| Home |
| Dining in O.C. |
| Schools |
| Churches |
| O.C. Trivia |
| O.C. History |
| Oak Cliff Homes & Real Estate |
| Directions to O.C. |
| Notable Natives |
| Advertise |
|
Jeter & Son
Funeral Home
Oak Cliff's Sponsors advertise here
|
|
A Brief History of Oak Cliff |
Note: This history was originally compiled as a part of a 90th anniversary project at Tyler Street United Methodist Church. It is a work in progress -- I'd appreciate any contributions, corrections, information & pictures. -- Alan
Please visit some of the other pages on the Oak Cliff site that include trivia, remembrances and history contributed by web site readers.
- Oak Cliff Trivia
- Oak Cliff History + Oak Cliff Timeline
- Memories of Oak Cliff's Past + Memories of Bronco Bowl
- Old Oak Cliff School Photos
Early History | 21-40 | 41-60 | 61-80 | 81-2000 | 2001 & beyond
| 1981 to 1990 | |||
|
Following the oil crisis of the 1970s, new homeowners were
looking to save gasoline dollars by living closer to work. This fact fueled
the continued growth in the restoration of homes in Oak Cliff. Areas of particular interest
included Kidd Springs, Kessler, and Winnetka Heights. Many of the older houses
in these areas had been originally built by wealthy families. At the beginning
of this decade, they were often available for purchase at reasonable prices, and
made spectacular homes when renovated. Several organizations such as the Old Oak
Cliff Conservation League helped homeowners address the city for zoning changes
and code enforcement. A few of the neighborhood organizations sought for
historic district designation, resulting in areas such as the Winnetka Heights
historic district. Polar Bear on Zang circa mid-70s-- photo courtesy of Sam Love
Little by little, selected areas within North Oak Cliff saw building improvements and renovation. During this decade the old Methodist Central Hospital on Colorado was demolished and replaced with a new Methodist Hospital complex. Also, a new Fiesta Marketplace was built on Jefferson on the block that had housed the old Sears store and later a Rick’s furniture. Although the historic Polar Bear vanished, several restaurants and antique shops opened in the Lake Cliff and Bishop areas. In particular La Calle Doce on Twelfth street (was originally a French restaurant) and Gloria's on Davis began to build reputations that would rank them as some of the best restaurants in Dallas. With the closing of the UA Cinema near Red Bird in 1998 (and the burning of the Astro Drive-in), Oak Cliff lost its last movie theater -- amazing that a community of over 400,000 people would not have any movie theater. Still, there was entertainment to be had. The CrossWise Players, a community drama group originating from Tyler Street UMC, produced a number of plays (with adult and youth troupes.)
|
|||
|
Go to Oak Cliff Home History Page
Treat other people the way you want to be treated. This page was last edited on July 22, 2008 |
Those Who Served
-- We're working on a