Dallas

Dallas conjures up images of Oil Barons, an ancient TV soap where dead characters can be mysteriously reincarnated and, of course, the assassination of John F Kennedy. We flew into Dallas on a Sunday and stayed only one night there before moving on to Arkansas, so we saw the city at its quietest and through the haze of jet-lag!

John Neely Bryan Cabin

In Dallas County Historical Plaza  in the middle of the downtown skyscrapers you find a little log cabin. Did it get left behind? Er, no. Actually it is a replica of the first house in Dallas, the original which was sited about 400 metres (1/4 mile) from here having been destroyed in a flood in the late 19th century. The original building was erected by said John Neely Bryan in 1841 and served as both a home and a trading post.

Old Red Courthouse

From a single log cabin in 1841 Dallas grew quickly and 1890 work began on this Romanesque style building, the sixth building to occupy the site. Originally it had a large clock tower on top, but this was removed in 1919 because of fears that vibrations from the bell were damaging the structure of the building.  Why they removed the clock tower when silencing the bell would have done the job is not clear, but it turned out to be the right choice as it was found to be wind that had caused the damage. The courthouse is being restored and there are plans to rebuild the clock tower, hopefully in a way that will resist wind damage.

Downtown Dallas from Reunion Tower

The downtown area is smaller than we expected, but of course TV makes everything look bigger than reality. We spent the afternoon walking around the area and felt that we had at least got a feel for Dallas.  Part of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the 170 metre (560 feet) high Reunion Tower houses a restaurant and also provides a viewpoint of the downtown skyscrapers. Everyone recognises the need to ensure safety, but the view from the Observation Deck is unnecessarily obstructed and this photograph had to be edited to remove obstructions.

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DLU------

Former Texas School Book Depository

Everyone has heard of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas but no matter how hard we looked we couldn’t find it on our maps. In the Visitor Center we were told that it is now referred to as the Dallas County Administration Building. It seems a rather futile attempt to move on; history ensures that everyone remembers it by its former name. When you get there the presence of a museum dedicated to the assassination of JFK on the 6th floor and numerous hawkers selling assassination memorabilia make it difficult to disguise. Built in 1883 it was rebuilt in 1901 with two extra stories following a lightning strike. Did the fatal shots come from here or the nearby Grassy Knoll, or both?       Pass.

© Mike  Elsden 1981 - 2023

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