Turtle Creek Pump Station

3630 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX
The Turtle Creek Pump Station is significant as one of the most visible and longest-standing, properties representing the early development of water reclamation, distribution, and eventually treatment and purification for the City of Dallas, Texas. This property is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, in the area of Conservation, at the local level of significance, for its associations with the City of Dallas' efforts to adequately meet demands for water by controlling and harnessing the Trinity River and the waterways feeding it. Constructed in 1909 following a disastrous flood that destroyed an earlier facility, the Pump Station represents the location of the first significant Trinity River diversion project. The Pump Station is also identified with important Progressive Era efforts, particularly on the part of social activist women in Dallas, to improve public health in the community. Preserved by the city in 1983 as an important historic and visual landmark near the junction of two major freeways leading into the downtown area, the Pump Station was rehabilitated and adapted for new use as a center for small and mid-size arts groups.

Water Reclamation and Distribution in Dallas 1840s to 1909
From the founding of the town of Dallas by John Neeley Bryan, as well as the surrounding communities on both sides of the Trinity River, in the mid-1840s, water was a critical element that was often in short supply. The cycle of extremely hot summers saw creeks, streams, and even the Trinity itself run nearly dry. Yet, in the formative years of Dallas' growth, there was no development of any public utilities. Water for livestock and some irrigation was taken from the river and nearby creeks, but the irregularity of its availability and its muddiness during the spring and fall rainy seasons caused most domestic water users to dig private wells. Although bacterial theories of disease were yet to be discovered, clean and clear water was still preferred by most people for use in laundry, boilers, and drinking.

Following the disastrous fire of 1860, when much of the downtown area was destroyed with no readily available water to fight the blaze, there was some discussion regarding the establishment of a public water supply. It would be 1869, however, before steps were taken to provide a public water source. The Browder Springs, located on J.J. Eakins' land less than a mile from the courthouse on the bank of Mill Creek, was dredged and a public announcement was made that any citizen could take water from the spring and haul it to their homes. The site today is near Old City Park, most submerged under the IH-30, R.L. Thornton Freeway. For a decade, during which Dallas' population grew from 2,900 to more than 10,000, the public water system consisted of the spring and two tanks located under the downtown sidewalks that stored water for firefighting.

In 1876, Dallas Fire Chief W. C. Connor and several businessmen incorporated the Water Supply Co., in order, it was said, to furnish water to the fire companies and to the newly arrived railroads. The Water Company purchased land near the Browder Springs and was soon pumping up to 15,000 gallons of spring water daily into a series of wood-stave pipes. Wastewater was drained into storm sewers that were dumped back into the Trinity River. After a year, demand was already outstripping supply and a second pump - the "River Pump" - was set in the middle of Ross Avenue downtown to pump water directly from the Trinity River when the springs could not produce an adequate supply. This first diversion of Trinity River water established the beginning of a long battle to retain river water rights for Dallas.

During an acute water shortage in the summer of 1881, a squabble over the rates being charged by the Water Company to the City resulted in a temporary shutting off of water to the two fire engine companies, the police station, the city hospital and the stock pound. City leaders resolved during the crisis that the municipality should control its own water supply. Thus, the City of Dallas purchased the water system from Chief Connor and his partners in December 1881 for $65,000 and soon after created the Dallas City Water Works and the position of Superintendent. By 1882, the distribution system had grown to include 5.5 miles of mains, with the Browder Springs pumps running almost constantly and producing more than 300,000 gallons daily. The River Pump was used when demand required additional water, although many potential patrons refused to be connected to the system because of the possibility of getting dirty river water.

Capacity in the system was soon overwhelmed again, and in 1887 the City purchased 71 acres at the mouth of Turtle Creek, three and a half miles up the Trinity from town, where a log and earth dam and a small pump station were built. Steam-driven pumps, a standpipe atop nearby Polecat Hill and a 24-inch water main following the MKT railroad tracks into town pumped raw, untreated river water into the city system, with a capacity many times that of the Browder Springs. However, as the Turtle Creek site was located downstream from the mouth of the Trinity's West Fork, wastewater dumped in the West Fork by nearby Fort Worth immediately created problems for Dallas water users.

By the mid-1890s, Browder Springs water was rarely needed, pumped only in late summer when the Trinity was extremely low. The Turtle Creek pumps brought more than 250 million gallons of river water per month into the distribution system. The problems of mud and silt, as well as Fort Worth wastes, in the river, continued, with only settling basins at the Turtle Creek Pump Station to remove some mud and other solids. The impurities in the water were so severe that the system could not accommodate water meters because stems and leaves clogged them.

