"Mom and Pop" businesses throughout the area

[Donna_Lackey]

Many of the large "garages" in WH were more than a place to store the carriage and livestock. My grandfather was an electrician and a part of the garage was his workshop. The house we bought was built by a carpenter and his workshop was out back. This house was built through the depression beginning in 1928, and this garage was designed, not for carriages, but Model T's. The bottom half of the "shed" was for the cow Mr. Smith kept. He just tied it up in the alley and allowed it to graze.

But if you go throughout the area, you'll notice some other types of larger structures in the back that were more than a garage, or were built with an apartment overhead, maybe for servants or inlaws. At the corner of 7th and Willomet a large structure faces 7th (where the street car line went down) and it was a beauty shop up until the 1980's.

A lot of these buildings were erected or converted during the great depression when families just tried to make ends meet and started their own businesses. It allowed owners to utilize their own property and cut overhead. The side streets in the area of 12th St. to Clarendon, Zang to Tyler were once full of these types of businesses; mostly little mom and pops that sold staples and non-refrigerated items. They even made them look like general storefronts from the wild west. There are still many standing, and a few can be found on the other side of Jefferson to Davis.

Since 2000, mom and pop's in Oak Cliff are now plentiful usually located on business strips. Although I notice small eateries and restaurants the most, many are occupied by artists and other small businesses.