Lee Park, Oak Lawn Park, Turtle Creek Park: The park's names and history.
Written by OnMap.meAbout Turtle Creek ParkUnofficialPublished 2 min readShort answer
The land was a private park from 1892 and became a public park when the City of Dallas bought it in 1909. It was named Robert E. Lee Park in 1936 and has been officially Turtle Creek Park since April 4, 2019.
In detail
The Conservancy's history page gives a timeline. These are the dates that explain the park's names.
1837: the creek with all the turtles.
The Conservancy says the Texas Rangers camped on "the creek with all the turtles" in 1837.
1903 and 1909: a park.
In 1903 the Dallas Consolidated Electric Street Railway Company bought the land and founded Oak Lawn Park with two developers. The City of Dallas bought the park in 1909.
1936: Robert E. Lee Park.
The name changed when the Dallas Southern Memorial Association commissioned a bronze statue of Lee. President Franklin D. Roosevelt unveiled it at the corner of Hall Street and Turtle Creek Boulevard.
1939: Arlington Hall.
The hall was built as a field house with lockers for park-goers. In the 1940s it hosted USO dances and Red Cross blood drives.
2017: the statue is removed.
The Dallas City Council voted to remove the statue of Lee, and the park temporarily took the name Oak Lawn Park.
2019: Turtle Creek Park.
The Dallas Park Board voted on a permanent name on April 4, 2019, and Turtle Creek Park became the official name.
Call the park if
- You are looking for the park under an older name and want to confirm it is the same place
- You want to ask the Conservancy about the park's history