City Council minutes in 1892 reflected the growing concerns about the unsuitability of West Fork Trinity water for drinking. Thus, the city purchased a tract of land on the Elm Fork of the river near Record's Crossing and in 1895 built a dam, pump station and main to bring water from the "cleaner" Record's Crossing reservoir to Turtle Creek and into the system. The Elm Fork water was hailed as "pure and safe" and West Fork water was rarely pumped. However, problems with the wood stave conduit from Record's Crossing soon resulted in numerous patches, breaks and leaks and certainly the water quality was negatively affected. At the end of the century, the 46-acre Turtle Creek complex included the pumping station perched on the bluff overlooking the creek's confluence with the Trinity, the settling basins to the west, and the residence provided for the Water Works' Chief Engineer. The cottage was provided with steam heated from the Pump Station boilers, as was the nearby Parkland Hospital, which had opened in 1894. In 1902, the system's capacity was again expanded with the construction of the Bachman Dam and Reservoir, upriver from the Record Crossing Dam, which captured more (dirty) river water for storage and pumping to Turtle Creek.

While the public drinking water supply continued to come from the river, wells supplied specialized water needs to the city, particularly at Turtle Creek. Three nearby wells were drilled at the turn of the century to supply soft, non-corrosive water for the steam boilers at the Pump Station. A fourth well, drilled in 1903 and named for Alderman C.A. Gill (later the designer of the present Pump Station), accidentally penetrated deeper sands that yielded highly mineralized water which quickly became locally famous for its presumed therapeutic qualities. A favored buggy ride on Sundays was out the fashionable Maple Avenue to the Gill Well, adjacent to the Pumping Station, to enjoy the restorative Gill Well water. The Praetorian and Wilson office buildings in downtown Dallas also dug private wells to provide cleaner water for tenants, and the Lemp Brewery's well-provided water for beer-making.

The 1903 annexation of Oak Cliff to Dallas brought an entirely separate and purer water supply under the city's control. Relatively clear and clean drinking water from wells and a spring on the limestone bluff above the Trinity was provided to all Oak Cliff citizens by a well-developed and privately owned water and sewer combination. Although Dallas purchased the Oak Cliff system several years after annexation, the two systems (Dallas and Oak Cliff) remained physically separate until 1923. The contrast in drinking water quality caused increasing citizen outrage that civic leaders were ignoring the public health implications of unclean water.

Progressive Women's Public Health Efforts 1890s to 1909
Leadership in Dallas regarding issues of public health and safety at the end of the 19th century rested almost entirely among well-educated and socially prominent women. The problems associated with rapid growth, expanding immigrant populations, dense urban development, and poor access to education were being experienced in Dallas as they were across the nation. "Learning to live with many other people within a limited space" was a topic addressed by several of the women's organizations and clubs throughout the city by the mid-1890s. These middle- and upper-class women -- members of the Pierian, Standard, and Shakespeare literary and social clubs in Dallas and the Ladies Musicale Club in Oak Cliff among them -- became increasingly concerned about the need to establish and maintain standards for public health and safety and to provide dependable assistance to those in need. As a result, and following national examples, the individual clubs created the Dallas Federation of Women's Clubs in 1898 as a vehicle to not merely discuss the social problems plaguing the community but to initiate solutions to them. Historian Judith McArthur describes the 1890s Progressive Era movement in Dallas as part of a national trend in social activism among women: a "scientific" approach to homemaking and child rearing that linked conditions in the private home to issues affecting and affected by the larger public realm.

Observers described the growing frustration of many women that the male-dominated political system could not or would not address social welfare issues. Although the male civic leaders were knowledgeable regarding "business trends and economic issues, they retained a number of essentially rural assumptions - for example, that each family could make its own arrangements for water, fuel and waste disposal."

The Federation of Women's Clubs membership reached 246 by 1902, limited to those already active in the founding clubs. Interest among non-members was significant enough, however, to encourage the founding of the Dallas Woman's Forum in 1905, open to all interested women. The Forum's membership exceeded 300 by the following year. Together, the Federation of Women's Clubs and the Woman's Forum began demanding that the community reconsider the responsibilities appropriate to government, calling for an expansion of tax-supported public services and the "extension of public funding into areas traditionally considered private or simply ignored."

The Federation's early success in obtaining an endowment from Andrew Carnegie to establish a free public library in Dallas (1902) reflected the evolution of women's roles in the community and their influence on political decisions. The clubs' work to establish free kindergartens for immigrant children led to the realization that segments of the community were suffering the ill effects of elected officials' unwillingness to accept responsibility for the public's health. Several years of study and public advocacy on the part of the women's groups led to the adoption by the City Council in 1907 of Dallas' first Pure Food and Drug law, which among other things required rudimentary inspection of meats and products sold in the city's markets and an end to the previously widespread practice of watering milk.

