Newspaper publisher Edwin John Kiest (1861-1941), newspaper publisher, was born in Cook County, Ill., to John Cristian and Barbara Ann Kiest. He attended public schools in Chicago, Joliet, and Elgin, Ill., where his father, a Methodist minister, held pastorates. Kiest quit school in 1871 to work as a newsboy in Chicago and learn the printing trade. From 1876 to 1889, he worked as a compositor and sometime reporter for various Chicago newspapers. He also worked for the Elgin Watch Company and in the retail grocery business. He returned to newspaper work in 1889 with the Western Newspaper Union, which sent him to Omaha, Neb., Kansas City, Mo., and Dallas, Texas, where he arrived on Dec, 31, 1890. In 1896, rather than accept a company promotion that would have transfer him back to Chicago, Kiest established a stock company and bought the struggling Dallas Daily Times Herald, which he owned and published until his death. He was influential in the foundation of WRR, which became the nation’s first city-owned ratio station. In 1927 the Times Herald bought radio station KRLD.

Through the newspaper, he helped develop an adequate water supply for Dallas, creating Lake Dallas in Denton County. He was president of the State Fair of Texas from 1908 to 1911 and in 1920 to 1921. He helped finance the building of permanent fair structures and was named lifetime honorary president. He served as president of the Dallas City Park Board from 1931 to 1935 and then as a director until his death. Kiest was a financial supporter of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and, with his artist-wife, helped found the Dallas Art Association. He received the Linz Award for civil service in 1930. In 1935, he gave the city of Dallas a large tract of land (176 acres) for a park site in south Oak Cliff in memory of his wife, who died in 1917.
Source: DISD on the naming of Edwin J. Kiest Elementary

Most of the homes east of Kiest Park were built in the early 50′s into the 1960′s. The kids in the area had a great place to congregate. It was more the bare necessities and looked nothing like what you see today. During the 60′s, there were no gates to block the circle drive and kids on Sunday “cruised” the park — the place to be. Across from the park, where the hospital sits, was the Hampton Road Drive In. For some of you it was an outdoor movie theater where most people packed the car and drove in to a speaker that sat on the car window — loud as well,…. But the park was just an open space and trees with ball parks and a place to fly kites. On the fourth of July each year, the Oak Cliff JC’s would put on a fireworks display and people all over Oak Cliff either came into the park, or were smart and walked over with blankets and chairs to watch the show. Now, on any Saturday, there are many soccer fields and kids of all ages running the fields. They have a walk that circles the park, with tennis courts near Perryton and Kiest, and other rec opportunities. The rec center was built later on. If you haven’t been there lately, the City of Dallas built baseball fields near the picnic area for tournaments about two years ago. Kiest Park was more than a park, it was a place for the community to gather.

The original thought was to start around 1975 when we moved into the neighborhood. But then I remembered that my history of this neighborhood goes back much further. My grandparents built their home next door in 1912 when all that existed was an open field behind them. They raised a family of seven kids, one was my mother. She and a twin brother were born in the house in 1921.

While growing up, we visited Grandma often — always taking the same route down Edgefield to 10th, and left on Winnetka, although I never paid attention to the street names at that early age. Grandpa died when I was about 5, leaving Grandma and an aunt in the home. When we visited, most often we played on the wrap-around porch with a swing in the corner and several, old, rocking type chairs across the front. Some were metal — made to just sit back, relax and rock. (All of that disappeared when the 1957 tornado ripped the roof off the house.) We were not allowed to go farther than that porch, so the house next door, as far as I could tell, was an 8 foot hedge and bricks. I never saw the front of that house for years.
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Sounds like eons ago to describe Christmas in Oak Cliff during the 1950s. Like any kid that time of year was a lot of fun. Jefferson Blvd was definitely the place to shop and see Santa. Wynnewood was growing, but made up of a grocery store, a dime store, and a few specialty stores in the very early stages. If there were malls in Dallas, none were over here; and I’m not so sure there were any to be found in Dallas. Northpark was the first mall in Dallas.

Still a small town atmosphere, our Jefferson Blvd. was much different — a real strip consisting of 20 blocks of retail, specialty stores, grocery stores, theaters, new car lots, banks, and places to eat. Even the library and post office were once on Jefferson. The people of Oak Cliff helped to build it when they patronized it.

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He had nothing when he moved to Oak Cliff from a small town about 1936, striking out on his own in a big city. It was the day when the family gathered around the radio for entertainment.

Bee Appliance started when Colvin Bee started with a small radio repair shop in an Oak Cliff garage, fixing and reselling the wood case boxes with tubes inside. Not long thereafter, he met a fine lady who would become the Mrs. to this duo. Magdalene Bee also worked in the store to build this business while raising twins. Together, they built a business that served many in Oak Cliff. They continued to grow, relocating to a larger building near Beckley and 10th St. Their outgoing personalities made friends and only helped the business grow until they relocated and settled in the 500 block of W. Jefferson Blvd, selling color TV consoles and entertainment centers — stereos and am/fm radios, included. They were top sellers of RCA tv’s, and as a result were given trips to travel abroad.

