The Impact of Transportation on

The Stories of Old North and La Bajada

BY PATRICIA HrcKS, J uANITA H. NA.NEz, AND RrcK LoESSBERC

26 LEGACIES Spring 2018 Historic Ethnic Neighborhoods

9~b o rh oo ds are typically created and Two historic eth ni c Dallas neighborhoods­ in fluenced by a number of factors like geography, Old and La Bajada- demonstrate economics, and the avai lability of transportation. how these various fa ctors came together and H owever, fo r people of color who lived in Dallas how decisions pertaining to transportation made prior to the latter part of the twentieth century, by the Anglo population both assisted and later the law of segregation and the dominant social threatened these neighborhoods. O ld North attitudes of the much larger Anglo community Dallas, which was located j ust north ofd owntown, heavily influenced tht: origination and existenct: was establisht:d in the 1860s as a frt:edmen 's of minority neighborhoods. T hese rules and community, and it was, until about 1970, the customs not only determined where and why home of much of Dallas's black middle class. La these communities existed, but what happened Bajada (which continues to exist immediately to them over time. 1 west of downtown) came into existence during

LEGACIES Spring 2018 27 the I

Old North Dallas

Of the two neighborhoods, Old North Dallas workers, and boxcar loaders. Perhaps the most is not only the oldest, but it was also one of the prestigious of these railroad jobs was that of being fi rst Africa n-American neighborhoods in Dallas.2 a Pullman porter. Pullman sleeping cars were It subsequently became noted as being the center regarded as being "a hotel on wheels," and the "ofblack li fe and culture ... and the birthplace of porters were the people w ho made thi ngs happen progressive ideas, the nucleus of black leadership, on a train and attended to its passengers (Pullman and a place that cultivated the hopes and dreams porters also became the first Mrican-American of Dallas's African-American population." 1 labor union to be recognized by the AFL-CIO). Initially located near a black cemetery at Harry Boswell, who was a freed slave, built what is now Lenunon and Central Expressway, one of the first homes in the area.5 Many of the the community quickly grew to more than 300 original homeowners had no alternative but to residents. 4 Over time, the community continued build their own homes. Some hi red fi:iends to to grow, and at its peak, its bo undaries generally help w ith construction. Shotgun-style fi·ame ap proximated present-day Ross Ave nue on homes populated the area, but as the community the so uth, Pearl Street on the west, M cK..inney geographically expanded in the 1920s, many of Avenue-\Voodside-Weldon on the north, the largerVictorian-era homes that had originally and Haskell on the east. Seve ral of the streets been built on State and Thomas Streets for Anglos within the community (R outh, Mason, Fuqua, bega n being purchased by black doctors, educators, Campbell, and Winn, for example) were named and businessmen, and others were converted after some of its first residents . into multi-fam.ily housing to accommodate the A major contributor to the neighborhood's community's growing population_r. growth was the arrival of the H ouston & Because racial segregation was so entrenched Central railroad in 1872. Although th is ra ilroad in Dallas, the conummity began to develop its bisected the neighborhood, black laborers first own businesses and institutions. In 1925 Dr. came to the area tO help build the railroad, and W R . McMillan opened a medical fac ility (the then once construction was completed, the McMillan Sanitarium) at Hall and State Street for railroad continued to offer Atl:ica n Am.ericans residents. Papa-Dad's O ld-Fashioned Barbecue, employment opportunities as cooks , roundhouse the State T heater, Sm.ith Brothers Drug Store, and

28 LEGACIES Spring 2018 The McMillan Sanitarium at Hall and State streets was one of the few medical facilities available to African Americans in the first half of the twe ntieth century. But it was also one of many blacl<-owned and operated businesses and institutions that flourished in Old North Dallas.

Rain's Grocery Store served the area. The Lone at the park growing up, and many carnivals, plays, Star Hotel (2602 State Street) and the Powell Hotel and concerts were held there. The park itself was and Court (3 115 State Street) provided accommo­ named after the Rev. Allen R.. Griggs, who had dations for out-of-town visitors. 7 been a fo rmer slave and then later led the New Griggs Park, built in l9 l5, was a popular Hope Baptist C hurch on Hall Street, helped build social and recreational destination with a swim­ Dallas's first high school for blacks, and published ming pool, bathhouse, ba iJ fi eld, and a playground. the state 's fi rst African-American newspaper.'1 The park's playground was particularly important C hildren went to school at B. F Darrell for children; as resident Dr. Robert Prince noted, Elementary and 1:3ooker T. W.1sh ington High he got his "ftrst taste of segregation" when he was School. Since Darrell Elementary did not have told he couldn't use the swings at an east Dallas much of a playground, Griggs Park was often park, and G riggs was" one of the few places where used for recess. High school students walked to you could swing. And we had seesaws."H Baseball Cobb Stadium on Harry Hines to watch football Hall of Fame member Ernie Ibnks played baseball games.

