Overview

Scope and Content

The City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department provides leisure, recreational and cultural activities for the citizens of Dallas and the general public and maintains more than 21,000 park acres including 4,400 surface acres of water at 17 park sites, 17,196 acres of greenbelt/park land, and 61.6 miles of jogging and bike trails at 24 locations.  Dallas has over 400 individual parks, including recreational facilities such as community centers, swimming pools, athletic fields, and a metropolitan zoo.   The City's first two parks, City Park (purchased in 1876) and Fair Park (purchased in 1904), predate the organization of the Park and Recreation Department.  In response to management issues and concerns, an administrative Park Board was created by City Charter amendment in early 1905, and the first Board members were appointed by Mayor Bryan T. Barry on May 23, 1905. 

Collection consists of correspondence, memoranda, financial records, reports and studies, plans and drawings, photographs, and printed materials documenting the acquisition, planning and design, maintenance, and history of City of Dallas parks and park facilities between 1911 and 1970.

Organization

The collection is arranged into the following subjects:

•  Architect Fees - Concessions
•  D - Exall
•  Exall - Grauwyler
•  Hare - Kidd Springs
•  Kidd Springs - Lake Cliff
•  Lake Cliff - Music Commission
•  National
•  O - Randall
•  Randall - Stevens
•  Stevens - Tenison
•  Tennis - Turf Maintenance
•  Turf - Winslett
•  Y - Zoo
•  Photographic prints