In the 1830s and 40s, occasional settlers set up temporary stockades and houses on the west side of the Trinity River before Dallas was founded. The first permanent settlement was established in 1845 by William H. Hord, and was called Hord’s Ridge. In 1887 T.L. Marsalis bought 2000 acres and began a development of houses he called Oak Cliff. People liked the name so much, they changed the name of the town to Oak Cliff, and by 1900, Oak Cliff had a population of 3,630 people.

By 1901, the town of Oak Cliff had several schools and churches (including St. Mark’s Methodist established in 1888, which became Oak Cliff Methodist). The principal of the Oak Cliff High School in 1900 was W.H. Adamson. He served there for almost 40 years, and the school was eventually named after him. Popular places in Oak Cliff between 1901 and 1910 included Oak Cliff Park, which became the Marsalis Park Zoo, Mallory’s Drug Store at Jefferson and Tyler Street and the Hillpot Store on Jefferson Boulevard.

Dallas  Flood isolates Oak Cliff 1908

Early advertising for Oak Cliff compared this new development to Cambridge, Massachusetts. According to an article in the 1895 Dallas Daily Times Herald described ongoing construction in Oak Cliff,  "Boating, Bathing and Fishing, With all Modern Accessories, Will be Had at the Famous Kidd Springs." The area bears the name of Colonel J. W. Kidd, who purchased the land in 1875 (previously called Gilbert Springs.)

A large flood in May of 1908 cut Oak Cliff off from Dallas for a number of days. As a result, measures were taken to build a better bridge across the Trinity River, and on February 22, 1912, the Dallas and Oak Cliff Bridge (now known as the Houston Street Viaduct) was opened. It was 5106 feet long, cost a staggering $675,000, and was said to to be the longest bridge of its kind in the world.

By 1921, Oak Cliff was becoming a great place for business. As a result, the Oak Cliff and Dallas Commercial Association was set up up with L.O. Donald as its first president. This organization later became the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce.

In 1925, a second high school, Sunset High School was built. A great rivalry emerged between the two Oak Cliff schools, and both schools dominated the state in sports competition. From 1921 to 1923, even though Oak Cliff schools were relatively small, they won state championships in basketball twice, and football and tennis championships once each.

W. H. Adamson was a revered principal of Oak Cliff High School. In 1922, this tribute appeared the The Oak: "If Oak Cliff Spirit means good, clean sportsmanship; if it means honorable dealing with both friend and foe; if it means a determination to win or else to go down fighting gloriously, then Oak Cliff Spirit and W. H. A. are synonymous! We revere him for his work as an educator as well as for his sportsmanship. The purposes of education are said to be; the formation of character, the inculcation of ideals, and the creation of real citizens of the community. By both example and precept, Mr. Adamson stands fore these three aims. A certain great writer one said that the first requisite of a gentleman was “consideration for others,” and in this quality our principal is supreme. His sympathy, unfailing kindness and generous understanding have compelled the admiration of his students and his teachers – to all of whom he stand as a high example of all that is implied in the term “gentleman.” Fellow classmates, we ask that, whenever your glance may falls on these pages, you will stand for a moment in admiration for and respect to Mr. Adamson – sportsman, educator and gentleman – the man the influence of whose ideals and spirit may easily be traced in hundreds of our Oak Cliff homes – your own included."

In 1927, the first ever 7-11 store opened on the corner of Edgefield and 12th Street. This is a picture of that early store. The location remained a 7-11 store until sometime in the 1980s.

	This photo shows Lake Cliff in the 1920's. At that time, the lake included an amusement park. Lake Cliff is located on the corner of Colorado and Zang Blvd.
This photo is from an Oak Cliff Little Theater production in the 1930s titled "The Last Mile". The "Little Theater" movement in the 20s and 30s saw a number of playhouses spring up all around the country and troupes moved from place to place presenting productions. Some still exist. (photo from David Wren)

Several Oak Cliff churches that had grown and expanded in the 1920s found themselves in a financial crisis as members lost jobs and income plummeted. Tyler Street UMC members were shocked to find the doors of the church padlocked shut on Easter Sunday morning in 1932. Services were held in the Rosewin Theatre, the Calvary Baptist Church and Sunset High School until the building was bought back (for half of what it originally cost.) On December 29, 1940, a dedication service for the Church was held to celebrate the retirement of the debt.

Methodist Hospital 1940s

Like many other communities in Dallas, Oak Cliff saw a major change in its ethnic population mix as a result of new civil rights laws enacted during the 1960s. A large shift in population diversity resulted. Unfortunately, many businesses that had once thrived in shopping areas such as Jefferson Boulevard, Wynnewood Shopping Center, and the Lancaster Kiest Shopping mall closed or moved to other locations.

In many of the older Oak Cliff neighborhoods such as Winnetka Heights a new population of "urban pioneers" began to move into North Oak Cliff. They renovated a number of the houses from the 1920s and 30s that had suffered from neglect.

To provide and alternative to public schools, Tyler Street Christian Academy opened in 1972. This ethnically diverse school provided quality education and grew to include an enrollment of over 500 children.

This photo of Tyler Street UMC shows the sanctuary building built in 1923 and the Tyler Street Manor (in the background) built in the 1970s.

Following the oil crisis of the 1970s, new homeowners were looking to save gasoline dollars by living closer to work. This fact fueled the continued growth in the restoration of homes in Oak Cliff. Areas of particular interest included Kidd Springs, Kessler, and Winnetka Heights. Many of the older houses in these areas had been originally built by wealthy families. At the beginning of this decade, they were often available for purchase at reasonable prices, and made spectacular homes when renovated. Several organizations such as the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League helped homeowners address the city for zoning changes and code enforcement. A few of the neighborhood organizations sought for historic district designation, resulting in areas such as the Winnetka Heights historic district.