LEGACIES Spring 2018 29 The Moorland YMCA on Flora Street served as a social center for the Old North Dallas community, as well as the site where young men could e ngage in athletics.

The Moorland YMCA was another of the city's black population-lived in the important social center for the community. When neighborhood.11 Again, because of segregation, constructed in 1930 on Flora Street, it was the only there was more economic diversity in the YMCA for African Americans in the southwest, neighborhood than might be seen m a and it was called "a beacon for the North Dallas neighborhood today, with business owners and community." It was especiaLly important since, other professionals living in close proximity to "in a city that offered few places outside of unskilled workers. Dr. Lee Gresham Pinkston, for church for Africa n Americans to congregate, the instance, lived in the neighborhood; he became building became the location where professionals the first black doctor on the staff at St. Paul's could meet, clubs and organizations could come Hospital in 1954.12 together, and young men could play and engage Many families could not afford to own a in extracurricular activities." It served as the car. However, because it was possible to walk to gymnasiums for black schools that lacked athletic so many places and because of the city's street fac ilities, and it was a place where sc hools even car and bus system, that was not as important 1 held their proms. " as one nl..ight think today. Street car fa res we re By l 9 ~0. about 16,000 people-one- third three cenrs. Bus Ro ute ~ (for Highland Park) and

30 LEGAC IES Spring 2018 This aerial photograph shows the future route of North Central Expressway, with the old railroad tracl

R oute 5 (for State Street) were frequently utilized, which ran through the conununity, into some especially by women working as domestics in the type of high-capacity roadway. In 19-t l the city Park C ities. Black passe ngers, however, still had to acquired the property from the railroad, and in sit in the back. 194 7, construction on what became Central Since 191 1, offtcials had discussed converting Expressway began. u Although this projeCt the Ho uston & Texas Central rai lroad corridor, contributed sign ift ca ntly to the phenomenal

LEGACIES Spring 2018 3 l growth that the city soon experienced, it also private and public investment, the area has started a process that would lead to the end of Old changed dramatically.The western portio n is now North Dallas. Having a railroad cut through the home to about -+,500 people living in high-end neighborhood was already a problematic feature housing, and it has become a popular restaurant fo r O ld North Dallas, but it was something the destination. However, people do not know it as community lived with. However, replacing a O ld North Dallas; instead, it is now referred to set of railroad tracks with a six-lane, divided as "Uptown." Nor is it a predominantly African­ high-speed freeway was another matter entirely, American community; less than four percent of requiring the demolition of a large number of its population is black. homes, and effectively cutting off the eastern half To some degree, this change was inevitable­ of the neighborhood from its western half. all neighborhoods go through va rious life cycles. Over the next thirty years, the neighborhood Providing greater housing opportunities and not began to disappear because of the intrusion limiting w here non-whites can live is certainly of Central Expressway, increased housing important, and locating needed in fi·astructure and opportunities fo r Afi-ican Americans, real estate redeveloping under-utilized areas is critical to any speculation, and the construction of yet another city's economic future. However, w hen making fi·eeway (Woodall Rodgers) that further separated these redevelopment and infrastructure location and reduced the western half of the community decisions, it is important to always mainta in the by about one-fourth. By 1990, the conu11unity appropriate balance and to remember and learn almost completely ceased to physica lly exist. from the past. Old North Dallas was not just Where, in 1940, about 9,700 people once lived where African Americans once lived, a location in the neighborhood west of Central Expressway, on a map from 1945, or a photograph. It was only about 400 remained in 1990. And about where people were born, grew up, married, had eighty acres of bull-dozed, vacant land sat where children, and died. It was where they ate and numerous small businesses, stores, and homes shopped and visited and worshiped. It was a once stood. community. Today, after several decades of substantial

La Bajada

La Bajada now finds itself in a situation some­ completed in 1931) and the Continental Bridge what similar to what O ld North Dallas expe­ (which was completed in 1933) over the river that rienced: it is likewise being endangered by the provided the major impetus for the conu11unity. 14 presence of a new transportation improvement, Many of the levee workers had been real estate speculation, and redevelopment. T he Mexican settlers from Little Mexico and the conu11Lmicy was one of five Hispanic neighbor­ other who had originally left hoods on the west side of Dallas (and the Trinity Mexico to escape the turmoil of the Mexican River) that began to emerge after "Little Mexico," R evolution and who had been drawn to the the first and largest of the Hispanic neighborhoods area by opportunities to work the land on in Dallas, was created beginning in about 19 tO. such ranches and farms as Trinity Farms and While in the l 920s some people began to n1.ove Rancho Grande off present-day Inwood Road to what became La Bajada, it was the building and Hampton R oad or to clear roads and build of levees along the Trinity Rive r (which were tracks for the Texas and Pacific rai lroad. Building

