The Impact of Transportation on Historic Ethnic Neighborhoods
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The Impact of Transportation on The Stories of Old North Dallas 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 North Dallas 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 <J 20s to 19-+0s and has generally always been a Old North Da llas-tor all practical purposes, no community for working class Hispanics. Located longer exists, and the number of people who can at the end of the Continental Bridge which recall what it once was is rapidly diminishing.Th e arches over the Trinity 1'-..iver, the community is other neighborhood-La Bajada-is now ironi appropriately named " Ia bajada," w hich means ca lly being threatened by the same access across " the descent" or "a drop at the bottom of the the Trinity River that ini tially led to its creation. bridge." Discussing these neighborhoods now and how While the two neighborhoods dif:rer from they each came to be will help ensure that future one another in location, populations, and history, populations will know their importance and the there are still significant similarities berween the influences and stories behind them . two. In addition, one of these communities- 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 & Texas 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<s removed. Rose land Homes, a housing project near Hall and Washington streets, is visible at the right, with B. F. Darre ll Elementary School, at Munger Avenue, just below it. 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.