Business was good. They expanded and incorporated the building next door on Jefferson, and with twice the space they sold the most top of the line appliances during the 1960′s. Still growing, by the 1970′s they expanded with two more stores; one in Duncanville and one on Camp Wisdom and Polk, as their customer base moved further out to new developments in the suburbs. They served Oak Cliff for more than 50 years before they retired in 1985. They built a business based on honesty and friendliness, quality merchandise and customer service. They became one of the best examples of a mom and pop business in Oak Cliff.

They were very involved in the Oak Cliff community and lived here until their retirement.
For me, they were affectionately known as Butch and Tag, my uncle and aunt.

or why Oak Cliff was referred to as the step-child for many years. Think of the story of Cinderella. A fairy tale, yes, but in the end, she won!

Changes can be so gradual you hardly notice the demise of a community until it’s depleted of dignity. Turning attitudes around can be just as gradual and take years to accomplish. Thanks to Mayor Tom Leppert, former Mayor Laura Miller, several Council members, and countless citizens trying to make a difference in their own way for many years, collective changes are finally being realized. Dallas leaders have finally recognized the potential south of I-30 and the Trinity River .

Settlers just wanted to make a home among the rolling hills, trees, fertile land and rock formations. Dallas on one side of the Trinity River, “Oak Cliff” on the south side; each cities in their own rights. But Dallas was never satisfied to see Oak Cliff grow and succeed. Five years after it began, Dallas leaders annexed Hord’s Ridge in 1850 and won by 28 votes to become the county seat. Twenty-two years later, Thomas Marsalis would come to town, make a fortune, and along with partner, John S. Armstrong, would purchase 2,000 acres south of the Trinity including Hord’s farm now known as the Dallas Zoo, renaming the area Oak Cliff.

For many years Oak Cliff was known as a resort area drawing people here on vacations. Marsalis developed the area into a first rate city and even built a rail from Dallas into Oak Cliff with his own money. Other entertainment venues would soon make the area even more exciting with a baseball park and an amusement park.

Oak Cliff prospered and grew — attracting people, even from Dallas . Lots sold fast, people camped out in tents as homes were built.

Again, in 1903, Dallas annexed the city of Oak Cliff, a bitter fight won by a smaller margin. The fight carried to Austin, where Gov. Lanham signed the bill permitting Dallas to annex the “suburb.” Dallas promptly started calling Oak Cliff the “9th Ward.” Oak Cliff people ignored the designation and promised to take it to court. With the annexation and indignation, the elite moved back into Dallas .

Upper middle class, middle class families have always populated the area, but it was the power brokers in Dallas that ran things. City government was designed to not give equal power to people south of the Trinity. Gradually, the town of Oak Cliff deteriorated compared to the amenities noticed in the north. Tax dollars, businesses, banks: Money was diverted north, and southern improvements were ignored. For a period of time, older areas in OC were redlined by banks to prevent borrowing money for repairs to property.

Oak Cliff was totally ignored after JFK was assassinated. Lee Harvey Oswald only rented in Oak Cliff for a very short time, but it didn’t matter. By the 1970′s, politics changed the face of all south Dallas. Court orders, along with Dallas leaders, pushed forced busing on Oak Cliff to achieve racial balance in the schools. Housing deteriorated, values were depressed, and the problems with blight were ignored by city staff for decades. State judges ordered the release of the mentally ill from institutions, followed by many criminals in overcrowded prisons; finding depressed housing values in Oak Cliff agreeable. City Staff would not listen to pleas as half-way houses saturated some areas. Crime abounded.

During the 1970′s, people known as Urban Pioneers converted the large, older homes of Oak Cliff back to single family homes. Those same people took on City Hall. Our pleas for stricter code enforcement went unaddressed until Dr. Charles Tandy tried to bridge the gap. The wheels turned very slowly. In 1990, with the leadership of Dr. Tandy, Oak Cliff asked to secede from Dallas — something about a law that allows secession if the city hasn’t made improvements over the years with tax dollars. More than 2,000 citizens whose property taxes had multiplied many times over, as they worked to improve the area, had enough. Our taxes were being used to improve the northern sector to grow and flourish while the bare infrastructure in Oak Cliff was ignored. Change at City Hall began that night.

Thirty-five years later, the vision of Ruth Chenoweth and Mary Griffith made a difference for Winnetka Heights’ revitalization — a movement that led to many neighborhood revitalizations in North Oak Cliff. They set out to save a neighborhood and saved a community. It’s been 18 years since the Oak Cliff uprising at City Hall. We fought hard for what our forefathers wanted for the area…. and deserved. Change is slow, but progress has finally come.

Winnetka Heights Historical District is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. The Old Oak Cliff Conservation League will sponsor a Tour of Homes showcasing Winnetka Heights and the history of the area on October 11-12. Tickets available in advance through the OOCCL.