32 LECACfES Spring 2018 these levees thus not onl y provided employment community and its central meeting place. opportunities fo r many Hispanics, but with the Small fi·ame homes were built in the area west of the river now being protected fi·om neighborhood by several developers (Claude Aooding, new areas for housing suddenly became Brantl ey, Tom Wheeler R ealty Company, possible. With one of these being at the foot of and Tipton R eal Estate), with most of this the new Continental Bridge that connected construction occurring in the 1940s and with western Dallas with the rest of the city, La Bajada most of this housing remaining today. Some was born. residents built their own homes, and other houses Living conditions were sometimes harsh in were built elsewhere and then relocated to the the triangularly-shaped neighborhood bounded neighborhood. Although the community was by Sylvan Avenue, Canada Drive, and Singleton heavily working class, many residents owned Boulevard. Streets were unpaved, and since West their own homes. Dallas was an unincorporated area, outside the Unlike Old North Dallas, w hich had its own Dallas city limits, there were no "city" services hotels, stores, shops, funeral homes, and places to like trash pick-up or street li ghts. The Bataan eat, only a few businesses operated in La Bajada, Community Center was created in 1932 to help such as the H uerta Garage. This lack of local assist the neighborhood 's residents. Originally employment opportunities required most La call ed the West Dallas Social Center, it provided Baja da residents to work elsewhere, with many medical suppli es, food, clothing, and recreational excavating and processing chalk and limestone opportunities and became a critical piece of the for nearby cement companies or working for

Many Mexican immigrants who worl

LEGACIES Spring 2018 33 The Bataan Community Cente r opened in 1932 to assist residents of La Bajada with medical supplies, food, clothing, and recreational opportunities. the Oriental Oil Company or the H ercules Oil patriotic. Its residents readily and willingly served Refming Company. R esidents also shopped at during World War II , and a number of its streets nearby businesses outside of the neighborhood, were subsequently renamed to commemorate like the West Dallas Pharmacy and La Estrella U. S. gallantry at Guam, Wake, and Bataan in the Bakery. South Pacific. Upon the end of the war, the G I C hildren went to school at \-vhat was then Bill allowed many returning veterans to purchase Benito Juarez School (now Lorenzo de Zavalla homes in the area. Elementary School) and C rozier Technical H igh In 1952 the neighborhood was annexed School. While there were a couple of nearby by Dallas and o£ftcially became a part of the movie theaters on Singleton Boulevard (the Avon city. However, it was not until the 1970s that it Theater and the Rosales Theater, which showed finally began fully receiving typical city services Spanish-speaking movies), most residents rode when its streets became paved, street lights were the bus downtown to see the movies at the many installed, and a health clinic (Los Barrios Unidos Elm Street theaters. T he geographical separation Community C linic) opened, and this was through of the community from much of Dallas, as well as the dedicated efforts of people like Councilperson the racial segregation that existed, boosted a strong Anita Nanez Martinez and neighborhood con1.munity bonding and created a community residents Pete Martin ez (no relation), Consuela where everyone knew everyone and where news Salinas, Josephine Torres, and Felix Lozada.'; spread quickly throughout the neighborhood. By the 1980s, the area economy near the The community has always been strongly neighborhood had transitioned from extraction

