“A national magazine described Dallas as ‘one of the wettest cities in the nation’ during Prohibition, with more than its share of speakeasies and bootleg liquor. Sheriff Don Harston and his deputies kept busy confiscating stills.”
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Quote and photo from Remembering Dallas by Michael V. Hazel (Turner Publishing, 2010). (Click picture for larger image.)
“Texas’ 16 lane (3-5-5-3) Stemmons Freeway, looking toward downtown Dallas.”
Oh, for “traffic” like that on Stemmons these days….
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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
by Paula Bosse
Visitors are always welcome at the WFAA Superpower transmitter plant pictured opposite. Drive North on Akard Street until you reach State Highway 40; turn right on 40 and drive to State Highway 114 (the Northwest Highway); turn left on 114 and it will take you directly to the plant … a 30-minute drive from downtown Dallas.
So, apparently somewhere near Grapevine, where DFW Airport now sprawls. Such a cool-looking art deco building, out in the middle of nowhere. An entertaining and informative history of WFAA radio (with the incredible 50,000-watt signal that could be heard in California!) can be found here.
A 1939 aerial photo of the transmitter can be seen here.
Photo from the WFAA Radio Album of 1937.
For another photo of this transmitter building and the story of “WFAA & WBAP’s Unusual Broadcasting Alliance,” see a later post here.
Click picture for much larger image.
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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
by Paula Bosse
RUETTA DAY BLINKS. On the air she’s Margaret Day, and you’ll recognize her as the charming hostess at The House of Happiness, who acts as general counsellor to the housewives of the Southwest. Years of experience as a home economist, teacher, author, and radio lecturer qualify her admirably for her post.
I’m sure Ruetta was a lovely person, but that photograph does not really scream “charming hostess.” A more flattering photo, in which Mrs. Blinks is shown with a slight Mona Lisa smile, was printed the previous year in the Dallas Morning News:
The House of Happiness seems to have premiered on WFAA radio in the spring of 1936 and was broadcast on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings at 10:45. “Margaret Day” would address homemaking concerns of her listeners, including topics such as “Stream-lined Living–the Objective of the Modern Homemaker,” “Better Home Gardens,” “Home Management Declares an Exact Management,” and “Safeguarding Health in the Home.” …I’m guessing the shows were a little dry.
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Top photo from the WFAA Radio Album of 1937. (Click picture for larger image.)
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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 