, 1980: A woman fries an egg on a concrete sidewalk in Fort Worth as temperatures 110 degrees during a heat wave. Vince Heptig/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 2, 1980: Chimpanzees at the Fort Worth Zoo found a way to keep cool in the 100-plus temperatures by dunking a burlap bag in water and placing it over their heads. Tony Record/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 27, 1980: University of Texas at Arlington students attempt to melt 10-pound blocks of ice during a contest at the Non-Invitational Belly Flop and George Hamilton Tan Competition. Jerry Hoefer/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 27, 1980: Crystal Ice Co. worker Van Russell takes a break in the icehouse while working on a hot summer day in Fort Worth, Texas. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Aug. 1, 1980: A cattle skull is seen resting on dry, cracked clay near Azle, Texas. Larry C. Price/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 29, 1980: Vera Darnell, daughter Fatima, 12, and grandchildren Shannon, 3, and Alisha, 4, in their living room with a fan, getting relief from the heat. The window fan was given to the family by a volunteer from the Tarrant County United Way. Vince Heptig/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 3, 1980: Maintenance workers in the Fort Worth Fire Department dispatch office work on repairing the air conditioning during a heat wave. Ron T. Ennis/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 16, 1980: Adam Coca, 6, is splashed during a water battle as the high temperature hit 100 degrees in Fort Worth. Larry C. Price/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 27, 1980: A University of Texas at Arlington student participates in the non-invitational belly flop competition on campus during a heat wave. Jerry W. Hoefer/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 3, 1980: Harold McCrabb, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office, reviews meteorological charts during a heat wave in Fort Worth. McCrabb attributes the heat to a high pressure system settled over Texas and the Southwest. Dale Blackwell/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Aug. 1, 1980: A cattle skull is seen resting on dry, cracked clay near Azle, Texas. Larry C. Price/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
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![June 26, 1980: Maxine Harkridge, owner of Rusty’s Hot Dogs, stands next to a sign reading “Closed, no air!” and wipes sweat off her brow while waiting for the air conditioning repair person. Vince Heptig] Vince Heptig/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/vhfWbLvDJYFyarPIwlAa8g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTE0NDM-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/fort_worth_star_telegram_mcclatchy_952/fa8910dc8174d5c7232f0019d866d836)
