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Guide No. 139:

White Rock Lake Dredging, 1930 - 1942

Overview of the Collection

Repository:

Dallas Municpal Archives
Office of the City Secretary
1500 Marilla Street, 5D South
Dallas, Texas 75201

Creator: City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department
Title: White Rock Lake Dredging
Dates: 1937 - 1930
Quantity: One linear foot
Abstract: Correspondence, reports, and data regarding dredging of White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas
Identification: 95 - 021
Language: Records are in English

Scope and Contents

Collection documents the dredging of White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas, by the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department. White Rock Lake is a 1,015 acre urban lake owned by the City of Dallas. Its main entrance is located at 8300 East Lawther Drive and includes a variety of outdoor activities, including a 9.33 mile hike and bike trail; an Audubon Society-designated bird watching area and wetlands site; picnic areas, and three rental facilities (Winfrey Point, the Dreyfuss Club, and Big Thicket). The lake also includes fishing piers, sailing facilities (Corinthian Sailing Club) and a meeting and event facility, the White Rock Bath House Cultural Center, located 521 E. Lawther Drive. The lake is fed by nine tributaries, including White Rock Creek, and was created as a reservoir for the City of Dallas. The City of Dallas purchased the land for White Rock Lake between 1907 and 1910; construction began in the Spring of 1910 and was completed in the Fall of 1911. Supervision of the parkland of White Rock Lake was transferred from Dallas Water Utilities to the Dallas Park Board in 1929 as White Rock Lake Park was created.

Dredging, or silt removal, began in 1937 using a specially-built dredge called the Joe E. Lawther after the former Dallas Mayor. In three and a half years 500,000 tons of sludge and sediment were removed. In November, 1937, the dredge sank at Dixon 's Branch but was later repaired and returned to service.

Collection consists of daily reports on dredging activities, correpsondence concerning employment and equipment, paper graph wheels used to record lake depths through a fathometer, and bid specifications for water and sewer line construction at White Rock Lake.

 

Index Terms

Dallas -- Texas -- History
Parks -- Texas -- History

 

Detailed Description of the Collection

Box Folder Title, Date
1 1 Reports and correspondence, Hubert A. Barry, 1937 - 1942
2 Dredge daily reports, 9/20/1937 - 6/30/1938
3 Dredge daily reports, 7/1/1938 - 12/31/1938
4 Dredge daily reports, 1/1/1939 - 7/31/1939
5 Dredge daily reports, March - June, 1939
6 Dredge daily reports, 8/19/1939 - 10/23/1939
2 1 Dredge daily reports, 10/24/1939 - 12/11/1939
2 Graph wheels, 1939
3 Bid specifications for water and sewer lines at White Rock Lake, 1930 (copy 1)
4 Bid specifications for water and sewer lines at White Rock Lake, 1930 (copy 2)
5 Bid specifications for water and sewer lines at White Rock Lake, 1930 (copy 3)
6 Bid specifications for water and sewer lines at White Rock Lake, 1930 (copy 4)
7 Bid specifications for water and sewer lines at White Rock Lake, 1930 (copy 5)
8 Bid specifications for water and sewer lines at White Rock Lake, 1930 (copy 6)