The person who named Oak Cliff was Thomas Marsalis.
“He just couldn’t fathom calling it Hord’s Ridge,” Raines says. “Hord’s Ridge tried to be the county seat of Dallas. He just had to change the name. It just did not sound like to him a place that people are going to flock to.”
Marsalis came from New York City and was one of the biggest influences on Oak Cliff.
“Thomas Marsalis brought the first steam railroad into this area, down across the bridge, and what we know is Jefferson Boulevard, and he just had such a strong vision,” Raines says. “He came from New York City, so he understood how New York City was. He looked at this side of the river as being like Brooklyn, and he actually even called it the Brooklyn of the Southwest.”
Marsalis attracted wealthy people who wanted a little more home life, Raines says.
“What I like about Marsalis’ story is his character was to have a respite from Dallas,” Raines says. “It was to have a place that was fun for families, a place that had recreation in mind. As Dallas was growing, there was not much recreation to speak of. I think, for Oak Cliff, the story of most of our area here, it’s the story of sheer will. The land grants were great. People came here, this side of the river, and basically did what they thought they could do.”
After the Civil War, flourishing freedman’s towns developed in the areas bound by the Trinity River to the north, Fleming Street to the west, Compton Street to the south and the Trinity Heights streetcar line to the east. One of the only remaining intact freedman’s towns in the country is the Tenth Street Historic District.
Situated in the eastern vicinity of Oak Cliff, the prosperous community emerged. By 1900, almost a sixth of the town’s population was made up of 500 Black residents. Because of segregation, Tenth Street became a hub for African American heritage.
Despite being named a historic district in 1993, the most well-preserved freedman’s town in the country is an endangered preservation site. After years of neglect, Dallas City Council members have begun taking action again to preserve the historical district for generations to come.