History of Dallas, Texas, USA

Two Dare Death
Busses Driven Through Flaming Wall; Barrels Blast in Volley.

With exploding paint barrels throwing flames high into the air, fire Friday night swept a spectacular path through a downtown business block. Damage was estimated at $100,000.

The damaged property fronted the 600 blocks of Commerce and Jackson streets, between Jefferson and Market streets.

A radio announcer from a near-by studio, seeing the flames, announced the location and described the scenic effects with such gusto that a gigantic crowd of onlookers pressed to the scene.

The Dixie Motor Coach Corporation shops, 605-11 Jackson street, were destroyed. The blaze swept through the rear of the vacated West End Athletic Club room, 606 Commerce street, badly damaging it, and ate into the J. Finks dry goods company, 604 Commerce street, wrecking that place.

Gets to Hotel.
The blaze then leaped to the Rex Hotel, on the second floor of the two-story brick at 600 Commerce, at Jefferson. The hotel was ...

Dallas, March 22. (AP) - Four men, two of them cripples were trapped in their rooms and burned to death early today when fire swept the Elm Hotel, a small second story establishment in the downtown district. Five others were injured.

The Dead.
The dead were identified as:
W. H. BODENHEIMER, 55, card writer and painter.
FRANK FISHER, 45, of Chicago, laborer.
GROVER HOBSON, cripple, unable to work.
FRANK G. GRANGER, 50, of Chicago, crippled real estate and rental worker.

The injured were:
J. W. LOPER, 48, who was seriously burned on the hands, legs and head as he slid down a post to safety.
T. HALES, 51, a peddler, who also was burned on the face, arms and hands as he slid down the post.
LIGE BURPO, 45, who suffered a broken nose and broken hand when he jumped from a window.
A. W. COOK, 35, injured by a fall down a stairway.
TOM SLOAN of Lisbon, burns about the face.
HALES and LOPER were most seriously burned.

Girl Sounds Alarm.
W. S. HUNTER, proprietor of the hotel ...

By Whitey Sawyer
DALLAS (AP) - A huge, black tornado whirled and roared over a deadly, 21-mile path across Dallas yesterday as thousands watched in fear and awe. Ten persons were killed and police sought others reported missing.
Some 196 were treated at hospitals for injuries.

JESS CURRY, assistant police chief, said damage would be at least 1½ million dollars.

Tornadoes also plowed into southern Oklahoma and killed at least five persons. Another person was killed near Paris, Tex., as a series of tornadoes skipped around north Texas.

The tornado lashed out of a black rainstorm. An estimated hundred thousand people watched as it swayed a leisurely, jerky course from South Oak Cliff through west Dallas and northwest Dallas. For 40 horror-filled minutes the lashing funnel filled the dark sky above a frozen city.

Passengers and crew of a Braniff Airlines plane watched from the air as the plane circled after takeoff from Dallas' Love Field.

Traffic piled up into fantastic...

On Friday, November 22, 1963, a shockwave ran through the whole nation, followed by grief. President John F. Kennedy was shot as he rode in a motorcade through the streets of Dallas, Texas.

For the next several days, stunned Americans gathered around their television sets, as regular programming yielded to nonstop coverage of the assassination and funeral.

From their living rooms, Americans saw Mrs. Kennedy, still wearing her blood-stained suit, return to Washington with the president's body. They saw the murder of the accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, on November 24. Viewers followed the saddled, but rider-less horse in Kennedy's funeral procession from the White House to the Capitol. They saw the president's small son, John F. Kennedy Jr., step forward to salute as his father's flag-covered coffin was taken to Arlington National Cemetery.

Television played a large role in the collective mourning of American society. For the first time, a majority of citizens together...

Dallas (AP) - Eight persons were killed Wednesday when tons of a volatile chemical exploded in a chemical plant, hurling steel girders, concrete and brick through the one-story building.

Firemen searched into the night in the rubble for bodies of the victims. The last of the dead was found seven hours after the first explosion.
The series of three sharp blasts occurred shortly before 2 p.m. and demolished the Penwalt Industries plant, makers of chemical food additives used in bakeries.

Seven of the eight dead were identified today as:
PAUL D. PIRKLE, 18, of Fort Worth.
VELMA WILSON, 47, of Irving.
BURTIS BURREL, 40. of Dallas.
JUDY MOERBE, 21, of Dallas.
BOBBIE JACKSON, 33, of Dallas.
FLUDIE MATTOX, of Dallas.
JAMES SPIKE, about 18, of Dallas.
The eighth victim was not immediately identified.

Capt. Larry Jones of the Dallas Fire Department said it was not determined at once what caused the 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of potassium bromate to explode. The chemical is used...

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza: This museum is located in the former Texas School Book Depository and chronicles the life and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. It's a must-visit for history buffs.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden: Explore the stunning gardens, seasonal displays, and events at this beautiful 66-acre attraction located on the shores of White Rock Lake.

Perot Museum of Nature and Science: This interactive museum is a great place for both kids and adults, offering exhibits on science, technology, and natural history.

Klyde Warren Park: This urban park is built on top of a freeway and offers a beautiful green space, a variety of food trucks, and activities like yoga classes, concerts, and games.

Dallas World Aquarium: Step into a world of exotic animals and marine life at this unique indoor attraction in downtown Dallas.

Dallas Museum of Art: Home to an impressive collection of art spanning various cultures and time periods, this museum is a...