3-t LEGACIES Spring 2018 western Dallas, but also to serve ,1s a "signature" feature, was completed. In addition, in 20 l.f, the Continenta l Bridge itself was substan ti all y renovated and converted into an elevated pa rk/ pedestrian-only bridge; in 20 16, the bridge was renamed in honor of former Dallas mayor R.on Kirk and its plaza gateway was renamed in honor of La Bajada residt:nt Felix Lozada. Collectively, these two bridge projt:cts,just as tht: levees and the original Continental Bridge did in 193 1-33, have once again re-opened western Dallas to tht: rest of the city. In so doing, the La Bajada area has become the subject of Small frame houses, many of which remain today, intense interest by real estate dt:velopers. Tht: filled La Bajada. lively Trinity Groves restaurant development opent:d in 2012 and is now regularly frequented and processing to distribution and transportation by patrons from throughout the Dallas area. The with the opening of the Lone Star Park and construction of a 355-unit, four-story, high-t:nd Turnpike Distribution Center just a few miles residt:ntial development is nearing completion away. Under pressure from members, a on Singleton, and other similar residential and smelter plant responsible for significant lead commercial projects are being contemplated contamination was closed. Luis Sepulveda (who nearby. subsequently became one of Dallas County's first Such interest, in turn, is causing property Hispanic justices of the peace), along with other va lues in the neighborhood to escalate suddenly residents, then worked to ensure that the much­ and sharply. In the past year, the assessed value needed environmental clean-up associated with of land in La Bajada has increased on many this smelter actually occurred. residential properties from $9,000 per lot to From 1970 to 2010, the population of the $50,000. 17 There is now a concern that two community declined ti·om 1,287 to 958. However, things will happen: residents will no longer be much ofthis had to do with the size of the average able to afford to live there, and the conm1unity household becoming smaller (4.52 in 1970 and itself will begin to disappear as property-owners 3 .56 in 20 lO), a trend that was also occurring (especially the absentee landlords), having nationally, rather than to a general outm.igration received a financial offer that is difficult to refuse, away from the area. Homeownership continues will sell their properties to developers with pla ns to be very high with 66.5 percent of the homes for larger, new projects. being owned by their occupants (in comparison, Responding to the development pressure that the rate for the city is only -1-3.4 percent), and with confronts the area, the La Bajada Neighborhood a median household income of$36,250 (which is Association succcssti1lly obtained a zoning ordi­ three-fourths of the Dallas County figure), most nance in 2012 that restricts the height of new struc­ 11 of its residents continue to be working class. ' tures in the community. Building upon the legacy What has changed noticeably, however, are the of those like Martinez, Lozada, and Torres, this prospects for its future. fn 2012, the construction group, under irs chairperson Eva Elvove, continues of the new Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, which to work to preserve, promote, and improve the is parallel to the Continental Bridge and which community. The West Dallas l Coalition was also was designed not only to improve access into created about four years ago, in part, to similarly

LEGACIES Spring 2018 35 help the conm1Llnity navigate the environment in which it now finds itself. As has been experi enced in O ld North Dallas, maintaining the proper bala nce between preserving existing histo ric neighborhoods and encouraging new investment is difficult. While an example of what could locaiJ y happen to a m.inority community that became the site ofboth Construction of the Margaret Hunt H ill Bridge and developer interest and substantial transportation conversion of the old Continental Bridge into a improvements did not readily exist for Old pedestrian overpass have attracted new development North Dallas in the 1940s nor did this African­ to the areas west of the Trinity, including La Bajada. American conm1Llnity, given the parameters of the times, realistically have the opportunity to ''Ibid.; see also John H . Slate and Willis C. Winters, "A fVkan s to a Peacetitl Transition: L. B. Houston and the meaningfully influence the discussions about its Desegregation of Dallas Parks,'' L<;~arics 2 ~ . no I (Spring future, the situation for La Bajada is different. 20 16): 34. However, whether the outcom e fo r La Bajada '"QuimbyMcCoy, " History of Moorland YMCA." " At its height, the boundaries of Old North Dallas will actually be any different or w hether it, too, roughly approximated C\VO census tracts (Tract~ 16 and 17). vanishes is still to be determined.ll Census Tract I 7 was then subsequently divided and renum­ bered over time. All population figures cited in this article for the neighborhood are fi·om the Census Bureau and are for the corresponding/ renumbered/reconfigured census tracts. NOTES " Lisa C. Maxwell, "Lee Gresham Pinkston," Tl1e 1\iew 'Texas was, of course, a member of the Confederacy, and Handbook HJII to Rosela11d l-Io111es: A Pioneeri11c~ Collllllllllity i11 I (Spring 2015): -+8-60. Dallas, Texas (draft report}, Ceo-Marine, Inc., 2002. ""Anita N. Martinez: Histoty Maker," transcribed and 'BDI"l.. Editorial Board, A)i"icmr A 111erira11 Fau1ilies a11d edited by Stephen Fagin, Legacies 28, no. I (Spring 20 16) : Seuler umts. -+6-5-t. ' Ibid. "'The boundaries of La Bajada coincided with a portion ''QuimbyMcCoy Preservation Architecture, LLP, ofCensusTract 10 1 (blocks 102-104,107-112, Il-l- lin, I 19- " History of Moorland YMCA," February 18,2008. 121, 20 I, 212-213) in 1970. The portion of the census tract 7 Fo r the McMillan Sanitarium, see Dr. Mamie L. that contained this neighborhood chen subsequently became McKnight, First Aji-imn / linericau Fa111ilies

36 LEGACIES Spring 2018