Old East Dallas
Encyclopedia
Old East Dallas, formerly the city of East Dallas, Texas is a community consisting of several neighborhoods in east
Dallas
, Texas
, (USA
). In 1890, the city of East Dallas, much larger geographically than Dallas, was annexed into Dallas, making Dallas the largest city in Texas. The majority of the area was developed roughly between 1900 and 1930 and is generally bounded by Live Oak Boulevard, La Vista Avenue, Columbia Avenue, and Carroll Avenue.
(162,000 m²) tract east of the city of Dallas. The Beeman family had settled there in the 1860s and in 1872, William H. Gaston
began promoting the area for development. Four families settled there at the time, but when the railroads came to Dallas, a number of railroad workers came and built houses between Dallas and East Dallas.
Gaston gave the railroad companies US$
5,000 and free right-of-way
through his land to persuade them to build through East Dallas. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived on 16 July 1872 and the Texas and Pacific Railway
arrived on 22 February 1873.
On 9 September 1882, the area was incorporated into a city called "East Dallas" (though many thought it should be called "Gaston") on a tract of 1,400 acres (5,670,000 m²). The small town used an aldermanic form of government and in 1883 it passed a tax
ordinance to raise money for civic services. In 1883, the first schools in the area were built for 400 white
students and 60 black
students. In 1886, the first all-brick
schoolhouse in Dallas County
was constructed in East Dallas. In 1887, the State Fair of Texas
and Dallas Exposition at Fair Park
opened, giving the area further growth. By the late 1880s, East Dallas had 6,000 residents and by 1889, 90% of the homes in the city had running water.
In 1889, Texas state senator R.S. Kimbrough tried to get a bill run through the state legislature to remove East Dallas' charter so it could be annexed into Dallas. It is generally believed that the act was to make Dallas the largest city in Texas; and the efforts in fact did make Dallas the largest city in Texas by the 1890 census. On 31 December 1889, the day before East Dallas became part of Dallas, East Dallas' city council passed $45,000 in street improvements which the city of Dallas had to finance. Under the newly adopted charter, the city of Dallas took in all of East Dallas' debt.
East Dallas
East Dallas comprises many communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas, .- Neighborhoods :*Baylor/Meadows*Belmont*Hilltop*Bryan Place*Buckner Terrace*East Grand*Casa Linda Estates*Cochran Heights*Casa View*Claremont*Deep Ellum*Eastwood...
Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, (USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). In 1890, the city of East Dallas, much larger geographically than Dallas, was annexed into Dallas, making Dallas the largest city in Texas. The majority of the area was developed roughly between 1900 and 1930 and is generally bounded by Live Oak Boulevard, La Vista Avenue, Columbia Avenue, and Carroll Avenue.
History
The area began as a 40 acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
(162,000 m²) tract east of the city of Dallas. The Beeman family had settled there in the 1860s and in 1872, William H. Gaston
William H. Gaston
William Henry Gaston was a Dallas landowner and Confederate soldier originally from Prairie Bluff, Alabama . In 1868 he and Aaron C. Camp founded Gaston and Camp, the first banking house in the city of Dallas. A middle school in the Dallas Independent School District bears Gaston's name.-External...
began promoting the area for development. Four families settled there at the time, but when the railroads came to Dallas, a number of railroad workers came and built houses between Dallas and East Dallas.
Gaston gave the railroad companies US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
5,000 and free right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
through his land to persuade them to build through East Dallas. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived on 16 July 1872 and the Texas and Pacific Railway
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....
arrived on 22 February 1873.
On 9 September 1882, the area was incorporated into a city called "East Dallas" (though many thought it should be called "Gaston") on a tract of 1,400 acres (5,670,000 m²). The small town used an aldermanic form of government and in 1883 it passed a tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
ordinance to raise money for civic services. In 1883, the first schools in the area were built for 400 white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
students and 60 black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
students. In 1886, the first all-brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
schoolhouse in Dallas County
Dallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
was constructed in East Dallas. In 1887, the State Fair of Texas
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas . The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. The 2012 State Fair of Texas will run from September 28th...
and Dallas Exposition at Fair Park
Fair Park
Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America...
opened, giving the area further growth. By the late 1880s, East Dallas had 6,000 residents and by 1889, 90% of the homes in the city had running water.
In 1889, Texas state senator R.S. Kimbrough tried to get a bill run through the state legislature to remove East Dallas' charter so it could be annexed into Dallas. It is generally believed that the act was to make Dallas the largest city in Texas; and the efforts in fact did make Dallas the largest city in Texas by the 1890 census. On 31 December 1889, the day before East Dallas became part of Dallas, East Dallas' city council passed $45,000 in street improvements which the city of Dallas had to finance. Under the newly adopted charter, the city of Dallas took in all of East Dallas' debt.
Neighborhoods
- Junius Heights
- Munger Place Historic District
- Peak's Suburban Addition
- Swiss Avenue
- Vickery Place
- [C.V.P