Oak Cliff and the Missing Pieces
by
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In its infancy, Oak Cliff was a free-range settlement. In adolescence, it became an upstart village. By the time it was a teen, the city had grown into a prideful, incorporated city. Later as an adult, we see it as a lively suburb of one of the largest cities in the US. The fascinating saga of Oak Cliff is confounding and at times melancholy, yet shows signs of a community that abounds with resilience, scrappiness and pride. Cities often reflect its citizens’ personality, and this is clearly the case with Oak Cliff. It’s not feasible to sit Oak Cliff on a couch and psychoanalyze its feelings and emotions. However, let’s imagine for a moment, Oak Cliff is comfortably reclined in the psychiatrist’s office and readied for deep examination. The doctor’s diagnosis would reveal that Oak Cliff has suffered, and is still suffering from an acute inferiority complex, joined with a dreadful persecution disorder. For an individual, this type of neuroses would be present in those who lacked self-confidence, or had experienced neglect, bullying, separation or abandonment. Most of this is true of Oak Cliff. Developing defense measures to neutralize these destructive forces tends to make one tough, gritty, spirited and tenacious, which happens to be the character of Oak Cliff and its residents.
As the city’s story unfolds, it becomes evident, since Oak Cliff grew up in such close proximity to Dallas, the bigger city shaped what we see today. Many descriptors can be attributed to Oak Cliff, which have been repeated over many generations. Such characterizations as a red-headed stepchild, a second sister, or having a chip on its shoulder are all true. It is also correct to say Oak Cliff failed when it tried to play itself off as an elite playground for the privileged.
In this narrative, we’ll meet the primary villain responsible for the discord between Oak Cliff and Dallas. The chief provocateur, as it turns out, was a physical, as well as a mental barrier. It’s known as the Trinity River. The separation caused by this waterway is tangible. The Trinity has wreaked havoc on both sides of the river, but Oak Cliff has always seemed to get the short end of the stick. Because of the periodic impasse which was manifested between cities, Oak Cliff adults and children seemed to be left out of the mainstream evolution as Dallas developed. The river also somehow suppressed the concept of Oak Cliff from the minds of those living north. It made the community seem much further away than it actually was. Those who crossed north over the river, in essence, exacted servitude on the part of ‘Westsiders’ who appeared to live on the wrong side of the channel. Because they had to cross the Trinity, residents of the southern communities developed a reliance on its loftier neighbor while Dallas had no real needs of its lesser sibling. Inevitably this forced a dependency which would result in resentment, certainly instigated competition and also brought mistrust.
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About the Book
Oak Cliff and the Missing Pieces is the first book written about the area's history in over three decades. It not only captures the beginnings of the early settlement, it takes the reader beyond a century and a half of growth and tracks how the community has evolved. The book is unique in that it captures the history of West Dallas in conjunction with its Oak Cliff neighbor and how the two transformed together over time into what we see today. The collection of historical accounts and hundreds of photos identify individuals and places of prominence finally memorialized in one anthology. The narrative also takes readers through facts and stories that have been ignored or concealed, revealing an authentic depiction of how the community was, at times, abused and neglected. Readers will enjoy this introspective examination of the area south and west of the Trinity and will once and for all put together the missing pieces of the storied land that has long been misunderstood.
All proceeds from the sale of Oak Cliff and the Missing Pieces will go to benefit non-profit organizations in Oak Cliff and West Dallas.
About the Author
Gregory is a fifth generation Oak Cliff native, born and raised in far South Oak Cliff. He graduated from David W. Carter High School where he was sports editor of the school paper, The Wrangler. He then received his BS degree in communications from the University of Texas, Arlington after spending a few years at Texas Tech University. He wrote for the Tech paper, The University Daily and also wrote articles for American Dawn Magazine and the music magazine, Lit Monthly. Gregory was a DJ at KTXT-FM in college and later secured a position at KSEL-FM, an ABC affiliate station in Lubbock, where he was a DJ and music director. Mr. Hasty later spent 40 years in the Dallas trust banking business before embarking on writing full-time. He is also the author of fictional works, Unsettled Business, Jana and Lydia and Woodstockers. In addition, he published an important, introspective, faith-based work, I’m A Nobody, but not to God.