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Drivenoutbyfloods,exresidentsnowcanonlyreminisceHogsholdswaywhere
FloralFarmsonceflourished
TheDallasMorningNewsTuesday,August4,1992
Readability:56gradelevel(Lexile:930L)
Author:JenniferNagorka,StaffWriterofTheDallasMorningNews:THE
FloralFarmsisagoodneighborhoodgonetothehogs,aghosttown.
ThebonesoftheoldcommunityitsstreetsstillappearonDallasmapsasneatlycrosshatchedlinesanglingoff
SimpsonStuartRoad,justbeforeitdeadendsneartheTrinityRiver.
Themapdeceives.Thestreetsarecrateredstubs,moredirtthanasphalt.Moundsoftatteredsofas,treadbaretires
andderelictappliancesblocktheroadways.Pigsgalumphthroughtheovergrownyards,wherechildrenonce
played.
"It'sreallydifficultseeingitintheconditionthatit'sin,'saidFrankieAndrews,whosefatherbuiltahouseonPine
Rowin1950.Dozensofhouses,threechurchesandacityparkeventuallysproutedaroundherfamily'shome.
"Itwasreallysomethingwhenweliveddownthere,'saidMs.Andrews,45."Mostpeopledidn'tknowitwasthere.
Theywouldgooffinthereandseethiswholelittleneighborhood.'
ButfloodsdoomedthesoutheastOakCliffcommunityalmostassoonasfamilieshadmovedin.Thecityboughtout
mosthomeownersinthemid1970s.FloralFarmsdied.
Asresidentsmovedout,hogfarmers,illegaldumpersandrefusescavengersmovedin.Onsomesweatysummer
daysnow,thestenchinFloralFarmsisasthickastheundergrowth.
"IlivedattheendofLocustDrive,andthelasttimeIwasdownthereyoucouldn'tgettotheendofthestreet
becauseofthetrash,'saidPaulMiddleton,acontractor.
Inthemid1980s,anewresidentmovedin:theSundayafternoonPigParkrodeo.Thebrotherswhoruntherodeo
wouldmakegoodneighborstheywatchfordumpers,collectcannedfoodforhomelesssheltersanddobenefit
showsforcharities.
Butthere'snoonetobeaneighbortoinFloralFarms.Latterdaypioneers
Fiftyyearsago,FloralFarmswasfloodpronefields.Itsownersbeganslicingitintohouselotsinthelate1940sand
early'50sthecityannexedthelandafewyearslater.
Atthetime,segregationforcedDallas'blackresidentstoliveinconfined,sharplydefinedareas.FloralFarms
providedaninexpensive,semiruralalternativetosegregatedurbanneighborhoods.
"Thisiswhattheycalledthesuburbs,'saidJohnnieJefferson,78,whohammeredtogetherafourbedroomhouse
onPineRow.
Thefirstresidentswerelatterdaypioneers,mostlybluecollarandallAfricanAmerican.
"Whenwemovedouttherein1950or1951,therewereonlymaybetwootherfamiliesoutthere,'Ms.Andrewssaid.
"Itwasjustbramblesandgrapevines.'
By1964,Ms.Andrewshad17neighborsonPineRow,accordingtoanoldcitydirectory.HolinessBaptistChurch
stoodalongsidehomesonFloral.JaponicaStreetBaptistChurchbecamethelargestofthechurchesinthe
neighborhood,whichgrewtoincludeabout100families.
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"Mostofthepeopleouttherewerefamilypeople,'saidMr.Middleton,whohasfoursonsandadaughter."Itwasn't
likethecitywiththecrimetoday.Everybodykneweverybody.'
Mr.Middleton'swife,Billie,saidshecouldn'thaveworkedforthreedecadesattheVeteransAffairshospitalifher
neighborshadn'thelpedwatchherfivechildren.
YoungstersfishedinLemmonLake,ashortwalkeastoftheneighborhood.Ortheyplayeddodgeballwiththe
knobbyfruitofboisd'arctrees.
"Therewereflowerseverywhere,'saidMs.Andrews,nowareceptionistandcollegestudent."Inthespring,we
wouldfloodourteacherswithbouquets.Itwasjustheavenlyinthespring.'
