From underground walkways to haunted lakes to metroplex slang, Dallas- Fort Worth is chockful of fun facts. It started with a simple Tweet I posted asking what some local jargon was referring to. I've grown up in DFW, and I've always heard traffic reporters refer to "the canyon". I had no idea where that was so I posed the question.
Not only did I get the answer (I-30 between 35E/67 and 45/75), I learned all sorts of new things about our home. Did you know there was a town called Lolaville (where Stonebriar Mall is now) that was reportedly known for its brothels?
Have you heard of The Goatman who supposedly lives near Lake Worth? He's half man, half buck and people have spotted the creature for over 50 years. There's even an annual Lake Worth Monster Bash held in his honor.
I was aware of Dakota's, the underground steakhouse in downtown Dallas, because it's one of my favorite restaurants. However, I had never heard of the subterranean maze of walkways that are located beneath the streets. The Dallas Pedestrian Network is a series of tunnels connecting 36 blocks within the heart of the city.
Someone asked about the exits off I-30 and who they're named after.
I don't know about all of the people, but a few key players are General Walton Walker from Belton, TX, who commanded army troops during the Korean War, General Douglas MacArthur, who served our country for 52 years, and President George H.W. Bush from Texas. Out of curiosity, I looked up Angus G. Wynne, Jr. (360), the Dallas businessman who founded Six Flags over Texas, Rice Wood Collins, who helped develop Arlington with public water sources, cotton mills, and a designated stopping point on the railway system, and James Daniel Cooper, one of Arlington's earliest settlers who was known for his generosity to the city.
You've likely heard that Chili's headquarters are right here in Dallas, but did you know the first location opened in 1975? The building on Greenville Avenue in Lake Highlands was originally a post office.
There's also a city near northwest Fort Worth called Sansom Park, Texas. It's less than 1.2 square miles in size and has a population of just over 5,000.
Other urban legends people called in to discuss include Lady of the Lake, a ghost who haunts people at White Rock Lake and Goatman's Bridge (aka: Old Alton Bridge) in Denton County, a spooky spot where a man who was allegedly hanged from the bridge because he was Black can still be summoned by knocking three times.
I also learned about Top O' Hill Terrace, which was located on the grounds where Arlington Baptist University now sits. It was originally a tea room, then it became a casino/brothel with underground tunnels to escape the police before eventually turning into the college. Growing up nearby in northwest Arlington during the 80s-90s, I never knew you could tour the campus to learn about its seedy past. There's so much depth and culture in North Texas.
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