Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Little Mexico & Klyde Warren Park

Klyde Warren Park over Woodall Rodgers Freeway looks wonderful!

Klyde Warren Park once was part of "Little Mexico"
(Right click & hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)
The map above shows the area of Klyde Warren Park as it existed 68 years ago.  It is certainly a very positive addition to our city!  It is another opportunity to remember the powerful history of Dallas as we move forward. 

Dallas must take every chance to connect our students to their own history. Every park is such an opportunity.  Klyde Warren Park is built on land that at one time was known as "Little Mexico," generally the large area in blue on the map.  On the other side of Pearl, northeast from Klyde Warren Park, is land that was known as "North Dallas Freedman's Town", or the "State-Thomas Neighborhood."  It is generally the large area in red. This park is an opportunity for historical markers, and hopefully much more, to record the history upon which our growing and developing city is built.

Klyde Warren Park should become a place where we, and especially our children and students, remember and celebrate our own connections to Dallas History.  Such connections help student envision their own futures in our city. They enhance educational success. They will help us to build an ever more positive future.

The original of the above map is from the digital collection at the Dallas Public Library.  No changes were made to the original other than cropping and inserting changes needed to more clearly show the current location of Klyde Warren Park, and describe what is in this map.  It is the Dallas our ancestors knew, many of whom are are still living.  We need to ask them to record their memories of this history before they also are gone.