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More About

• Dallas (Texas)
• Sarah Horton Cockrell
• Sam Houston
• Lady Bird Johnson
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media

The word "hero" gets tossed around a bit too liberally these days, with fictional superheroes on movie screens and actors and ball players getting too much money and fame. The Dallas Historical Society's new exhibit, Texas Heroes: Courage, Honor & Dignity, honors real people who actually did something to make the world a better place. Most of the usual Texas history suspects are here: Sam Houston, Audie Murphy, LBJ and "Lady Bird." And it's not just a bunch of dead white people—Barbara Jordan, Juan Seguin and Quanah Parker get their due props also. But the most eye-opening subjects in the exhibit are the names that sound familiar because you drive on them or listen to the weather men talk about storms rolling through their namesake counties. You've been driving up and down Cockrell Hill through Oak Cliff for years now, but do you know anything about the woman for whom the hill was named, Sarah Horton Cockrell, and her role in shaping downtown Dallas? If nothing else, Texas Heroes will help you load up on useless knowledge, so the next time you go for a Sunday drive you can play know-it-all about the people the streets were named after. Texas Heroes: Courage, Honor & Dignity is on display now through September 6 at the Hall of State, 3939 Grand Ave. in Fair Park. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free. Call 214-421-4500 or visit dallashistory.org.
May 27-Sept. 6