Downtown Dallas Historical Walking Trail / Urban Armadillo Downtown Dig

**Mark Lea** · 03 April 2012, 10:29 AM

Hey all, on Saturday a group of people organized by DDi and Merriman Assoc. Archs got together for the first step of putting together a historical walking trail through the CBD inspired by Boston's Freedom Trail. The purpose is to guide and educate tourists and locals on the history that we have since all too often we are branded a young city, void of historical significance. Anyway, I was on the team for the Government district and while walking it I realized that so many facts that I took as common knowledge (in large part due to this forum) were news to the people I was walking with. I couldn't help but think we needed more forumers to be involved since I would argue we are among the most knowledgeable in the city. I have a few people that I absolutely want to be there (NJ, you were the first that came to mind), but its an open invite for the next meeting. I believe it will be a happy hour in a few weeks, though nothing is set in stone just yet. If anyone is interested or wants to know more, PM me or just keep watching this thread because I will update it as soon as I know more.

Mark

**dfwcre8tive** · 03 April 2012, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Lea

Hey all, on Saturday a group of people organized by DDi and Merriman Assoc. Archs got together for the first step of putting together a historical walking trail through the CBD inspired by Boston's Freedom Trail. The purpose is to guide and educate tourists and locals on the history that we have since all too often we are branded a young city, void of historical significance. Anyway, I was on the team for the Government district and while walking it I realized that so many facts that I took as common knowledge (in large part due to this forum) were news to the people I was walking with. I couldn't help but think we needed more forumers to be involved since I would argue we are among the most knowledgeable in the city. I have a few people that I absolutely want to be there (NJ, you were the first that came to mind), but its an open invite for the next meeting. I believe it will be a happy hour in a few weeks, though nothing is set in stone just yet. If anyone is interested or wants to know more, PM me or just keep watching this thread because I will update it as soon as I know more.

Mark

Is there any other information about it online? I haven't heard anything.

**Mark Lea** · 04 April 2012, 11:36 AM

Dont think so. Its all been over email so far; however, that's a great suggestion that should be brought up at the next meeting. Would be a good way to get people involved as well as generate some traffic on the DDi website.

**Mark Lea** · 04 April 2012, 12:20 PM

I stand corrected. What do I know though, Spire's only sponsoring it

http://realpoints.dmagazine.com/2012...-doc-holliday/

**Bhops** · 04 April 2012, 12:42 PM

Scream Town sounds like a waterpark or something.

**tamtagon** · 04 April 2012, 01:19 PM

Dallas should bring back the red light district.

**dfwcre8tive** · 04 April 2012, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by tamtagon

Dallas should bring back the red light district.

It would probably help revitalize the West End... though all those visitors from the suburbs expecting chain restaurants would be in for a shock!

**Bhops** · 04 April 2012, 02:15 PM

If it's a red light district, hopefully it will be red LEDs.

**lakewoodhobo** · 04 April 2012, 03:33 PM

So Scream Town predates Frogtown? Were there other red light districts in Dallas?

**dfwcre8tive** · 04 April 2012, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by lakewoodhobo

So Scream Town predates Frogtown? Were there other red light districts in Dallas?

The area around First Baptist/Post Office was a red light district called "Stringtown"

**lakewoodhobo** · 04 April 2012, 05:25 PM

^Thanks! Wow, people sure liked their hookers here.

**jimmyx18** · 05 April 2012, 01:19 PM

Any future plans to paint a line on the sidewalks like in Boston, or mainly printable material that guides you?

**txdore** · 09 April 2012, 11:17 AM

MC Toyer and Bill Strouse come to mind. They are sometimes on this board, but also on the DHS phorum.

Funny, how many different 'red light' districts there were over time.
- Just south of old red/can't remember if it had a nickname
- Westend, before the warehouses
- Uptown/Frogtown

**CasperITL** · 10 April 2012, 08:34 AM

You need to track down a man by the name of Alex Troup. He's the expert on the Red Light district near the present day George Allen courthouse.

In regards to Doc Holliday, I thought he did his best work at Eagle Ford. In 1873, the Texas Pacific Railroad ran out of money for awhile and halted construction of the railroad, with the "end of the line" in Eagle Ford. That community briefly became a lawless reckless wild west town of a place straight out of the Tombstone movie. Cattle drives ended there where cattle were loaded onto the trains, cowboys were full of money and steam to blow off. Gunfighters, gunslingers, gamblers, prostitutes. John Wesley Hardin, the guy who once killed a man for snoring too loud, called Eagle Ford home for awhile.

Frank James, the brother of Jesse James worked at Sanger Brothers. Where El Centro is today.

From Elm Street, you can see the windows of the execution chamber where they hanged inmates.

**CasperITL** · 20 April 2012, 04:48 PM

Some of the archeological surveys done are pretty interesting. They are narrow in focus usually and only cover one plat of ground. This one, behind the present day Texas School Book Depository, over towards the DART tracks uncovered all sorts of things, including, in a very small area, 1,400 Indian arrowheads. Gotta remember that anywhere a high spot existed with a vantage point, people camped out. Guess pre-historic Downtown Dallas was a good camping spot.

