Oak Cliff History - 1941-50
Early History|1901-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 |
| 51-60 | 61-70 | 71-80 | 81-90 | 91-2000 | 2001 -
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World War and beyond: 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.
An Early Pig Stand -- started in Oak Cliff
(Click to see: 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 Fellowship Class at Cliff Temple Baptist Church posed for this 1941 photograph, where, like many churches of this time, separate Sunday school classes for men and women were common. Cliff Temple continued to grow and became the Southern Baptist Convention’s second largest congregation, just behind First Baptist Dallas. Dr. Wallace Bassett was the church’s well-known and influential pastor for 48 years. (Courtesy of Cliff Temple Baptist Church.)
At various war bond fundraisers, four-year-old Paula Craig donned this miniature US Army uniform (sporting an RAF emblem on her sleeve) to sing and tap dance for these events. The Craig house was home-away-from-home for groups of RAF fighter pilots training in Terrell, Texas. Showing up regularly at the family’s house in the Elmwood neighborhood, the pilots’ familiar greeting was, “Let’s go to the zoo!” They hosted 55 Brits and Scots during these years, but only two survived the war. (Courtesy of Paula Craig.)
Sixteen year old former Sunset High School student Linda Darnell held the record as the youngest leading lady in Hollywood history. Beginning as a teen model in Dallas, before moving to Hollywood, she eventually starred in 46 movies (including The Mark of Zorro) and was billed by her studio as “The Woman with The Perfect Face.” In 1944, Look magazine named her one of the four most beautiful women in the world. Darnell died at age 41, in a 1965 fire at a friend’s home in Illinois. (Courtesy of Joe Whitney.)
The 820-acre Wynnewood Village, at Zang Boulevard and West Illinois Avenue, was designed to be just that—a village. Home construction began in 1946, with many post-war families moving to the Wynnewood Apartments abutting the center. Groundbreaking for the shopping center soon followed. Skillern’s drug store, A&P grocery, and M.E. Moses variety store anchored the early retail strip. Wynnewood Bank, Wynnewood Hotel, and Wynnewood Professional Building added to the village atmosphere. Fondly remembered are the glass enclosed monkey cages that flanked the back entrance at Volk’s and retailers that provided customers with bank drafts for all the major Dallas banks. Wynnewood Theater opened in 1953 to serve the growing community. Saturday mornings saw lines of parents dropping off their children, while other days and movies provided entertainment for the grown ups. Wynnewood Village became the hub of Oak Cliff shopping during the 50s, 60s, and early 70s, and pulled significant activity from Jefferson Boulevard, until new suburban shopping malls did the same to Wynnewood Village.
These N. W. Harlee Elementary School student council members and teachers posed for a late 1940s outdoor photograph. Former principal, and school namesake, Norman Washington Harlee served as a special reporter for the Dallas Morning News, authored numerous books on mathematics and geography, and introduced domestic science arts and manual arts to the Dallas high school curriculum. Harlee Elementary was on Anthony Street. (Courtesy of L. G. Slider Jr.)
“Dim your lights.” The Chalk Hill Drive-In on West Davis Street opened on July 4, 1941, and provided nighttime family entertainment unit it closed in the late 70s. Other Oak Cliff outdoor theaters included the Jefferson, Hampton Road, and South Loop. All featured concession buildings, playgrounds for children, and outdoor seating. In 1965 the triple-screen Astro Drive-In opened on Walton Walker Boulevard. Destroyed by fire in 1998, the Astro, like all the others, is now only a fond memory. (Courtesy of David Spence.)
The Dallas Wonders, a Black professional baseball team organized by Oleatha, Luther, and Herman Price, played from 1938-1942. Steer Stadium encouraged a loud and cheering crowd by holding Ladies and Children’s Night promotions where the honorees received free admittance. Although the Wonders had a winning record, 12 –2 in 1940, World War II put an end to the Wonders and many other baseball teams. (Courtesy of Ruth Sanders.)
In 1940, as vehicle ownership increased, Houstonian J. D. Sivil and his wife Louise opened a second restaurant location in Dallas at the intersection of Westmoreland Avenue, West Davis Street, and Fort Worth Avenue. Louise learned in Houston that pretty “car-hostesses,” in figure-flattering satin uniforms and cowboy boots, were more profitable than male carhops in white shirts and bow ties. Women between 18 and 25, with high school diplomas and health cards, were invited to work at Sivil’s. The new drive-in restaurant (a term coined by Louise) offered customers a three-acre parking lot, and 105 hostesses who could tend up to 500 cars at one time. A “general,” housed in a tower above the lot, used a PA system to alert the girls when customers arrived. Hostess uniforms and boots had to be spotless, and, after they memorized the menus, Louise coached the young ladies in diction and cordiality. Although Sivil’s attracted the cool crowd during the rock-and-roll years, era, changing demographics put an end to the fun in 1970.
Streetcars continued to operate in Oak Cliff until the mid-1950s. This car is passing the Skillern’s Drug store on Edgefield Avenue at Seventh Street. Every year when school started, Skillern’s offered a free “Big Shake” at its snack counter, for students who purchased a required dollar amount of supplies. The store served up a lot of ice cream right after Labor Day every year. (Courtesy of David Spence.)
Early History |1901-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 |
| 51-60 | 61-70 | 71-80 | 81-90 | 91-2000 | 2001 -
