If you haven't checked out the December 19 edition of The Dallas Morning News yet, take a look at this article.
Joe Ramirez has been in contact with me a couple of times looking for the scant remains of the La Reunion ghost town west of downtown Dallas, and when he came across what might be the old DeLord homestead, he found he found the site in disarray just as I had in March. Suspecting that the site was being used as a meth lab, Joe tried in vain to get various Dallas organizations to pay attention to the old colony site.
That's when Joe led a small expedition to the DeLord homestead, as recorded in The Dallas Morning News.
I don't want to spoil the story, and besides, the paper would appreciate a few more on-line visitors. But please read it - the article's not too terribly long.
I'm happy that this blog played some part in shining light on a forgotten chapter of Dallas' history, and I'm proud of Joe for staying on the case and not letting this site fall through the cracks.
Showing posts with label La Reunion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label La Reunion. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Back to La Reunion
Where have I been lately? Working lots of overtime, for one thing, but I was able to break away from work long enough for a trip back to the La Reunion ghost town site in western Dallas - only this time, I was accompanied by Dustin, a graduate student from Texas A&M-Commerce who has developed a keen interest in visiting the site and learning more about the people who built it and what legacy they have left for greater Dallas.
Dustin and I managed to gain access to the La Reunion Cemetery on Fish Trap Road, which has undergone a tremendous amount of upkeep since the City of Dallas assumed responsibility for the cemetery's maintenance. It doesn't look like the same place I visited in 2010. We managed to discover a few more graves that I missed on my previous expedition.
We also visited the site of the old DeLord house, and Dustin was able to point out the remains of old foundation that I previously hadn't discovered. Unfortunately, the DeLord site has apparently become a homeless camp within the past year and a half, and the integrity of any remaining artifacts at the DeLord site is becoming compromised as a result. The little brick tower I previously discovered has been shattered so that the bricks could line some makeshift fire pit dug in the soil. If you do visit the site nowadays, you do so at your own risk.
Afterwards, Dustin and I were able to exchange information about the La Reunion colonists and share some very good research leads with each other. With the construction of the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge opening new travel routes into western Dallas, there has been some increased interest in the old French settlement, and Dustin and I both thoroughly enjoyed our visit back to the site.
Will share more once my schedule frees itself a little more. Hope all of you are doing well.
Dustin and I managed to gain access to the La Reunion Cemetery on Fish Trap Road, which has undergone a tremendous amount of upkeep since the City of Dallas assumed responsibility for the cemetery's maintenance. It doesn't look like the same place I visited in 2010. We managed to discover a few more graves that I missed on my previous expedition.
We also visited the site of the old DeLord house, and Dustin was able to point out the remains of old foundation that I previously hadn't discovered. Unfortunately, the DeLord site has apparently become a homeless camp within the past year and a half, and the integrity of any remaining artifacts at the DeLord site is becoming compromised as a result. The little brick tower I previously discovered has been shattered so that the bricks could line some makeshift fire pit dug in the soil. If you do visit the site nowadays, you do so at your own risk.
Afterwards, Dustin and I were able to exchange information about the La Reunion colonists and share some very good research leads with each other. With the construction of the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge opening new travel routes into western Dallas, there has been some increased interest in the old French settlement, and Dustin and I both thoroughly enjoyed our visit back to the site.
Will share more once my schedule frees itself a little more. Hope all of you are doing well.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
La Reunion (Dallas County) - August 2010/October 2010 photos
In Dallas County, the big'uns ate the small'uns - it was the logical progression of municipal growth. The towns of Embree and Duck Creek joined forces in 1891 and transformed into the single city of Garland, which still endures today as, among other things, the birthplace of yours truly. Most towns, however, wound up being devoured by a larger and more successful neighbor. Irving gobbled up the communities of Kit and Sowers, leaving only a cemetery or two as evidence that these towns ever existed. Richardson encircled the semi-rural village of Buckingham and finally annexed it in 1996. As for Dallas, over the past 150 years, it devoured numerous towns and settlements throughout Dallas County, including Jimtown, Scyene, Lisbon, Vickery, Fisher, Letot, Oak Cliff, and what remained of a little French colony known as La Reunion. Small pond, meet big fish.
