I was raised in Oak Cliff and we attended First Baptist of Oak Cliff, my grandparents, my family and my oldest sister was married there.  the church was on Jefferson, don't remember the side street, but it wasn't too far from Marsalis and Eighth.  The church built and moved to a new church on Ann Arbor I think it was in the late 50's.  it was always a very large church and unfortunately I don't have any pictures.  Maybe someone else has a bulletin or photos.  We were raised in that church as so many other Oak Cliff-ites -CBC

I grew up in Oak Cliff, 1952 through 1972. At some point in the early 60's I think, a practice known as Red Lining took place by realtors. I think this practice had a great deal to do with the demise of Oak Cliff as it was once known. Do you have any information on this practice or can you list any books that tell this story?

Sivil's! What a great experience. When you went on vacation and told people you were from Dallas, they would ask about Sivil’s. I was a teen then so we always ordered Van-ups. Occasionally I would go with grown ups and get sneaked a beer.

Hi! I found a diary in the house that i own its from 1939 and a young 12 year old girl named Mary Ann Scrogginns is the one who appears too be writing it. She does not write A L O T but what she did its awesome. Well hope u contact back it be interesting too see if someone knows about her or family.

Roger Latham says -- I just spoke to my 82 year old Aunt and she told me a story of interest. When her father (my grandfather) was transfered to Dallas they lived on Alabama Street in Oak Cliff. Behind them and one house over lived the Bonnie Parker family. I am interested in finding out the address of the Parker family so I can determine the location of this old family dwelling, my family enjoyed. Any idea? The Parker home was either on Ramsey or Arizona, because my Aunt said an alley ran between the lots.

Ron's been going though some of his parents old photos and came across this pic of Lake Cliff Park pool circa 1952 -- you can make out Cliff Towers in the background behind the trees...Old Oak Cliffites who spent many an hour floating on inner tubes in this giant pool may remember that it was filled in because of the polio scare...

Eark Crater and his wife Ethyl ran the Pig Stand on Zangs and Colorado across diagonally from Cliff Park.  They both played golf at the Oak Cliff Country Club and we were often their golf partners.  They lived in Kessler Park.  Both were active in civic affairs. - WJ Garrett
 

My father, Alvin Crow, attended Clyde Barrow's funeral that took place on his Senior Day at Oak Cliff High School (now Adamson).  One of my father's classmates at Oak Cliff High School was Mr. Durrett. CC Barnes

Let's not forget "Hampton/Illinois" in the early 70's on Friday and Saturday night's. I remember sitting in line at Jack in the box waiting to get my Bonus Jack and a guy ran up and asked "do you mind"? I said "nope, go ahead". He put Jack's head in a headlock and ripped it off. That happened so often they stopped putting Jack's head above the box.  Guess that's not a good thing to brag about, but it is a memory. - JM

Hello,I am 64. I was at Bronco Bowl when Jayne Mansfield was there. [I think it was their Grand Opening] Anyway, my husband and I were shooting pool there. My husband was the only person in the place who was not looking at Jayne Mansfield so her handlers came over to him and asked if he would shoot pool w/Jayne, while they took photos of her. My husband was so shy it seemed he could not even move or speak. I kept urging him to do it so that they would not think he was being rude, but he still would not do it, so they picked someone else. I was so upset w/him for not doing it. I lived in Dallas then but I now live in Arlington. Sherry

From Paul Hamilton -- a pic of Stevie Ray Vaughn (with guitar) -- (I've been told it  also has actor Steven Tobolosky (far right) and that SRV posed for this pic with Steven -- SRV was never actually part of that singing group...)

Alan, here's a picture of Jefferson Blvd at night in 1949. You can use it on
the Oak Cliff web site. My wife & I both grew up in Oak Cliff. I graduated from Sunset in 1954 & my wife from Adamson in 1956. We bought the picture in the 70s at an antique store. It has no markings to indicate who made the picture. I scanned the picture to make the computer file. Cheers, Tom

(Looks like the Texas Theater on the left at the top...)
 

Here's a little trivia for you. My father, Gordon Bryan Compton, lived in the area and attended Sunset High School, class of '39. Although he was born in New Orleans, LA, he considered himself a Dallas, Texan his whole life until the day he died. He told us he placed first in State in track at Sunset High in the mile his junior year, but got beat and had to settle for second place his senior year.

He joined the US Army Air Corp in 1942 after attending North Texas State awaiting entry into the service. His mother wouldn't sign the papers and he was required to wait until he was twenty-one years of age although, after the Pearl Harbor attack, they took him right away for pilot's training. He became an Ace Fighter pilot flying first the P-47 Thunderbolt (The "Jug") and the the P-51 Mustang stationed in Raydon, England for 2 tours, including D-day. The 351st, his group, perfected the art of taking out ground targets AND aerial combat, flying escort for the bombers in Europe. He had 5 1/2 aerial victories and many more on the ground. His biography is included in most books written about the European theatre fighter pilots and the P-51 Mustang.

Dad's parents were Robert Brown Compton and Netho Gertrude Purdom Compton. His family built a home and lived on 1000 (1033 or 1035 perhaps) block on Winnetka for many years. I have a very good photograph of the brick home--because they were so emotionally attached to the home and loved the area they had a large photograph of the home made, framed it, and hung it in their living room! The family moved from the area to a rural "farm", but missed it and moved back into another home within a few years. His mother, after being widowed and needing more care, moved from the area in the 70's. Dad made a career of the Air Force.

Dad talked about Sunset High School very fondly. He knew Linda Darnell very well. He remembered and kept track of his classmates (and teachers!) and corresponded regularly into his 70's until ill health made it impossible. It distressed him to see the economic decline in the years after he left. I think he was in the minority, but he always welcomed diversity and felt that having many different kinds of people only made life better and more interesting!!