Skillful employment of accepted social techniques the clubwomen knew best helped them to develop effective political strategies and tactics that would have been regarded as appropriate for early 20th-century "homemakers." Familiar social forms were cleverly used to put pressure on political leaders: receptions in gracious Maple and Ross Avenue homes allowed for subtle lobbying of elected officials, and "ladies' teas" served to recruit supporters.

The clubwomen's concerns soon turned to the issue of the public water supply, its sources and particularly its purity. The opening of the Bachman Reservoir in 1902 brought far cleaner and presumably safer upstream water into the Dallas municipal system, but city officials intended to mix the Bachman water with water from all other sources. Despite the area's long history of outbreaks of typhoid fever and "vague, undiagnosed illnesses," the plan was to treat the water with chemicals only when outbreaks occurred. The terrific Trinity River flood of 1908, which caused millions of dollars in damage to large sections of the city and destroyed much of its infrastructure, including portions of the Turtle Creek Water Works, only made matters worse.

Building the New Pump Station at Turtle Creek 1909
The clubwomen's pressure to address the water quality issue was intensifying as the new Turtle Creek station was erected beginning in July 1908 and opened in 1909 to replace the flooded-out building. The new structure would be larger, with additional pumps and boilers to respond to increasing demand in the growing city.

Architect C.A. Gill, a former city alderman and water commissioner, was responsible for the design of the new Pump Station at Turtle Creek. His architectural practice was first listed in the Dallas City Directories in 1889, Charles Gill seems to have been a self-trained carpenter, contractor, and building designer who had come to Dallas in 1874. He quickly became involved in Dallas civic affairs, serving one term as a city alderman in 1883-84 and again from 1900 to 1907, while during most of the intervening years, he served on and presided over the Board of Education. Gill has been credited with designing a charming Queen Anne mansion on Dallas' fashionable Ross Avenue in 1891 for meat packing magnate J.S. Armstrong, founder of the communities of Oak Cliff and Highland Park. That prestigious commission no doubt led to other important work, including homes and commercial properties in both Dallas and nearby Terrell, Texas, although other documented works have yet to be identified. Gill's and his two sons' architectural practice continued to be listed in local directories until 1910. Gill died after a traffic accident in 1916 at age 79.

The new Turtle Creek Station began pumping in late 1909 and was soon at capacity: still another severe autumn drought in 1910 would require the private Praetorian, Wilson, and Lemp wells to be tapped for public use, with 40 wagons hauling water to distressed neighborhoods daily. The City Commission (Council) began to focus on a bond election that would provide funds to purchase 1,000 acres of farmland on White Rock Creek to create another reservoir.

The women's organizations recognized that, although officials understood that plentiful water would stimulate economic growth, they tended to accept very little responsibility for the well-being of the public. Having found wanting the authorities' plans, the Federation and Forum embarked on a five-year campaign to insist that a filtration complex be developed to purify all the water in the system. Speeches, letters to newspaper editors, petitions to city government, and lobbying of the powerful Citizens Association (the all-male business leaders who controlled municipal government) were produced by the Woman's Forum and Federation. Leading the effort for a purer water supply were several of the "proper and genteel activists" among the nearly 1,200 clubwomen who constituted the membership of 26 clubs and organizations affiliated with the Dallas Federation of Women's Clubs.

Isidore Miner Callaway, whose pen name -- Pauline Periwinkle -- bylined her influential weekly columns in the Dallas Morning News, editorialized the public health issues of impure drinking water. Founding president of the Federation, May (Mrs. Henry) Exall, no doubt offered her considerable influence in the community to the cause. Adela Kelsey (Mrs. E.P.) Turner, leader of the 1906-1907 pure milk and food ordinance battle and founder and first president of the Dallas Woman's Forum in 1906, encouraged her fellow clubwomen to educate themselves and the community about the issues. Vernice Reppert, president of the Federation from 1909-1910 and also an activist in the Dallas women's suffrage movement, also participated.

It was Mrs. J.J. Hardin, however, who was described as the "militant crusader for a pure water supply." Mrs. Hardin and Mrs. Charles M. Bland presented a report to the Federation's monthly meeting in late 1908 based on their research of other cities' filtration systems, including those of New Orleans and St. Louis. Later presentations brought recommendations that further "education and agitation [were] advised" and five fellow clubwomen were assigned to present additional research papers. Mrs. W.C. Craig joined Mrs. Hardin and Mrs. Bland on the Water Filtration Committee in 1909 and in March 1910 they presented still another paper describing the successful operations of the New Orleans water purification plant, concluding "If New Orleans can have clean water, why may not Dallas?"