All the other towns have pretty much assimilated into Dallas without leaving any trace of their former selves, and that makes the story of La Reunion all the more fascinating to me. Settled in 1854 and officially founded the next year to serve as a communal society operating on the socio-economic principles espoused by French philosopher Francois Marie Charles Fourier, the town sat on the Trinity River, three miles west of what used to be the village of Dallas. 200 immigrants from France, Belgium, and Switzerland got the project started, and while some of the colonists moved on, there were enough new arrivals to keep La Reunion operating for approximately 18 months, with the population peaking at 350 in late 1856.
La Reunion had everything working against it. The limestone soil proved to be a constant frustration for agriculturists. The colony was plagued with ineffective leadership and disorganization, not to mention financial insolvency. On January 28, 1857, La Reunion was officially dissolved. A few holdouts purchased land on the La Reunion tract and made the site their permanent home, but most colonists either returned to Europe or resettled in Dallas, San Antonio, or New Orleans.
When Dallas expanded westward and swallowed what was left of La Reunion, the townsite was excavated for lime used in the manufacture of concrete, which was sorely needed by the growing city; in fact, the site of La Reunion was incorporated as the town of Cement City for a few decades. Reunion Tower and the now-demolished Reunion Arena were named after the old colony, but at first glance, there seems to be nothing left of La Reunion; instead, there are houses, schools, buinesses, and a golf course in Stevens Park. Walk through the golf course, and you'll see a stone erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1924.
Granite DAR memorial at the Stevens Park golf course, marking the La Reunion site
The DAR memorial is a lovely tribute, but obviously not part of the original colony. For that, travel over to L.G. Pinkston High School at 3345 Fish Trap Road in Dallas and face northwest from the school. You'll be looking at a housing development, and right next to it there is a semi-neglected cemetery that was once known as Fish Trap Cemetery, but a historical marker within the chainlink fence surrounding the cemetery proclaims this the burial site for some of the La Reunion colonists:
Historical marker for La Reunion Cemetery on Fish Trap Road in Dallas
According to a Dallas Morning News article on La Reunion Cemetery, there has been considerable difficulty finding which agency is responsible for the cemetery's upkeep. Some determined volunteers are doing what they can to tend to the cemetery, and once in a while, some enterprising ghost town chaser finds his way into the cemetery as well. Here are some of the graves at the site:
Tombstone for botanist Julien Reverchon and his wife Marie, both La Reunion colonists; Reverchon Park in Dallas is named in Julien's honor
Broken grave marker for Michel Reverchon, son of Julien and Marie Reverchon
Francois Santerre, one of the most prominent La Reunion colonists, is buried here with his wife, Marie
Not everyone buried at La Reunion Cemetery, however, is a colonist or one of their descendants:
Grave of Samuel Krause, an uncle of Bonnie Parker; Bonnie herself was once interred here before being moved to Crown Hill Cemetery
But what of the ghost town itself? Other than the cemetery, does anything from La Reunion still survive? I'm going to let you in on a little secret:
Front steps leading to the remains of the last remaining La Reunion house
Past these steps, on a sidewalk that is covered in dirt and choked with thick vegetation, there once stood a La Reunion colony house that survived all of its neighbors until it collapsed sometime in the 1930s. Even so, something still remains at the old homestead:
Small brick tower, part of the last La Reunion house
Where exactly are the remains of this ghost town house located? The precise location was known to a few schoolchildren in the area who would play there after school; supposedly there are a few more of these sites hiding throughout La Reunion. One of the children who knew of these ruins finally started spreading the word, and eventually the story reached me by means of the Internet, so I travelled to the La Reunion site and did a little exploring of my own until I found this. So I don't feel right just giving up the location, since a handful of Dallasites have made this their little secret. If you wish to find these ruins on your own, I offer this advice: Study the layout and history of La Reunion, drive and hike through the site of the old French colony, and keep your eyes open at all times.
