Jim Wheat, noted Dallas historian, passed away

[CasperITL]

Interesting that a guy who spent so much time cataloging and researching obituaries, cemeteries and other people's lives, barely gets a whisper when he passes away himself. For a guy well known for making famous the names of the long forgotten citizens of Dallas, I hope he'll be remembered in the future too. No way anyone will ever be able to replace what Jim Wheat did in regards to just raw information available on the internet.

Dallas Morning News, The (TX) - March 7, 2012
Deceased Name: Jimmy Wheat
Dallas, TX

Wheat, Jimmy Noted Dallas writer, researcher, and
genealogist, Jimmy Lynn Wheat, author of two volumes of
Ghost Towns of Texas and eleven surrealist chapbooks, and
the brains behind the popular website Jim Wheat's Dallas
County Archives, died 26 February 2012, in Garland, after a
long illness. An informal memorial service for his family,
friends, fans, and all those he has so graciously aided over
the years, will be scheduled at a later date.

In loving memory of Jimmy Lynn Wheat who passed away 26
February 2012.

Dallas Morning News, The (TX)
Date: March 7, 2012
Record Number: 0000750510-01
(c) Copyright, 2012, The Dallas Morning News
-------------

Jim Wheat's Dallas County Archives is literally a priceless resource into local stuff you cannot find anywhere else:

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jwheat/

Before much of the local and state records were digitized, I think he went through some really backbreaking work accumulating all the maps, cemetery plots, deeds, old newspaper articles. Things that he converted on his own into a digital format everyone could easily index. I'm not sure the Dallas Times Herald is digitized but he transcribed many of the old articles of historical importance from certain dates. The Times Herald often told a different viewpoint than the Dallas Morning News and being able to read stories about local politics or news events from two sources tended to balance things out. Jim Wheat captured that in some of his articles. I guess in today's terms, it would be like comparing the Dallas Morning News stories with the Dallas Observer or D Magazine who all have a different take on a story. Same thing was going on 100 years ago in Dallas between the DMN and DTH.

If you read enough of his story clippings you begin to understand that what many consider to be a rather sterile, soulless town on the North Texas Prairie has a lot of interesting history behind it. Behind every curve in the road or turn in a railroad track there is some story or heroism, cowardice, murder or triumph of human will.

The City of Dallas has lost a good person.

[SDORN]

casper I have read much of his documentation for years, as You know before I came onto this forum, I was on the Phorum in 1999 I am still there as scotty dorn. I contribute from time to time on there still.

[CasperITL]

^It said in his brief obituary that he had been ill for some time. His website had not been updated since 2006.

[txdore]

Let us know if you know when the service will be.