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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Oak Cliff, the venerable community on the south bank |
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| 6 | 7 | | of the Trinity River, marks the 114th anniversary of its annexation |
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| 7 | 8 | | to Dallas on March 17, 2017; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Originally known as Hord's Ridge, Oak Cliff traces |
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| 9 | 10 | | its roots to the 1845 arrival of the William H. Hord family and to |
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| 10 | 11 | | the farming community that subsequently grew up in the vicinity; in |
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| 11 | 12 | | the 1880s the area of Hord's Ridge was bought by Thomas Marsalis and |
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| 12 | 13 | | John Armstrong, who dreamed of creating an exclusive residential |
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| 13 | 14 | | development there and who gave the site its present name; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, After the pair successfully launched the sale of |
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| 15 | 16 | | lots, Thomas Marsalis gained control of the project and undertook |
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| 16 | 17 | | several ventures to add to the attractiveness of the new town; these |
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| 17 | 18 | | included the introduction of a steam-powered railway to connect the |
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| 18 | 19 | | development with downtown Dallas, the establishment of Marsalis |
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| 19 | 20 | | Park, now home of the Dallas Zoo, and the erection of a fine hotel |
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| 20 | 21 | | featuring several mineral baths; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Oak Cliff enjoyed a period of favor as an upscale |
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| 22 | 23 | | residential and resort community before the depression of 1893 |
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| 23 | 24 | | drove Mr. Marsalis into bankruptcy; a number of lots once owned by |
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| 24 | 25 | | his company were then subdivided and sold; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, In 1903, after rejecting several overtures from |
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| 26 | 27 | | Dallas and still struggling with a sluggish economy, Oak Cliff |
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| 27 | 28 | | voters finally agreed to annexation to their larger neighbor; |
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| 28 | 29 | | development over the next several decades included the construction |
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| 29 | 30 | | of hundreds of modest homes as well as the grand residences of |
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| 30 | 31 | | Kessler Park; and |
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| 31 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Set on rolling hills a few miles from downtown |
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| 32 | 33 | | Dallas, Oak Cliff today is home to a broadly inclusive population, |
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| 33 | 34 | | with residents representing a variety of ethnic and cultural groups |
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| 34 | 35 | | and economic backgrounds; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, These citizens are acting through a number of |
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| 36 | 37 | | organizations, such as the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce, Old Oak |
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| 37 | 38 | | Cliff Conservation League, Oak Cliff Foundation, and various |
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| 38 | 39 | | neighborhood groups, to promote the preservation and |
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| 39 | 40 | | revitalization of their community; their efforts have figured |
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| 40 | 41 | | prominently in the rebirth of Jefferson Boulevard, West Davis |
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| 41 | 42 | | Street, and Fort Worth Avenue, in the renovation of the historic |
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| 42 | 43 | | Texas Theatre, and in the flowering of the Bishop Arts District; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Members of close-knit communities within the larger |
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| 44 | 45 | | embrace of Oak Cliff, the residents of this unique section of Dallas |
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| 45 | 46 | | are holding fast to their rich history while forging an ever |
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| 46 | 47 | | brighter and more promising future; now, therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 114th anniversary of Oak Cliff's |
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| 49 | 50 | | annexation to Dallas and extend to the citizens of Oak Cliff sincere |
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| 50 | 51 | | best wishes as they build on their notable heritage. |
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