Highland Park

History

The land now known as Highland Park was bought in 1889 by a group of investors from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known as the Philadelphia Place Land Association, for an average price of $377 an acre, with a total of $500,000. Henry Exall, an agent, intended to develop the land along Turtle Creek as "Philadelphia Place", exclusive housing based on parkland areas in Philadelphia. He laid gravel roads, and dammed Turtle Creek, forming Exall Lake, before the Panic of 1893 brought a blow to his fortunes, halting development. In the 1890s, Exall Lake was a common picnic destination for Dallas residents. In 1906, John S. Armstrong (the former partner of Thomas Marsalis, the developer of Oak Cliff), sold his meatpacking business and invested his money in a portion of the former Philadelphia Place land, to develop it under the name of "Highland Park", choosing this name as it was located on high land that overlooked downtown Dallas. Wilbur David Cook, the landscape designer who had planned Beverly Hills, California, and George E. Kessler, who had previously planned Fair Park and most of downtown Dallas, were hired to design its layout in 1907. Notably, twenty percent of the original land was set aside for parks. When Armstrong died in 1908, his widow and sons-in-law—Edgar Flippen and Hugh Prather continued his work, and Armstrong is considered the founder of Highland Park. A second development in Highland Park was developed in 1910. In 1913, Highland Park petitioned Dallas to cede itself, but was refused. The 500 Highland Park residents voted to incorporate on November 29, 1913, and incorporation was granted in 1915, when its population was 1,100. The first mayor of Highland Park was W. A. Fraser. A third and fourth development were added to the town in 1915, and 1917,…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Highland Park is approximately north of the center of Dallas. Highland Park was first developed as Old Highland which is made up of the First Section, Second Section, Turtle Creek Acreage, Acreage Section, Third Section, Fourth Section, and the Hackberry Creek Acreage of Old Highland Park. And then the Highland Park Neighborhoods West of Preston were developed. Dallas Country Club is located here. Highland Park also has a swimming pool, and tennis courts. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Highland Park has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,970
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,964
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  16,098
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  14,964
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,795
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  12,677
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,502
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  12,174

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2024-05-01
  7 km SSW of Mansfield, Texas
• M 3.2 — 2024-05-01
  7 km S of Mansfield, Texas
• M 3.2 — 2019-10-01
  8 km SSW of Mansfield, Texas
• M 2.5 — 2019-07-08
  4 km SSE of Rendon, Texas
• M 3.4 — 2018-05-19
  8 km NW of Venus, Texas
• M 2.6 — 2017-09-14
  Northern Texas