Elm Thicket/Northpark Neighborhood

Elm Thicket/Northpark Neighborhood. . In 1881, a small agricultural community formed here around a dense thicket of plush elm trees surrounded by cornfields. They named their community "Elm Thicket." The neighborhood, one of several freedmen's towns in the Dallas area, evolved into a self-sufficient African American community with numerous churches, an elementary school, restaurants and various family-owned businesses. Residents describe a close-knit community where everyone looked out for each other. In 1917, Love Field School of Aeronautics confronted the neighborhood's growth with impending land and air quality changes. From 1920 to 1950, Elm Thicket faced racial segregation which led to numerous issues. The city of Dallas annexed Elm Thicket in 1929 but neglected the upkeep of the area, delaying connection to the city's water system, leaving streets unpaved and not providing access to the city's public transportation system. The Federal Housing Administration also "redlined" Elm Thicket, which negatively affected area home buying., Despite these challenges, residents remained strong. From 1928 to 1949, students attended the local York School on Victoria Avenue, which was renamed in 1949 in honor of Kossuth B. Polk. In 1950, Hillard Golf Course was opened as one of the first golf courses for use by African Americans in the south. However, it closed just four years later when Love Field announced expansion and took a significant portion of Elm Thicket, containing more than 300 black-owned houses and businesses along with the golf course. During the 1970s, residents began referring to the area west of Roper St. as "Elm Thicket" and the area east of Roper St. as "Northpark" and they were eventually combined. The Elm Thicket/Northpark neighborhood remains a testament to the resilience of generations of families.