This is one of the areas surveyed. There are other surveys, thick as phone books in some cases, for the freedman's towns in North Dallas and areas around the convention center.

Some of those arrowheads, like the Ellis point date to 1500BC-500BC. The Williams Dart points usually date back to 3000BC. I bet there are a lot more arrowheads buried down there.

**dfwcre8tive** · 20 April 2012, 05:40 PM

Interesting information; thanks for sharing. I'll be sure to pass this along to the group.

**Mark Lea** · 15 May 2012, 06:22 PM

Hey all, so the next step seems to be a little less inclusive than I had wished, but I'm hoping we will make info public before its all formalized so we can add anything that has been omitted. Anyway, so I'm captaining the section in the Govt District (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governm..._Dallas,_Texas) and we are turning in the top 10 facts/figures/historically relevant anythings for the district by the 25th. As far as districts go, this has less than some of the others and we are struggling a bit to come up with 10 (or more!). Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Here's what we've got:
Golden Boy
I.M. Pei's City Hall (Robocop)
Santa Fe Terminal
Haggar HQ
Cemetery in front of the Convention Center
Lang & Witchell's Lone Star Gas Lofts
L&W 's Dallas P & L - first electronically welded W of the MS river

and that's about when we run dry. Some of these could be elaborated on (There's plenty on wiki for City Hall, Golden Boy so the less obvious points if there are any, same for Haggar in aloft) and I'm sure we are missing out on some red light district or historical sketchiness of some sort. Of course, anything family friendly is also appreciated haha. Thanks for your help, and I'm making it known that there are lots of people that know a lot about downtown who want to be involved so my guess is that after this info drop, there will be a list to publish and have people dissect (what I'm steering for at least).

**Hannibal Lecter** · 15 May 2012, 07:21 PM

Off the top of my head:

- Baker hotel implosion in 1980 was largest building implosion ever at the time.

- HQ of #11 on Fortune 500: ATT.

- Pioneer Plaza largest bronze sculpture in world (taken as a whole).

**dfwcre8tive** · 15 May 2012, 09:17 PM

Little confused on what area you're looking for... the link to the Government District doesn't match up with the Civic Center District here: http://www.downtowndallas.org/documents/downtownmap.pdf

A few to start:

- Interurban building was one of the largest of its kind in the country, accommodating 24 interurban trains at one time

- Dallas Power & Light was the first electrically welded building west of the Mississippi

- Dallas Public Library contains one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the famously controversial "textured screen"

**Mark Lea** · 16 May 2012, 01:56 PM

Basically we were given the Civic District but smaller (we don't have the convention center or from City Hall to the highway, I believe).

Did not know that about Baker or Pioneer Plaza, Hannibal, & thanks for reminding me about the Dec. of Independence, Noah! Was just talking about that a few weeks ago yet somehow it slipped my mind. Is there any historical relevance to the "Textured Screen?"

**Mark Lea** · 23 May 2012, 03:40 PM

Ok, so my district is covered. Anyone have anything for 2001 Bryan (Bryan Tower) besides Doc Holiday's dentist office & the Ewing Oil HQ? A co-worker is only responsible for this building (our building) and we still digging.

Disclaimer: Not all of this will make it obviously, but we are compiling everything into a list and picking from there.

**profbarium** · 30 May 2012, 10:43 AM

Caught this on my facebook feed this morning (via a friend Thrillist): an artist's minimalist, "typographical" interpretation of Dallas's neighborhoods. Kind of cool, so I figured I'd share here.

**cowboyeagle05** · 30 May 2012, 10:47 AM

Yeah I've seen those maps they are on Etsy for sale there is a lot of Art using Dallas as the theme on Etsy.com for sale. I recent bought some old Dallas hotel ads from a seller on Etsy. I now have a ad from the Dallas Statler, Baker Hotel and the Adolphus Hotel . The ad copy is quite funny to read and the pics of the rooms at the Statler just show you how hotel rooms are no longer that small and I am glad they are not.

**mjblazin** · 30 May 2012, 12:00 PM

What is the Edgewood Place neighborhood? Other than apartments with same name,I could not find a reference.

**cowboyeagle05** · 30 May 2012, 12:07 PM

Here is a reference on the National Trust for Historical Preservation website that mentions Preservation Dallas and the Edgewood Place neighborhood. http://www.preservationnation.org/tr...hborhoods.html

**txdore** · 04 June 2012, 10:55 AM

Good find.

A good while back, an architect made for preservation dallas a pastel colored map of all the neighborhoods inside loop 12. They used to sell it, but the only copy i know of is hanging somewhere in the central library. The discover dallas portion of their website looks kinda like it - i just remember it being much more detailed. I heard he did a good bit of research on neighborhood boundaries - this was before the internet. Always wished i could get a hold of one of those.