The Turtle Creek Corridor

The Turtle Creek Corridor has been home to area residents for over 3,000 years.  Discover the colorful history of our neighborhood and learn of the many organizations the Turtle Creek Association works with to guarantee a high quality of life for all who call Turtle Creek home.

• History
  

  Relics discovered in archaeological surveys confirm that Turtle Creek has been called home for thousands of years. Dart points and chips of flint from the making of stone tools date back 3,000 years to 1,000 B.C.  Much later we know Native Americans camped here and enjoyed the outcropping of trees and spring water source. It is believed the creek came to be known as Turtle Creek when Texas Rangers camped here when they were fleeing attacking Indians in 1837. They referred to the water as the "creek with all the turtles.” Earliest records of land ownership date from 1845 when Texas was a Republic. A land grant consisting of a half-section of land (320 acres) was awarded to William Grigsby. A year later Grigsby sold the land at one dollar an acre to Calvin Cole. Dallas founder John Neely Bryan witnessed this transaction. Cole's son built a log home near the creek, but it was soon removed for fear of flooding. A significant development in the history of the neighborhood was the purchase of twenty acres in 1903 by The Dallas Consolidated Electric Street Railway Company. With further backing of land developers Oliver P. Bowser and Captain William H. Lemmon, Oak Lawn Park was founded, now known as Lee Park. Just a five-cent streetcar ride from downtown, the developers hoped the park would attract weekend picnickers and prospective land buyers to Dallas' first northern suburbs. In 1907 the Vincentian Fathers built Holy Trinity College on the west bank of Turtle Creek.  Later named University of Dallas, the college was relocated and the building became home to Jesuit High School in 1942.  Seventeen years later the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas sold the 21-acre tract to developers who built a 21-story apartment complex, office buildings and a shopping center.  The face of Turtle Creek was changing, and the direction was up. In 1915, the Dallas Park Board bought thirty-six acres from the estate of John Cole for $4,000 to establish Reverchon Park.  A year later three bridges were built across Turtle Creek extending Maple, Fairmont and Bowen Streets west of the creek.  In 1920 the baseball diamond was built in Reverchon Park, and in 1953 Willie Mays and the New York Giants faced pitching greats Bob Feller and Bob Lemon and the Cleveland Indians in exhibition play. Two fine parks were in place along the creek, but it was the vision of Landscape Architect, George Kessler who defined the Turtle Creek corridor and set into motion what has become one of the nation's premier urban greenspaces and residential neighborhoods.  Kessler's A City Plan for Dallas commission of the Park Board in 1911 defined the corridor as a proposed development which will enhance the present scenic value of Turtle Creek, and will become one of the most important links in the boulevard system...it will be the direct means of conserving the high class character of an important residential section and of furnishing it with a direct and convenient thoroughfare to the heart of the city. Click here to view Kessler's A City Plan for Dallas from 1911. In 1957, noted architect Howard Meyer designed the first high-rise apartment building at 3525 Turtle Creek Blvd.  A jet age of modern luxury apartment living came to Turtle Creek attracting such notables as Greer Garson, Jimmy Dean, Clint Murchison, Sr. and Minnie Marcus.  One by one the grand old homes on the banks of the creek made way for more luxury high-rises.  In 1959 the Kalita Humphreys Theater was built on the east bank of Turtle Creek.  Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the innovative theater remained home to the Dallas Theater Center for over 50 years and stands as the only purpose-built theater by Wright. Today the Turtle Creek corridor is nicknamed Dallas' Front Yard and remains a showplace for the City.  Neighborhood organizations monitor new development for aesthetic design, density, height restrictions and setbacks as construction cranes dot the skyline.  The Katy Trail  is a model for the rails-to-trails concept of urban recreation.  The Perot Family is building their corporate campus on the banks of Turtle Creek with an initiative to preserve its natural beauty.  We feel that William Grigsby, George Kessler and the City fathers would be proud of their beloved Turtle Creek today.

• Community Partners
  

  Lee Park & Arlington Hall Conservancy This outstanding nonprofit maintains and improves the grounds of Lee Park, which is located on both sides of Turtle Creek Boulevard and features Arlington Hall a replica of Robert E. Lee's famous Virginia home. Friends of Reverchon Park The "Friends" is a nonprofit set on unifying the community in support of this historic Dallas landmark and is dedicated to park history education, preservation, and restoration fund raising. Dallas Area Rapid Transit DART helps Dallas-area residents from 13 North Texas cities get where they need to go while saving a little money and being a little more green. Take DART to work, or the game, and watch your gas bill drop. Downtown Dallas Downtown Dallas is working to improve the city's central urban core in all areas. The nonprofit organization covers anything from creating a "culturally inclusive urban center" through events to improving infrastructure. Federal Highway Administration's guide to Safe and Walkable Communities The FHWA makes roadways safer for all to use. The Federal Highway Administration loves Katy because she's moving pedestrians and cyclists of the roads and onto a safe trail, therefore creating a safe and walkable community in the heart of Dallas. Check out their guide to Safe and Walkable Communities. City of Dallas Park & Recreation Department Maintaining over 21,000 park acres, the City of Dallas Park & Recreation Department helps keep our wonderful city green and reminds us why Dallas is so great. Katy Trail The Friends of the Katy Trail is a nonprofit organization founded to support and promote the Katy Trail as a recreational, educational, and transportation resource for our community. Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center A wonderful clearinghouse of information that we rely on to increase safe walking and biking for both transportation or and recreation. A great website to look into if you want to help make Dallas a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly city. Rails to Trails Conservancy The RTC helps create trails from unused rail corridors.  The nonprofit org also works with elected officials to craft legislation that funds alternative transportation, such as bicycles and public transit. Their mission is to build "healthier places for healthier people." Texas Bicycle Coalition TBC works to increase interest in cycling and safety. The nonprofit is based is Austin. Check them out. Trails.com We think they put it best when they say they are "Your guide to the outdoors." Transportation Action Network They believe that safer and smarter transportation helps improve a community's economy, health and environment. And their mission is to do just that. Trinity Strand Trail The Strand runs along the original Trinity River meanders and will eventually connect to the Katy Trail where the old Baby Doe's restaurant use to be to give Dallas trail lovers even more trail options. The Trinity Strand will lead to the Trinity River levee trails and the Medical District. Uptown Dallas Formerly known as the Uptown Public Improvement District, Uptown Dallas works to create and maintain the Uptown area in order to make it a pretty, safe and clean neighborhood. Uptown partners with the Friends to the Katy Trail to fund the off-duty DPD bike patrols of the Katy Trail. Their annual street festival is a must-see. Courtesy of the Friends of the Katy Trail

• Turtle Creek Parkway - The Cultural Landscape Foundation
  

  We are very honored that the The Turtle Creek Parkway is a featured landscape on The Cultural Landscape Foundation's (TCLF) website. TCLF is the only not-for-profit (501c3) foundation in America dedicated to increasing the public's awareness and understanding of the importance and irreplaceable legacy of its cultural landscapes.  Click here to read the entry.

• Turtle Creek Corridor - bcWORKSHOP Study - Isaac Cohen
  

  On Tuesday, November 12, 2013, Isaac Cohen spoke as part of bcWORKSHOP’s Winter Shopfront Series. Isaac’s lecture was on the Turtle Creek Corridor, and how the layering of use, management, and development has created an urban landscape that provides highly variable and often unexpected experiences.

• Turtle Creek Corridor Map