Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring, 1991 Page: 10
40 p. ; 26 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Although other aspects of Kessler's plan,
such as the building of Union Station, were instigated
quickly, the outbreak of World War I delayed
the Trinity River project. After the war, the U. S.
Government finally abandoned the navigation
scheme, following an engineer's report concluding
that the expense would be too great. However, the
city moved forward with Kessler's plan to move the
river, establishing Levee Improvement Districts
and drawing up plans based on Kessler's 1919
revisions of his original proposal.
At least two other proposals for the Trinity
floodplain were considered during the 1920s. One
was to create a huge lake for recreation and beautification.
General George Goethels, who had headed
construction of the Panama Canal, was brought in as
consultant and determined that it would be extremely
difficult to build a suitable dam for such a
lake because of unstable ground conditions. The
project, he concluded, was "impractical and economically
unsound."32 The second proposal, by the
Industrial Properties Corporation, was to build a 500
acre airport in the floodplain to replace the 175 acre
Love Field, which it described as an unacceptable
"twenty-five minutes by auto from the hotel and
business district of Dallas proper." The plat accompanying
the proposal showed a terminal, golf course,
and connection to Reverchon Park by way of Turtle
Creek Boulevard.33
ESPITE THE FAILURE of these proposals, supporters
of Trinity navigation were buoyed by
the start-up of Kessler's levee project. They turned
out in force for an unusual event, probably the only
christening of a dredging machine in Texas history.
The $200,000 giant dredge could remove 10,000
wagon loads of muck daily, used to fill in lowlands.
On July 14, 1930, the dredge, named the John J.
Simmons, was dedicated in a program broadcast
over WFAA radio. In his invocation, Dr. J. B.
Cranfill prayed, "May these engineers in vision see
the coming millions who, when our virgin acres are
upturned to the smiles of God, and our fabulous
resources developed, shall people this empire." Then
a bottle of Gulf water was smashed over the dredge,
which set to work to excavate the turning basin
visualized as an "anchorage ... for the freighters of
the Nation." County Judge F. H. Alexander termed
the event the "realization of a dream that has been
near to our hearts for more than half a century."34
10During the 1930s, Dallas moved the Trinity River
westward and straightened it in order to eliminate
flooding. This dredge, named for the head of the
levee district, John J. Simmons, helped removed
more than 12 million cubic yards of dirt in completing
the project.
The rejuvenated navigation spirit was fed by
the 1930 creation of a new Trinity River Canal
Association, with John W. Carpenter of Dallas as
president and Fort Worth publisher Amon G. Carter
as chairman of the executive committee, and including
among its directors influential people from
Palestine, Corsicana, Crockett, Athens,
Waxahatchie, Liberty, Houston, and Galveston.
John Fouts, General Manager of the Association,
noted that "the situation today is entirely different
than it was 25 or [even] 15 years ago. The necessity
of this development and its greater state-wide benefits
. . . is one of the tasks of this association to
spread... to every citizen of this commonwealth."35
To spread the word, canalization backers produced
a book tracing the history of efforts on the Trinity
and enumerating the advantages a canal would bring,
such as "reduced living costs, lowered freight rates,
stimulated progress and development in all phases
of agricultural, financial, and commercial life." The
author listed some 192 items, from automobile parts
and ammunition to pulp wood and zinc, that were
actually transported by canals elsewhere in the U. S.
the previous year, and suggested that most of the
same items could be moved on the Trinity.36
The work of the Association was endorsed
by Texas' Congressional delegation as well as the
state's Democratic and Republican parties.37 This
political support may have influenced Congress in
1936 to authorize the Corps of Engineers to plan and
construct flood control works on a comprehensive
scale. The Corps ultimately produced a series ofV
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Dallas County Heritage Society. Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring, 1991, periodical, 1991; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth35118/m1/12/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Historical Society.