Growing Up in Oak Cliff (ca. 1945-1965)

Last edited by on Sat 21 Jul 2007, 10:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

If you could share a few (or many) prominent memories of growing up in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, during the mid-1940s through the late 1950s, what might these be? Are there sites or memories in particular that you would like to pass along to a younger person, which perhaps are not left to be seen or experienced today?

Thanks,

Holly
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Cruising Sat 21 Jul 2007, 10:47 pm

I especially would like to know more about the 'cruising' phenomenon. For example, where did you Oak-Cliff guys (and gals) go on your wanderings? I've heard much of Sivell's, but were there other drive-ins and hang-outs favored by you all? Did you (pretty much) confine yourselves to Oak Cliff, or did you visit other parts of Dallas as well?

Final question: does 'American Grafitti' give a true impression of 'how it was?'

Cruising was still around in the '70s (when I was a teen), but it seemed to have lost much of its aura by then.

Thanks!

Holly
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Joined : 07 Jul 2007 Posts : 5

Dear Holly,
"Cruising" certainly was a phenomenon unique to the '50s and into the '60s. I belive that this was largely due to the fact that this was the era when teenagers were first "emancipated" and able to achieve an unprecedented level of independence through the mobility given to them by the automobile. It was the first time that a large percentage of kids in their mid to late teens had their own set of "wheels." I was in that group.

Sivils' was the quintessential drive-in restuarant in Dallas during that period and, although there were a number of others, none of them could compare to it. There are a few pictures available on the internet that show the resuarant building itself but none of them can give you an appreciation for the magnitude of the Sivils scene/experience. The parking lot was huge (compared to other drive-ins in Dallas) and arranged in semicircular rows/arcs of parking spaces in front of the building. There were driving lanes between each of these rows and cars would continuously be cruising up, down and around these lanes. When you finally decided to pull into one of the parking spaces and have something to eat or drink, you just blinked your headlights and a car hop would come out to serve you. Speaking of the car hops, they were outfitted in majorette style uniforms and, for many years, were on roller skates. The property on which Sivils' was located at the juncture of old Highway 80 and Davis Street in western Oak Cliff still sits barren/undeveloped, overgrown with weeds. I walked out on it a couple of years ago and could make out the remnants of the asphalt parking lot and the cement foundation of the restuarant building. I suspect that the Sivils family still owns it or something would have been built there by now.

In regard to other drive-in hangouts throughout Dallas, here are the ones I can remember:
Timeout was located on the west side of Hillcrest Road, about a city block north of Northwest Highway. It had a nice little restuarant building with curb service (car hops) out front. It's where I met your mother in January 1958.
Kips' was located in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of Lemmon Avenue and Inwood Road. It was a much smaller version of Sivils, with a similar layout.
Roscoe White's Corral was on the south side of Mockingbird Lane a block or two east of Central Expressway. They made the best chicken salad sandwich I've ever had in my life.
Keller's was, and still is, located on Northwest Highway just east of Skillman. Although the place is a little "scuzzy" today, you can get a gist for what it was all about if you pay Keller's a visit.
I recall another neat drive-in that was located on the south side of Lovers Lane a couple of blocks west of Inwood Road, but I can't remember its name.

Yes, the movie "American Grafitti" accurately reflects the "cruising" scene that we moved in during the '50s and early '60s. Although it is set in what appears to be a relatively small city/town, with most of the teens' interactions/antics occurring on the streets, it is essentially right on target. In fact "Mel's" drive-in looks like a down scaled version of Sivils', complete with lots of neon lights and car hops on roller skates.
Hope all of this answers your questions. It has certainly been a nostalgia trip for me - wnderful memories!
Dad

Subject: Re: Growing Up in Oak Cliff (ca. 1945-1965) Sun 18 Nov 2007, 11:12 pm

Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful memories, Dad. They are vividly expressed and you're right .... just by looking at a photo of the Sivil's restaurant building, I never would have realized how the place once pulsed with life and with what I can only think of to call 'teen spirit' Smile

It seems that my generation missed out a little on 'coming of age' when compared with yours. But I'm very glad for you and Mom that you got to live the '50s!

I had wondered how far you all 'cruised' across Dallas back then; knew that you must have wandered at least a bit as you met Mom at Time Out. Cruising surely had some far-reaching consequences!

Were the car clubs that you have mentioned a national phenomenon, or were these unique to Oak Cliff? I would suspect the former, but one never knows Smile

Thanks once again, Dad. I look forward to watching American Graffitti!

~~your daughter
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: From, 'The Sundial 1957,' Sunset High School Thu 22 Nov 2007, 10:52 pm

September 12, 1956

My dear Friends:

It is nearly time for you to be graduated from Sunset High School. How thrilled and excited you must be. But why is it that on Senior Day you have a lump in your throat and sometimes a tear in your eye?

Could it be that when the curtain of your high school days is about closed, you suddenly realize that the happiest days of your life thus far are drawing away from you? You reach out to grab them back, but the years have gone. I suppose it is just human nature for us not to realize the full meaning of situations until they have passed.

You have many years, God granting, before you. All of these will be filled with opportunities to better not only yourselves but also your country. When these marvelous opportunities call on you, open the door and let them in. Above all, however, appreciate them from the beginning and do not wait until they have passed.

I wish for each of you a full measure of peace, success, and happiness.

Sincerely your friend,

C. C. Miller
Principal

http://picasaweb.google.com/Lyrasong/DearOldGoldenRuleDaysVintageSchoolPhotos/photo#5135876308069010498
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Growing Up in Oak Cliff (ca. 1945-1965) Sat 24 Nov 2007, 3:25 pm

Here is a photograph of two young ladies once employed by Sivil's Drive-In Restaurant, scanned from the 1953-edition of The Sundial, the annual of Sunset High School.

The advertisements in old annuals and in such publications as church/ community cookbooks often are wonderful mines for local history Smile

http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/26/71/51/sivil_10.jpg
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Growing Up in Oak Cliff (ca. 1945-1965) Sat 24 Nov 2007, 3:49 pm

Here is another neat image of Sivil's, taken from e 1954-edition of The Sundial.

http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/26/71/51/sivil_11.jpg
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Growing Up in Oak Cliff (ca. 1945-1965) Wed 28 Nov 2007, 9:34 am

PS. I hesitate to share this opinion, but could not deny what appeared to be plainly before my eyes this past weekend: while gazing at many pages of my parents' high school annuals -- Mom's from Hillcrest and Dad's from Sunset -- it really did look like Dad's crowd was having more fun back in the day (those glory days of the late-1950s) study

There is not anything that I can put my finger on to support such an impression; it was just there .... to be read on the faces and in the more relaxed bearing of the Sunset kids.

Luckily for me, my parents are not heavy Internet folks, and I can probably get away with sliding this sentiment by without the earth shaking, opening its jaws and swallowing me up pale

_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves