West Dallas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
West Dallas
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Fish Trap Lake Park in West Dallas, including the smokestack of the defunct RSR Corporation smelter in the background
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Location in Dallas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Counties | Dallas |
| City | Dallas |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.45 sq mi (29.66 km2) |
| • Land | 11.45 sq mi (29.66 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 406 ft (124 m) |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 24,132 |
| ZIP code |
75212 (main postal zip code), 75208 and 75211 (small areas)
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| Area code(s) | 214, 469, 972 |
| References: | |
West Dallas is a large area in Dallas, Texas, United States. It is made up of many different communities and neighborhoods. West Dallas is bordered by Interstate 30 to the south. The Trinity River runs along its east and north sides. The West Fork of the Trinity River forms its western border.
Contents
People in West Dallas
In the late 1980s, about 13,161 people lived in West Dallas. By the year 2000, the population had grown to 24,132 people.
The people living here come from many different backgrounds. About 37.3% were African American and 41.8% were Hispanic or Latino. Other groups included White, Native American, and Asian or Pacific Islander people. About 15.2% of residents identified as being from two or more races.
Neighborhoods of West Dallas
West Dallas is becoming a very active area with many new buildings and projects. These new developments are changing the look and feel of the community.
Some of the newer areas include:
- Trinity Groves, located on Singleton Boulevard
- Sylvan/Thirty, found on Fort Worth Avenue
- Alta West Commerce
- Alta Yorktown
- Cliff View (west of Sylvan and north of Fort Worth Avenue)
These new places are bringing in popular restaurants, yoga studios, and fresh food markets. There are also new shops and apartments with great views of downtown Dallas. You can see the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and the Margaret McDermott Bridge from many spots.
Other new businesses and places in West Dallas include the Belmont Hotel, the Chicken Scratch/The Foundry restaurant, The Workroom, and the SPCA of Texas. There is also the Dead White Zombies theater company and MetroPaws Animal Hospital.
Industrial Park
Industrial Area
Distribution Center
Before these new changes, West Dallas had many long-standing neighborhoods. Some of these include:
- Bickers Park
- Buena Vista
- Cement City
- Cross Hampton
- Cross Westmoreland, Dallas
- Commerce Heights
- College Park (Riggins)
- Colonia Tepeyac, Dallas
- Coombs West End
- Crossman Ave
- Gilbert-Emory
- Ledbetter/Eagle Ford, Dallas
- Fish Trap Projects
- Greenleaf Village
- Homestead Manor
- El Aceite (sometimes called "La L'aceate"), Dallas
- La Bajada
- La Estrella, Dallas
- La Loma, Dallas
- La Mexicanita
- La Reunion (Texas)
- Lake West
- Ledbetter Gardens
- Los Altos
- Muncie, Dallas
- P J Allen No 3
- Rupert Circle, Dallas
- Victory Gardens
- Weisenberger Lucky 7
- Western Heights, Dallas
- Westmoreland Heights
- Westmoreland Park
West Dallas also had large housing projects built in the 1950s near Hampton Road and Singleton Boulevard. These were named George Loving Place, Edgar Ward Place, and Elmer Scott Place.
Industrial Areas
West Dallas has several areas set aside for businesses and factories. These include:
- Lone Star Industrial Park
- Singleton Industrial Area
- Turnpike Distribution Center
Education in West Dallas
Kids in West Dallas can go to public, private, or charter schools. There are also places for higher education and community learning centers.
Public Schools
Most public schools in West Dallas are part of the Dallas ISD. A small part of the area is served by the Irving ISD.
Students in Dallas ISD usually attend Thomas A. Edison Middle Learning Center and L. G. Pinkston High School. They also go to one of these elementary schools:
- C. F. Carr Elementary School
- Dallas Environmental Science Academy
- Lorenzo DeZavala Elementary School
- Sidney Lanier Elementary School Vanguard for Expressive Arts
- Eladio R. Martinez Learning Center
- Gabe P. Allen Elementary School
- West Dallas STEM School
Students in Irving ISD attend Bowie Middle School and Nimitz High School. Depending on where they live, they might go to Schulze Elementary School or Townley Elementary School.
Uplift Heights Preparatory is a public charter school in the Lake West neighborhood. It helps students get ready for college. It opened in 2006 and serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 11th grade.
Private Schools
West Dallas has a few private schools:
- Mayo Kindergarten was a Christian private school. It was the first school in West Dallas owned by a Black person, Mrs. Sammie Lee Crump.
- West Dallas Community School is another Christian private school.
- St. Mary of Carmel Catholic School opened in 1944. It is located on Singleton Boulevard.
Higher Education
- Dallas College has a West Dallas Center for students who want to continue their education after high school.
Other Learning Centers
Several community centers offer programs for kids and families:
- Voice of Hope Ministries provides after-school and summer programs.
- Wesley-Rankin Community Center
- Readers To Leaders
- Mercy Street
Environmental History of West Dallas
West Dallas started as a small community outside of Dallas in 1886. In 1934, a company called Murphy Metals (later RSR Corporation) opened a lead processing factory there. This factory melted lead materials to reuse them.
In 1954, Dallas officially made West Dallas part of the city. Before this, many people in West Dallas did not have basic services like clean water or proper waste removal. In 1956, a large public housing complex was built very close to the lead factory.
Over the years, the factory released lead particles into the air. In the 1960s, the factory released over 269 tons of lead each year. Many homes did not have air conditioning, so people kept their windows open, breathing in the polluted air.
In the 1970s, officials learned that lead from the factory was getting into the blood of children living nearby. Studies showed that children near the factory had higher levels of lead. The community worked hard to get the problem fixed.
In 1983, a local club for boys had to close because the soil had very high levels of lead. After many years of effort from the community and lawsuits, the RSR Corporation factory was ordered to close in 1985.
Even after the factory closed, the land it was on still had a lot of lead pollution. In 1993, the site was added to the Superfund list, which means it needed a major cleanup by the government. The cleanup was completed in 1994. In 2005, the site was declared safe for reuse. The cleanup helped lower lead levels in children's blood and made many properties safe again.
Getting Around West Dallas
West Dallas has several ways to travel, including buses, trains, and highways.
Bus Services
- DART provides bus services.
- GoLink is a special on-demand service from DART.
Light Rail Trains
- DART also has light rail train stations nearby:
- West End Station
- Dallas Union Station (also known as the Eddie Berniece Johnson or EBJ Union Station)
- Victory Station
Other Ways to Travel
- The West Dallas Circuit is an alternative transportation service.
Highways
Major highways near West Dallas include:
Interstate 30
Interstate 35E
Texas State Highway Spur 366
Texas State Highway Loop 12
Dallas North Tollway
Famous People from West Dallas
West Dallas has been home to several well-known individuals:
- Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, who became famous in the 1920s and 1930s, grew up in West Dallas.
- Mattie Lee Nash was the first African American woman from West Dallas to serve on the City Council. She was known as the "Mayor of West Dallas" and worked hard for her community.
- Actress Regina Taylor is from West Dallas.
- Rapper Tracy Lynn Curry, known as The D.O.C., also comes from West Dallas.
Images for kids
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Fish Trap Lake Park in West Dallas, including the smokestack of the defunct RSR Corporation smelter in the background
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Location in Dallas