ButFloralFarmsdidn'thavethetypicalcomfortsofamodernsuburb:Nocitywaterorsewerservice,Mr.Jefferson
said.Noschools,saidCharlieJackson,whosehusbandwasborninFloralFarms.Childrenattendedsegregated
classesintheWilmerHutchinsdistrictandthengraduatedintoasegregatedhighschoolinthenearbyJoppee
neighborhood.Therewasnocitybusservice.
"YouwalkedouttoCentralExpresswayandstartedwalkingandhopedthatsomebodypickedyouup,'Ms.Andrews
said.
Thoughsometimesinconvenient,theneighborhood'sisolationhelpedprotectthechildren.
"Wecouldgotrickortreating,'Ms.Andrewssaid."Youdidn'thavetobeinthehousebeforedarkbecauseeveryone
kneweveryoneandthekidscouldroamfreely.Youcouldjustbeachild.Itwasniceandsafe.''Hatedtoleave'
ButnoamountofneighborlinesscouldprotectFloralFarmsfromwaterandcitydisinterest.Heavyrains
repeatedlyswampedSimpsonStuartRoad,cuttingthearea'slifelinetoDallas.
"Icamehomeoneeveningfromwork,andtheymovedmyfamilyout,'Mr.Middletonsaid,recallinga1957flood.
Ms.AndrewssaidherfatherpesteredtheDallasCityCounciltodosomethingtocontrolthewater.Instead,thecity
chosetomovethefamilies.Itstoppedissuingbuildingpermitsinthearea,Ms.Andrewssaid,soresidentscouldn't
repairorrenovatetheirhomes.
Inthemid1970s,Ms.Andrewsagreedtomoveoutofthehouseherfatherhadbuilt.
"Ijustwantedout,'shesaid."Youhadmosquitoesandthenwatermoccasins.Ifyouhadanytypeofcrack,itwas
notunusualtocomeintothehouseandtherewasasnake.Ihadkilledseveralinthehouse.'
ThecityvaluedherFloralFarmshomeat$11,000,andshesecuredahouseinPolkTerraceforslightlyless
throughtheU.S.DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment.Aftershemoved,thecitydemolishedherold
house.
"Theytoredownallthehousestheybought,'shesaid.
JohnnieJeffersonreceived$35,000forhislandandhishomeof20years.
"Ihatedtoleaveit,'Mr.Jeffersonsaid."It'saniceplacedownthere.Quiet,too.'
TheMiddletonshadmovedtoFloralFarmsbecause"R.L.Thornton(Freeway)wasgoingrightdownmyliving
room,'Mrs.Middletonsaid.WhentheywereforcedoutofFloralFarms,theymovedsouthofInterstate20.
Therearenoorganizedreunionsofformerneighbors,butmanyfamiliesstayintouchthroughfriends,Ms.Andrews
said.ShealsoseestheMiddletonsatJaponicaMissionaryBaptistChurch,whichwasmovedfromFloralFarmsto
farsoutheastOakCliff.
Thecityranoutofmoneybeforecompletingthebuyout,andafewholdoutsstayedintheirhomes,formerresidents
said.Thesettlementisnowapatchworkofprivateandpublicland.'Readytotravel'
Intime,FloralFarmsbecamehogheaven.Fromfriskytrottersthesizeofcockerspanielstoporkersthatoutweigh
twosumowrestlers,pigsmakeupmostoftheneighborhood'scurrentpopulation.Thehogsflopandwriggleinthe
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muddypenstheysharewithrustingbarrels,5gallonbucketsandobsoleteappliances.
Onhumiddays,astrangescentknifesitswayintonostrils.It'sbothacridandsweet.Theodorcomesfrompig
excrement,burninplasticandrottingtrash.Bloomingfruittreesandwildflowerscontributetothesweetness.
"WhenIcomeouthere,I'mhome,'saidWillieFoard,63,whogrewuponaMississippifarm.
Hekeepsabout30hogs,belongingtoseveralpeople,inaramshacklepenoncityland.TheSouthDallasmanand
parttimepastorfeedsthemscrapshecollectsfromfriedchickenrestaurantsandgarbagediscardedbythe
peddlersatFarmer'sMarket.
He'llleavewhenthecityreclaimstheland,orperhapsbefore.
"I'moverloaded,'hesaid,hisworkpantswellwornandstreakedwithdirt."I'mreadytoquit,butI'vegotother
people'shogs.I'mreadytotravelsome.'
