I was so delighted to nab the assignment of writing this month’s cover story, which hit the web this morning. Like many of you, I love to travel. As D Magazine’s travel editor, I have flown all over the world and driven across Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in search of places to share with our readers. What I hadn’t done was to study the small towns that lie within an hour’s drive of Dallas.
It would have been easy to phone in Granbury and Fort Worth. Those towns are two of the most popular drives for Dallasites. Instead I added 1,484 miles to my car’s odometer.
My method was loose. I had a list of 21 towns. Some days I just got in the car and headed in the general direction of one of them. I took backroads, stopped at mom-and-pop diners, bought way too many items that will end up in a garage sale, and talked to folks at almost every stop.
My first draft of the story was more than 10,000 words. I had fallen in love with North Texas all over again. I marveled at the glorious courthouses and well-preserved architecture of our region. I learned how the area was settled and the importance of the railroads.
My biggest surprise was Corsicana. I’ve driven past it my whole life. Once I stopped and spent some time there I learned about the transition taking place there. The power of the railroads and oil barons built a remarkable town center filled with beautiful buildings. Today they are filled with vibrant shops, restaurants, and independently owned businesses.
I was most impressed by SMU art school graduate Kyle Hobratschk’s 100 West project. Hobratschk took over The State National Bank Building, a three-story IOOF Italianate-revival red brick building built in 1898 and converted into an 11,000-square-foot living and working space for artists and writers. The project has sparked the opening of several other unique galleries. As a result, young craftsmen and artists are moving to Corsicana where they thrive in affordable living space just an hour south of Dallas.
Some of the towns in North Texas are up and coming. Others, such as Pilot Point, are striving for some energy. I urge you to take a couple hours out of a day and visit these towns. There are people waiting to tell you stories about what took place in their backyards. I promise you will go home full of enrichment.
If you didn’t click it up above, here’s the link to the feature.
