Gazing at this plaque makes me think about Dallas’s history. This is the City Lake Park Plaque. It marks a place with a rich past.
City Park was Dallas’s first public park. It was established in 1876. James J. Eakins donated ten acres for the park south of downtown. In 1881, the city acquired eight more acres from the Browder family. This included Browder Springs. Browder Springs was Dallas’s first public water supply. Mill Creek also ran through the area.
Extensive landscaping made City Park popular. Families enjoyed outings, flower shows, and band concerts. The Dallas County Pioneer Association met here in 1886 and 1887. Dallas’s first zoo was here in the 1890s. Later, the zoo moved to Fair Park and then to Marsalis Park.
Recreational facilities came later. These included a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond. The Park Department grew plants in greenhouses for all city parks.
The R.L. Thornton Freeway impacted City Park in the early 1960s. It took about five acres from the north side. The Confederate Memorial moved to Pioneer Cemetery.
In 1966, citizens formed the Dallas County Heritage Society. They wanted to save Millermore. Millermore was the largest antebellum mansion in Dallas. The Society moved Millermore to City Park. It opened to the public in 1969.
In 1971, the Heritage Society started a museum project. The goal was to bring historic buildings to the park. They wanted to reflect life in North Central Texas from 1840 to 1910. This became Dallas’ first official bicentennial project. In 1976, the park was renamed Old City Park.
Over thirty years, the Heritage Society brought nearly forty buildings to the park. They restored them and furnished them appropriately. In 1982, Old City Park earned accreditation from the American Association of Museums.
In 2005, Old City Park changed its name again. It became Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park. This helped it transition into a modern museum. The City of Dallas owns the park and buildings. The Dallas County Heritage Society operates the museum.
Dallas Heritage Village has the largest collection of 19th-century pioneer and Victorian buildings in Texas. The City Lake Park Plaque reminds us of this journey. It connects us to the park’s origins. It shows how Dallas preserved its history.