TheartisBrownregularlyvisitsFloralFarms,anothermantryingtocullincomefromotherpeople'strash.He's65,a
concreteconstructionworkerfordecades.Forthelasttwoorthreeyears,onweekendsorwheneverhehasa
chance,Mr.BrownhasdrivenabatteredpickuptoFloralFarmstocombtherubbishforscrapmetal.
"Whoevergetsherefirstgetsit,'Mr.Brownsaid."Thatkeepstheargumentsdown.'Integratedrodeo
OnSundayafternoon,cowboyskickupthedustatPigParkarena.J.R.Gilderandhisbrother,RoyC.,furnishstock
totherodeo,whichthey'vehelpedrunsince1986.J.R.leasedlotsinFloralFarmsafterbuildingandgrowing
dissatisfiedwithtwootherpens.
"Iwantedtogetbacktothecountry,'hesaid.Hefoundtheruralatmospherehesought10minutessoutheastof
downtown.
Therodeosareinformalaffairsthatstretchintotheevening.Horsetrailersaredentedbutserviceable,notshinyand
streamlined.J.R.Gilder,whotravelstorodeosaroundthestate,saidtherodeoprovidesentertainmentinanarea
wheremallsandmovietheatersdon'texist.
"Yougottodosomethingwhenitcomessummer,'hesaid.
Therodeodoesn'tmakemoney,headmits,butitgivesridersachancetohonetheirskills.Contestantspitchin$5
each,whichformsthewinner'spot.
Theaudiencessometimesanteuptosweetensomeoneelse'spot,hesaid.
"AtChristmastime,wegoaroundandcollectcannedgoodsfortheshelters,'Mr.Gildersaid."SomeSundays,Iget
threeandfourbarrelsofcannedfood.'
Therodeohashadoneironicsideeffect.Adecadeafteritdisappeared,FloralFarmsbecameanintegrated
neighborhood.Blackandwhitecowboysgalloptogetherinpursuitoflumberingsteers.Theaudienceremains
mostlyblackandcrowdedwithchildren,whodelightinmimickingtheannouncer'slingeringTexasdrawl.
"That'llbeanotime,'asetofgirlschorusesastworidersfailtodroptheropearoundasteer'shorns.
Theracesmixeasily,J.R.Gildersaid.
"Theygetalong.Idon'twantnocrowdofjustonekind,'hesaid.
Mr.Gildersaidherememberswhenpeoplelivedonthesandylandheleasesandheremembersthefloodsthat
drovethemaway.Nowhetriestodriveillegaldumpersawayfromroadsthatleadtotherodeo.
"IfIwasn'tdownhere,youprobablycouldn'tseetheplace,'Mr.Gildersaid."They'dbedumpinghere.
"Itusedtobeagoodneighborhooddownhere.'
Ms.Andrewsagrees.That'swhysherarelyreturnstotheareawhereshespenttwodecadesofherlife.Shesaid
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therecentlyscuttledplantobuildastateprisonnearFloralFarmstypifiedhowtheareahadalwaysbeentreated
"asastepchild.'
"Itwassuchaniceandprettyareatogrowupandbeakidin,'Ms.Andrewssaid."Ifyoulookatitnow...it'sjust
sotrashed.Itjustdidn'tdeservethat.'
Caption:PHOTO(S):12Aboveleft:PaulMiddletonJr.(left)andfriendPaulGantposedforthisphotoinFloral
Farmsinthelate1970s(SpecialtoTheDallasMorningNews).Aboveright:Theneighborhoodhasdeteriorated
sincetheresidentsweremovedout,andnowdumpingisaproblem(TheDallasMorningNews:RichardMichael
Pruitt).3.LynelJamesropesacowrecentlyattheinformalrodeoheldinFloralFarms.Itsorganizernotesthatthe
rodeobringstogetherblacksandwhites(TheDallasMorningNews:RichardMichaelPruitt).MAP(S):Siteofghost
town(DMN)PHOTOLOCATION:1.2.(filedwith)Neighborhoods(cfs53568,54712).3.NR.
Edition:HOMEFINAL
Section:NEWS
Page:1A
RecordNumber:DAL1278368
Copyright1992TheDallasMorningNewsCompany

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