Elected President of the Dallas Federation for the 1910-1911 term, Mrs. Hardin invited each of the City Commissioners to her inaugural meeting to hear a presentation on the water purification issue, and she eventually secured the promise of the powerful Citizen's Association to include a platform plank demanding a filtration plant.

First Filtration Plant at Turtle Creek 1913
As a result, another bond election was passed in 1913 to fund the construction of the city's first water filtration facility. The ruins of the old pumping station, located west of the new 1909 Turtle Creek Pump Station, were finally torn down and the filtration plant opened in November of 1914 (see Photo 9). The nearby settling basins were altered to accommodate the chemical treatment of water, and chlorination and filtration were at last provided system-wide. Again, the success of citizens' efforts to persuade municipal officials to address the public health issues of water policy led to further advocacy efforts, and in 1917 the clubs' members observed the opening of a sewage treatment facility that ended the practice of dumping raw sewage into the Trinity River.

The population of Dallas exploded at the century's beginning, from 43,000 in 1900 to 159,000 in 1920, and although the demand for more water sources continued unabated, the issue of public safety had at last been answered at the Turtle Creek complex. By the second decade's end, the Water Works at Turtle Creek represented the central distribution and coordination point for a water system that included six dams, two large off-river reservoirs, clarification and chlorinating facilities, and sewage treatment capability. The Pumping Station was also the site of pioneering early 20th-century experiments in oil-fired steam boilers. Water Works Chief Engineer J.M. Bassett had recognized the opportunity for an inexpensive and ready supply of fuel in the newly discovered oil fields around Corsicana, southeast of Dallas. Bassett arranged with developers in the Corsicana fields for supplies of oil to conduct special tests and finally conversion of the wood- and coal-fired Turtle Creek boilers to oil.

In 1927, the main offices of the Pumping Division for operations and maintenance were centralized at Turtle Creek and remained there until 1957. As the system expanded and new facilities were added in the late 1920s, the Turtle Creek treatment plant was shut down, although treated water from White Rock was pumped to the Turtle Creek holding basins for use in the system at peak hours. When the Bachman Treatment Plant opened in 1930, Turtle Creek's pumps were shut down permanently.

Closure, Abandonment and Rehabilitation 1930 - 1983
The Pumping and Purification complex lost not only its functional relationship but its physical proximity to the Trinity River as well by the early 1930s. The long-planned project to straighten the river and confine it within a massive new levee system was finally completed by 1931. The new channel of the Trinity was moved nearly a mile to the southwest of the old channel, opening up new land for mostly industrial development near the Turtle Creek Station and Reservoir. The old settling ponds and newer reservoirs were thus rendered obsolete only sixteen years after the landmark water filtration plant opened there.

In 1939, the Dallas Independent School District demolished the reservoir, settling basins and a filtration plant at Turtle Creek, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the 22,000-seat Dallas High School Stadium and Fieldhouse on the historic site. Re-named P.C. Cobb Stadium in later years after the school district's venerated director of athletics, the facility occupied the site adjacent to the Turtle Creek Station for 40 years.

Turtle Creek still served as the headquarters for the Dallas Water Utilities Pumping Division maintenance department, even after the building's southwest corner and the large brick smokestack were removed in a 1953 remodeling that responded to construction by the City of Dallas of the new, immediately adjacent Harry Hines Boulevard interchange with Oak Lawn Avenue. The engine room portion of the building was partially removed and its remnant was used as a welding shop, leaving intact the high-ceilinged boiler room on the east end to be used as a machine shop for repair work. Finally abandoned - except for large equipment storage -- by the Dallas Water Utilities department in 1959, the Pumping Station structure remained nearly empty and deteriorating for more than 20 years, while hundreds of thousands of commuters rushed past its sturdy red brick walls. In 1981, the city's Department of Cultural Affairs joined with the non-profit Sammons Center for the Arts to save the building, and in 1983 began its rehabilitation use as an office, rehearsal, and performance facility for small and emerging arts groups. The simple columned entry feature that had been lost during several remodelings was re-created on the building's north elevation, and a large rehearsal and performance hall, along with smaller offices and classrooms, were carefully inserted in the large open spaces of the remaining boiler and engine room spaces.

