Lamar, South from Pacific — ca. 1902
by Paula Bosse
Saloons and cigars… (click for larger image)
by Paula Bosse
Above, Lamar Street, looking south from Pacific Avenue; a notation on the back of the photo reads “about 1902.” The intersection straight ahead is Elm Street, then a jog, before it continues south to Main and Commerce. (See what this view looks like today, here.)
The business seen at the left (northeast corner of Elm and Lamar) is P. P. Martinez (the popular cigar retailer, wholesaler, and, I think, manufacturer, whom I hope to write about someday); the business at the right (northwest corner of Elm and Lamar) is Sam Freshman, a liquor wholesaler (his store entrance was on Elm, and his saloon entrance was on Lamar). Across Elm (southeast corner,) at the left, is E. M. Kahn, men’s clothiers (“Kahn” rhymes with “can”). Sanger Bros. was at the southwest corner and is either obscured or not clearly visible. The old Dallas Morning News building can be seen further south, on the right, at the northwest corner of Commerce and Lamar.
A look at the 1902 Dallas directory shows these types of businesses with Lamar addresses, between Pacific and Elm:
4-Saloons
3-Restaurants
3-Barbers (one of which had a want-ad for a “good lady barber”)
1-Newsstand
1-Tailor
1-Shoemaker
A busy little block.
See this intersection in 1905 Sanborn maps here and here.
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Below is a photo showing Elm Street looking east, with Sam Freshman’s store seen at the left and E. M. Kahn & Co. at the right (this postcard is postmarked 1909):
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Sources & Notes
Top photo — “[Looking South on Lamar at Pacific; E.M. Kahn & Company is Visible at Southeast Corner of Elm and Lamar]” — is from the George A. McAfee Photographs collection, DeGolyer Library, SMU Libraries, Southern Methodist University; more info is here. (Farris Rookstool III sent an enhanced image, here. Thanks, Farris!)
Second image is a postcard (found on eBay) from the Flashback Dallas post “Elm Street — 1909.”
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Copyright © 2020 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
Nice. Later came drive-in theaters. 3 theaters as a matter of fact. The Starlight, the Cinderella and for adults, on the other side of the street the Lido
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The Starlite was at 5101 S. Lamar in South Dallas and the Cinderella was at 4601 S. Lamar, about 4 miles away from the N. Lamar intersection in the photo. The idea of drive-in movies would be pretty mind-blowing for people in 1902!
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There’s a business on Elm Street that still operating from the turn of the century—Rudolph’s Meat Market!
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Paula Bosse thank you for the great article on Pegasus and some of the buildings in Dallas in its earlier days.
I have a personal question regarding the Southland Center in 1959. I’ve looked and have not been able to find any information. It’s something that would mean a great deal to me.
Thank you
Bobbie
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Thank you, Bobbie. I’ve done a couple of Southland Center posts:
and
If you have a specific question, you are certainly welcome to email me at FlashbackDallas214@gmail.com.
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