World War: Post-war Oak Cliff attracted thousands of new families. As a result, numerous houses and business were built during this decade. Oak Cliff’s pastime during this era was baseball at (also sometimes known as Rebel Field), located at what Burnett Field is now Colorado and Interstate 35. Famous figures such as Casey Stengle, Dizzy Dean and others played there and President Truman held a political rally at the field. The local team was named the Eagles and games were played to packed and enthusiastic crowds. In this decade, the way to get around town was by trolley car. Residents of Oak Cliff could catch a trolley and quickly travel to any part of Dallas. Or, they could take the Interurban to outlining cities such as Denton or Corsicana. Red Bird Airport was established in 1946, and during this decade, Angus Wynne began building the Wynnewood community. (Click to see the feature: Pig Stand Earns Five Oinks for Innovation.)

Mary Maxwell sent us this picture of a spoon from the Pig Stand where her mother once worked -- Thanks Mary!

The big wind: One afternoon in 1957 the sky turned green. Residents of Oak Cliff stood on the porches and watched the gathering storm. It would be one they would not soon forget. At about 3:00pm, a twister set it’s sight on Oak Cliff. Residents could see it coming, and many jumped in their cars to outrun it. It skipped through North Oak Cliff and Wynnewood, ripping apart many homes. On some blocks one home would be completely lost while the house next door was barely touched. Hollye Little West remembers: "I was having a birthday party for my second birthday. I lived on Glenfield in Oak Cliff. I remember the tornado was coming and my mother put us all in the bath tub and put a mattress from the bunk bed on top of us. It tore up the Hampton Drive-In and when it got to our back yard it picked up and went over our house." Here are some other pictures of the Tornado:

No booze: Politically, Oak Cliff voted itself dry (no sales of liquor) on December 15, 1956. The campaign was supported by a number of Oak Cliff ministers including Buel Crouch of Grace Baptist Church and Dr. Stuckey of Tyler Street.

End of Street Cars: The street car era ended during this decade, with the last lines (Sunset and Hampton) closing operations in 1956.

Here is a map showing street car lines in Oak Cliff.