We dug through the basement at the Hall of State and uncovered relics from Dallas’ past. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
The Dallas Historical Society is just like your grandmother’s attic—provided your grandmother’s attic contains about 3 million historical items and your grandmother’s attic is located in Fair Park, at the Hall of State, underground. The Society was founded in 1922 by 101 prominent citizens who were concerned with preserving the city’s history. Today, its collection includes both the noteworthy and the negligible, from letters written by Dallas founder John Neely Bryan to an old nipple for a baby’s bottle, provenance unknown. On the following pages, you’ll see photographs of some of the Society’s more bizarre holdings. One item, however, we made up. Can you find the imposter? —Colleen Casey
Santa Anna’s Spurs. These belonged to the self-proclaimed “Napoleon of the West,” who was the Mexican president during the Texas War for Independence. Antonio López de Santa Anna personally led the Mexican counterattack, although he was later defeated by Sam Houston in the Battle of San Jacinto.
Ledbetter Hair Wreath. This wreath was woven circa 1880 by Laura Ellen Keel Ledbetter, wife of J.J. Ledbetter, back when Dallas was the early French colony, La Réunion (which would be within city limits today). The hair came from Laura’s mother, her friends, and her daughter.
G.B. Dealey’s Fez. Called the “dean of American publishers” by the New York Times, Dealey was a Shriner (thus the fez), but his more notable roles include helping to found the Dallas Morning News, SMU, and the Dallas Historical Society.
Cabell Family High Chair. This high chair belonged to one of the Cabell family’s children, who must have been very small indeed—it’s only 26 inches high. William Cabell and his son Ben were both mayors of the city during the 19th century.
Apothecary Sign. The mortar and pestle have traditionally been linked to pharmacies. This 3-D, 32-inch-tall brass sign with colored glass jewels hung outside of a Dallas store c. 1930.
Armadillo Purse. The Historical Society was uncertain about the provenance of this item, but what well-dressed Dallas woman wouldn’t have been proud to own it?
“Midget City” Photo. Fair Park was originally built for the Texas Centennial Exposition, held in June 1936. The midway offered so many wonderful attractions that visitors probably forgot all about the Great Depression going on around them.
Braniff Bubble Head. In the mid-1960s, Braniff International Airways redefined the commercial airline industry and truly marked the end of the plain plane. Stewardesses wore these plastic bubbleheads to communicate to passengers, “We’re in the jet age!”
Helen Corbitt’s Fork. This telescoping utensil belonged to Helen Corbitt, once the most celebrated chef in the Southwest. In 1955, she opened the famed Zodiac Room at Neiman Marcus.
Sarah Cockrell’s Cooking Pot. The Cockrell family moved to Dallas in 1844 and went into the construction business, which Sarah ran after her husband died. She eventually came to own a fourth of downtown.
J.R.’s Cowboy Hat. Until the television show Dallas ended its run in the 1980s, J.R. Ewing (played by Larry Hagman) often donned this hat at his Southfork Ranch, near Plano.
THE FORK IS THE FAKE: PROPERTY OF D MAGAZINE’S RESTAURANT CRITIC