The simple, industrial character of the structure has been retained while a new public use has brought fresh attention and fondness for the Turtle Creek Pump Station to younger generations of Dallasites. The property meets Criterion A at a local level of significance, for its association with the development of water reclamation and conservation in early Dallas and the progressive social and political environment in the community, particularly among social activist women, that led to reforms and improvements in the water distribution system and public health in Dallas.
Bibliography
Bolding, M.E. and Erie H., Origin and Growth of the Dallas Water Utilities, privately published, 1981

City of Dallas, Turtle Creek Pump Station Landmark Designation Report, 1981

Dallas City Directories, 1885 - 1950

Dallas Morning News various numbers, 1916, 1918, 1921-26, 1930, 1970

Dallas Times Herald, various numbers, 1916, 1959

Enstam, Elizabeth York, Women and the Creation of Urban Life, Dallas, Texas 1843-1920, Texas A & M University Press, College Station, Texas, 1998

Fuka, Nancy K., Recorded Texas Historic Landmark nomination, Texas Historical Commission files, Austin, Texas, 1983

McArthur, Judith N., Creating the New Woman: the Rise of Southern Women's Progressive Culture in Texas, 1893-1918, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois, 1998.

McDonald, William L., Dallas Rediscovered: A Photographic Chronicle of Urban Expansion 1870-1925, The Dallas Historical Society, Dallas, Texas, 1978.

Past Presidents' Association, ed., History of the Dallas Federation of Women's Clubs 1898-1936, Clyde C. Cockrell & Sons, Dallas, 1936

Vincent, Louella Styles, publ., Dallas Clubwoman, v.1, #12 and v.2, #20

WPA Dallas Guide & History, reprinted by Texas Center for the Book, University of North Texas Press, 1992
Local significance of the building:
Conservation

Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.

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The first oil well in the United States was drilled in Texas in 1859. The discovery of oil transformed the economy of the state and helped to make Texas one of the wealthiest states in the nation.
Dallas County, located in northern Texas, has a rich history that has contributed to its growth and significance. Here is a concise summary of its historical journey:

Established in 1846, Dallas County played a crucial role in the development of North Texas. The county's namesake, George Mifflin Dallas, was the Vice President of the United States at the time. The city of Dallas, the county seat, quickly emerged as a center for trade and commerce due to its strategic location along major transportation routes.

During the late 19th century, Dallas County experienced rapid economic growth driven by industries such as cotton, railroads, and cattle. The city of Dallas became a major hub for cotton trading, attracting business and establishing itself as a prominent financial center in the Southwest.

In the 20th century, Dallas County continued to evolve and diversify its economy. The discovery of oil in the nearby East Texas Oil Field in the early 1900s led to the development of the oil industry in the region, contributing to the county's prosperity. The county also played a significant role in the aerospace industry, hosting the headquarters of major aerospace companies and contributing to the growth of aviation technology.

Dallas County's cultural landscape reflects its vibrant and diverse population. The county is home to a wide range of cultural institutions, including museums, art galleries, theaters, and music venues. Dallas County also played a notable role in the civil rights movement, with important milestones in the fight for equality and integration.

Today, Dallas County stands as a major economic and cultural center. It boasts a robust economy supported by various industries, including finance, technology, healthcare, and telecommunications. The county is known for its thriving arts scene, professional sports teams, and diverse culinary offerings.

With its rich history, economic vitality, and cultural significance, Dallas County continues to shape North Texas as a dynamic and influential region.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Dallas County, Texas.

  • Pre-19th Century: The area was originally inhabited by various indigenous tribes, including the Caddo, Wichita, and Comanche.

  • 1839: Dallas County was officially established and named after George Mifflin Dallas, the Vice President of the United States under President James K. Polk.

  • Mid-19th Century: Dallas County experienced significant growth with the establishment of Dallas as a trading post and the arrival of settlers drawn by the opportunities in trade and agriculture.

  • Late 1800s: The county prospered with the expansion of railroads, particularly the Texas and Pacific Railway and the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, which solidified Dallas as a major transportation hub.

  • Early 20th Century: Dallas County saw a surge in economic development and urbanization. Industries such as oil, cotton, banking, and manufacturing fueled the city's growth.

  • 1960s: Dallas County gained national attention due to its role in the civil rights movement. The city of Dallas was the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

  • Late 20th Century: Dallas County continued to experience rapid growth and diversification, becoming a major center for business, finance, and telecommunications. The county is known for its vibrant arts and cultural scene, including the Dallas Arts District.

  • Today, Dallas County is the second-most populous county in Texas and home to the city of Dallas, a thriving metropolitan area.