Historic Oak Cliff City Tour

Learn why it was "Hord's Ridge" originally and was intended to be the "Boston" of Dallas. In 1908, the Trinity River flood separated Oak Cliff from the rest of Dallas for more than a week, but some people still aren't sure what's on the other side of the river. In the 1830s and 40s, occasional settlers set up temporary stockades and houses on the west side of the Trinity River before Dallas was founded. The first permanent settlement was established in 1845 by William H. Hord, and was called Hord's Ridge. In 1887 T.L. Marsalis bought 2000 acres and began a development of houses he called Oak Cliff, by 1900, Oak Cliff had a population of 3,630 people. The principal of the high school in 1900 was W.H. Adamson. He served there for almost 40 years, and the school was eventually named after him. The growing city of Dallas set its eyes on Oak Cliff and proposed annexation. A heated debate ensued with many citizens afraid the merger would hinder Oak Cliff's growth. However, the vote succeeded by a slim margin of 201 to 183. This merger increased Dallas's size by one third. "Because Oak Cliff is on the other side of the Trinity, people may not venture into this area, which is one of the reasons why it is included in the City Tour Series."

The tour departs from and returns to the Hall of State in Fair Park.

Information from the official site