Elm Thicket, Dallas, Texas

Elm Thicket is a neighborhood in northwest Dallas, Texas near the Love Field neighborhood. [cite news |first=Scott |last=Farwell |title=Hedge once divided races in Dallas neighborhood |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/040108dnmet1968race.3c74065.html |work=The Dallas Morning News |date=2008-04-01 ]

It is also referred to residents as North Park. Traditionally, "North Park" refers to the area bounded by Lovers Lane to the north, Lemmon to the west, Mockingbird Lane to the south, and Inwood Rd. to the east. It is one of the few Minority areas of North Dallas. Elm Thicket is an area of modest and larger frame and brick single-family houses built in the 1920s through the 1950s, originally occupied by black working- and middle-class families.

Established in the Early 1960's it was a racial tense neighborhood which was divided by poor whites and well to do blacks. Through the early 70's many blacks flocked to North Park, it became a close knit community creating many businesses and revenue for the area. In the 80' there was a downfall in the area and it fell victim to a sharp increase in crime. "The area suffers a plague of dope-house crime: dealers, hookers, robbers, plain punks out in the street acting like they own the ground." [cite news |first=Leonard |last=Berry |title=Chief Kunkle and a black neighborhood work together on the rule of law |url=http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:9vWQxqYTMXsJ:www.dallasobserver.com/2004-10-14/news/weird-city/+elm+thicket+dallas+tx&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us |work=Dallas Observer |date=2004-10-14 ] It is an overwhelming majority African American and Hispanic community.

Education

The neighborhood is served by Dallas Independent School District.

K.B Polk Elementary and Vanguard School it enrolls students in grades 1-5. North Park is within the Dallas Independent School District.
W. T. White High School enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District.

References