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| Grand
Place is located to the right of the Tower
Building. It currently stands on a section of ground that was
called Smokey Row during the early 1900s. When the state fair was
taking place, local churches set up food vending tents all next to
each other. The cuisine provided was completely fresh, most of it
cooked on open grills for the public to consume. All the smoke billowing
into the air from these grills obviously led to the use of the area's
nickname. |
Grand
Place
Photo courtesy Clint Skinner, February 2016 |
| In preparation
for the centennial celebration, an exhibition building was constructed
for the Ford Motor Company. The air-conditioned structure covered
an area of 55,000 square feet, making it the biggest private exhibitor
building at the event. Out of all the features at the Ford Building,
the most famous, significant attraction was the display of the first
car which the company made. When the centennial was over, the park
repainted the structure and called it the Pan-American Building
so it could be used for the exposition scheduled to take place the
following year. Workers tore it down later after the Pan-Am Exposition.
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The
Women's Building was erected in 1954 in the exact same spot
as the Ford Building and even covered the same amount of space. It
served as the place for quilting and cooking competitions during the
state fair until the 1970s. During 1964, a historical marker honoring
the role that women played during the Civil War in Texas was placed
near the entrance. At an undetermined date, the name of the structure
was changed to Grand Place. It became a place for individuals
to sell their products.
In 2009, Stephen Page made a deal with the Dallas Park Board. If he
could open and operate his Texas Museum of Automotive History in a
temporary building for a period of three years, the collection of
classic cars could move into the facility which had previously housed
the Science Place. The two sides agreed and work began on moving the
museum's contents into Grand Place. The museum opened in 2010, displaying
vehicles made throughout the twentieth century. Page contacted the
Park Board about the possibility of a long-term contract that included
the transferral into the Science Place building. Park and Recreation
Director Paul Dyer met with him to discuss the matter but no progress
was made. Tired of waiting for a written commitment for the move,
the museum's owner decided to leave the park for good. The museum
closed in 2011. Since then, Grand Place continues to be an empty shell
until the merchants arrive for the state fair. |
References:
1.Bigtex.com
2.Dallashistory.org
3.Dallas Morning News Archives
4.Fairpark.org
5.Slate, John H. Historic Dallas Parks. Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
6.Tshaonline.org
7.Watermelon-kid.com
8.Wikipedia.org
8.Winters, Willis Cecil. Fair Park. Arcadia Publishing, 2010. |
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage or recent photos, please contact
us. |
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