Panel Six

The Hogue/Bywaters mural on the left pictures the young and prosperous Dallas of the 1880's. The first Dallas City Hall is shown in the background. It was an elaborate brick structure. In the foreground is Dallas' first mass transit -- a mule-drawn trolley on tracks. The original mural is entitled "1880 - 1890 - The young city puts on airs."

Juxtaposed with this is an Interurban car from the system that operated in the Dallas area until the early 1950's, when the automobile became prevalent. During the Interurban heyday, one could catch a trolley in Downtown Dallas and go all the way to Sherman, Texas, for example. The system extended in all directions, covering many, many miles. It was the last rail system in Dallas until the present DART light rail system. The map below the Interurban car comes from the magazine of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, published in the 1920's, and shows the elaborate extent of passenger rail routes at that time. The quote, from Dallas historian John H. Cochran, reads: "They had lived to witness and realize the success of their most sanguine hopes, which was impossible, unless the city and county had so rapidly improved."