One of these days, however, these last remnants of La Reunion may be swept away. The DAR memorial and the cemetery are safe, but there's a lot of money pouring into this area of Dallas, and with that money comes plans to redevelop the whole neighborhood. When that happens, the ghost town of La Reunion - which managed to survive all of its rivals for all these years - may be eradicated once and for all. So by all means, please go and explore this novel little corner of forgotten Texas history while you have the chance.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
All the other towns have pretty much assimilated into Dallas without leaving any trace of their former selves, and that makes the story of La Reunion all the more fascinating to me. Settled in 1854 and officially founded the next year to serve as a communal society operating on the socio-economic principles espoused by French philosopher Francois Marie Charles Fourier, the town sat on the Trinity River, three miles west of what used to be the village of Dallas. 200 immigrants from France, Belgium, and Switzerland got the project started, and while some of the colonists moved on, there were enough new arrivals to keep La Reunion operating for approximately 18 months, with the population peaking at 350 in late 1856.
La Reunion had everything working against it. The limestone soil proved to be a constant frustration for agriculturists. The colony was plagued with ineffective leadership and disorganization, not to mention financial insolvency. On January 28, 1857, La Reunion was officially dissolved. A few holdouts purchased land on the La Reunion tract and made the site their permanent home, but most colonists either returned to Europe or resettled in Dallas, San Antonio, or New Orleans.
When Dallas expanded westward and swallowed what was left of La Reunion, the townsite was excavated for lime used in the manufacture of concrete, which was sorely needed by the growing city; in fact, the site of La Reunion was incorporated as the town of Cement City for a few decades. Reunion Tower and the now-demolished Reunion Arena were named after the old colony, but at first glance, there seems to be nothing left of La Reunion; instead, there are houses, schools, buinesses, and a golf course in Stevens Park. Walk through the golf course, and you'll see a stone erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1924.
Granite DAR memorial at the Stevens Park golf course, marking the La Reunion site
The DAR memorial is a lovely tribute, but obviously not part of the original colony. For that, travel over to L.G. Pinkston High School at 3345 Fish Trap Road in Dallas and face northwest from the school. You'll be looking at a housing development, and right next to it there is a semi-neglected cemetery that was once known as Fish Trap Cemetery, but a historical marker within the chainlink fence surrounding the cemetery proclaims this the burial site for some of the La Reunion colonists:
Historical marker for La Reunion Cemetery on Fish Trap Road in Dallas
According to a Dallas Morning News article on La Reunion Cemetery, there has been considerable difficulty finding which agency is responsible for the cemetery's upkeep. Some determined volunteers are doing what they can to tend to the cemetery, and once in a while, some enterprising ghost town chaser finds his way into the cemetery as well. Here are some of the graves at the site:
Tombstone for botanist Julien Reverchon and his wife Marie, both La Reunion colonists; Reverchon Park in Dallas is named in Julien's honor
Broken grave marker for Michel Reverchon, son of Julien and Marie Reverchon
Francois Santerre, one of the most prominent La Reunion colonists, is buried here with his wife, Marie
Not everyone buried at La Reunion Cemetery, however, is a colonist or one of their descendants:
Grave of Samuel Krause, an uncle of Bonnie Parker; Bonnie herself was once interred here before being moved to Crown Hill Cemetery
But what of the ghost town itself? Other than the cemetery, does anything from La Reunion still survive? I'm going to let you in on a little secret:
Front steps leading to the remains of the last remaining La Reunion house
Past these steps, on a sidewalk that is covered in dirt and choked with thick vegetation, there once stood a La Reunion colony house that survived all of its neighbors until it collapsed sometime in the 1930s. Even so, something still remains at the old homestead:
Small brick tower, part of the last La Reunion house
Where exactly are the remains of this ghost town house located? The precise location was known to a few schoolchildren in the area who would play there after school; supposedly there are a few more of these sites hiding throughout La Reunion. One of the children who knew of these ruins finally started spreading the word, and eventually the story reached me by means of the Internet, so I travelled to the La Reunion site and did a little exploring of my own until I found this. So I don't feel right just giving up the location, since a handful of Dallasites have made this their little secret. If you wish to find these ruins on your own, I offer this advice: Study the layout and history of La Reunion, drive and hike through the site of the old French colony, and keep your eyes open at all times.
One of these days, however, these last remnants of La Reunion may be swept away. The DAR memorial and the cemetery are safe, but there's a lot of money pouring into this area of Dallas, and with that money comes plans to redevelop the whole neighborhood. When that happens, the ghost town of La Reunion - which managed to survive all of its rivals for all these years - may be eradicated once and for all. So by all means, please go and explore this novel little corner of forgotten Texas history while you have the chance.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
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