Built to Last: Circa 1908

Of all eight bridges in our initiative, Hall Street is the oldest, dating back to around 1908. I came across a Dallas Morning News article dated January 1, 1910, which proudly proclaimed, “Hall Street Bridge Lately Built by the City of Dallas.” The article noted that Hall Street experienced heavy traffic and was especially dangerous due to an upgrade from both directions. The new bridge was a much-needed safety improvement and came with a price tag of $4,700—a significant investment at the time.

A Railing Mystery (Mostly) Solved

One of the mysteries the Bridges of Turtle Creek committee has been trying to unravel is what the original railing on the Hall Street Bridge looked like. Thanks to a grainy photo that accompanied the 1910 article, we now believe the original railings are, in fact, the stamped concrete walls that are still standing today. The photo shows pedestrians on the bridge with the railings hitting them around the waist. This suggests that over time, the roadway has been raised considerably—making the original concrete walls too low by modern safety standards and requiring the installation of the current metal railing.

From Bargain Builds to Big Budgets

While researching Hall Street, I stumbled on a second gem—an article from January 21, 1921, also from the Dallas Morning News. It described the near-completion of the Fairmount Street Bridge, just north of the Katy tracks. That project had taken over a year and cost a whopping $30,000. In the same piece, the Maple Avenue Bridge was also noted as “nearly completed” at a cost of $36,000. It’s amazing to consider how bridge-building escalated in cost and complexity in just a little over a decade.

Why It Matters

As we work to restore and preserve these historic structures, it's important to understand not just their engineering but their legacy. The Hall Street Bridge isn’t just a way to cross Turtle Creek—it’s a testament to Dallas' early investment in public safety and infrastructure. Preserving its history helps inform how we restore it for future generations.

Stay tuned—there’s more bridge history where this came from!