Dallas’ Virtual Memory

The Wilson Building, included on our Friend Peter’s virtual tour of Dallas

On Thursday, after I posted the item about the collection of historic Dallas postcards, a Friend of Unfair Park sent us a link to an interactive Google map of Dallas he made in his spare time. It provides a terrific history lesson, as it’s dotted not only with the locations of dozens of long-gone Dallas landmarks — among them the original Carnegie Library and Burnet Field — but also with accompanying pictures. It’s a virtual tour through what was. Writes our Friend, Peter, who now lives in Richmond, Virgina:

I’m a native Dallasite and, at one time many years ago, worked as the photographic archivist for the Dallas Public Library. Computer technology provides historians and archivists with tools that make interpreting or showing history much easier. I belong to an e-mail list of archivists, and I created this map to show them that there are online tools available that can be used to attract people to their Web sites, as well as using it as a resource tool.

The map allows one to see where historic structures still exist or don’t exist, while also showing the various historic districts in town. Now the key question is, “How long did it take to do this map?” Would you believe one weekend? Yes, it took me all of one weekend working off and on to create what you see now.

So go see it already. And see what you’re missing. –Robert Wilonsky