Take a moment to read the plaque in front of you. It reads “Kleberg, Dallas County.” This wasn’t always just a neighborhood in the heart of Dallas. It was once its own town, a thriving community with a rich history, all before being annexed into the city in 1978. Kleberg’s roots stretch back to the 1840s, a time when it was a small farming community. But when the Texas Trunk Railroad arrived in 1881, it brought about a time of prosperity. With the railroad came a post office, named Kleburgh. The town had two steam saw and grist mills, a cotton gin, and even a newspaper called “The Kleburg Pigmy.” The town’s population grew to 100. The name was later slightly altered to Kleburg and then again to Kleberg.
But Kleberg’s true claim to fame was its connection to the Trinity River project. The US government awarded $2 million for improvements to the river, and Kleberg became the closest point to Lock No. 2. This meant jobs for the town’s residents, who were employed by Bell and Carder to work on the lock project. But sadly, a devastating flood in 1908 washed away the locks and the project ultimately failed. Years later, the name of the post office was changed one last time, from Kleburg to Kleberg.
Kleberg continued to grow, becoming the largest town in Texas without a property tax. It was eventually annexed into the City of Dallas, marking an end to an era for this once vibrant town. But even though it’s no longer its own city, Kleberg’s history is still remembered. It’s a reminder of what life was like in this part of Dallas before it became the bustling city it is today.