- Katy Carter

I was born at Methodist Hospital in 1944, lived at 411 Cliffdale through high school, and worked for 40 years in Oak Cliff as a fireman. I enjoyed your Oak Cliff history piece very much and thought you would enjoy this picture from early Oak Cliff. The location is the NW corner of Ravinia and Davis (3007 W. Davis) at our family garage. My Aunt and Grandmother are standing at the gas pumps and my father and his brother are in the back of the wrecker (my Dad has a broken wrist).

R. E. Camplen

 

From David Spillyards: Aaron Spelling's mother worked in the downtown Jas. K. Wilson store, in the tailor shop...and once lived in Oak Cliff. (Editor's note: I was recently watching DVDs from the first year of Gunsmoke and Aaron Spelling played an harassed guitar player in the episode.)

Hi my name is Luis Palomo (Sunset class of 96) some trivia info for your consideration. The father of current DISD Superintendent, Hinojosa was the pastor of Bethania Assembly of God church when it was on Tenth St.( The church relocated to the beautiful church with a high steeple on Jefferson and Beckley area). He married my sister and her husband.  Also, our car club Latin Unity was used as extras for the filming of Walker, Texas Ranger in the bishop Area.

During my thirty-one year teaching career with the Dallas Independent School District, the second week of October was always a special one--not just because we were anticipating our trips to the State Fair of Texas--but because that was always Fire Prevention Week. In the 1970's, we took our first graders on walking field trips to the fire house only a few blocks away at 1735 South Ewing--old #23. This station had a real Dalmatian that rode on the back of the truck just like the ones we'd seen in our library books! Many times we'd be on the playground after lunch when the firetruck would go racing by, with siren wailing and that Dalmatian riding on the back. The kids would go running along the inside of the fence trying to see which way the truck was going, waving and hollering at the firemen.

That particular station had a fire pole--and one of the firemen would always demonstrate how quickly he could get down from the second floor area where they slept. Those were the days when they would actually let the kids climb into the cab of the fire truck or put on the big fireman's hat and heavy coat--there's no telling how many children were influenced in future career choices because of this early experience. The firemen used this time to talk to the kids about being careful around space heaters and not playing with matches or fire.  In later years, the fire fighters came to us at school and did demonstrations in the classroom or showed us videos of firefighters in action. Sometimes they would bring a big hook and ladder truck onto our parking lot and let the children walk around it as they pointed out the various parts of the truck. Valuable experiences--but not quite the same as in the "old days."

Old #23 was replaced by a new station #23 in 1987, located at 1660 South Corinth Street. The old station house was used as a neighborhood art studio in later years. - Patsy Summey

Here's a postcard I recently ran across -- Pig stands got started in Oak Cliff (a few still exit in Houston and San Antonio) This one has the caption "World's First Drive-In (1921)" and "Photo of Ruth Forke at age 16. Now retired after 40 years with PIG STAND." - Alan

Dub Thomas (Sunset class of 1954) Sends us a picture of a group from Sunset High School in 1955 for a New Years Eve Party at LuAnns.

 

Moxleydallas remembers: Sivals drive in was  at Davis/Ft Worth intersection -- it covered 2-3 acres & was one of the first drive in restaurants in the country circa 1942 . On the cover of Life magazine --  had 40 car hops in full regalia.   I was one in 1964-65 --  we wore cowgirl outfits by then  I have one picture of me but there was a post card made of life magazine cover. It was quite the late nite hangout for several oak cliff music makers even in the 60s.

Old Oak cliff memories have been percolating in Benney Kirtley 's mind, and as they do he writes them down -- Benny -- thanks for the memories! -Benny remembers: Near the end of the forties I remember my mom and dad taking me to the Texas theater for a special occasion. Upon arriving I discovered that it was an event called "The Oak Cliff Minstrels" There was a lot of singing and dancing and special people on the stage that night. The Dudley Hughes Quartet sang songs while Marion Snider played the piano/organ as he also did this for the Majestic theater. As I recall, the organ would come up from beneath the floor so to speak and as it rose Marion would be playing. 
    One of my uncles worked for the Dallas Transit System so I always had plenty of tokens to ride the street cars in Dallas. As I recall further, one year when the State Fair opened, a neighborhood playmate and I saved out nickels, dimes, and quarters and at the ripe age of ten years old, he and I rode a street car to Fair Park on DISD day and stayed until seven or eight o'clock that night. Pitched a few nickels at the bowls and dishes and won myself a couple of baby ducks!  That feat could not be repeated at this day and time needless to say.
    Later in life when I had obtained a driving license and a car, I ventured down on Jefferson Blvd. to do some shopping at Sears & Roebuck. I bought a set of tires for my 1956 Chevrolet and they were recaps. By the way, Sears was the first store in this city of Dallas to install escalators in their store. A couple of years later I was again going to Sears to buy some tires and I got a speeding ticket from none other than J.D. Tippet. One week later he was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald.
    In Oak Cliff during the fifties and sixties, dining was at its finest. There was the Bishop Street Grill and the Wind Jammer on Colorado and Kips Big Boy on Zangs. Oak Cliff also had some of the best kept secret places to eat that weren't advertised. They were backstreet boarding houses. You just went in the back door, put your dollar or two on the table and partner it was all you could eat. There was usually eight or ten people already eating at a huge table so you had to say "pass the taters please".
    Folks, these memories are not just mine, they will be in the minds of a lot of people I know. Did our parents revere their "olden days" as we do? I hope in the life hereafter we'll be able to rerun some of those grand ole' times that we cherish. Truthfully, I don't think we'll care but its fun to think that you might could. --Charles "Benny" Kirtley 

---

Go to NEXT Memories page

---