www.deepellumtx.com

papa: this mural greets visitors to deep ellum, texas... the dallas community I call home. the area was originally settled by former slaves after the civil war. at that time, the location was too far from dallas to be desirable. today, the community is one of the closest to downtown dallas. the original name was deep elm, named for elm street which runs through the middle of the area. the original settlers pronounced it as "deep ellum"... that name stuck. over the years, the area has been home to cotton gins, a model t assembly plant, and a rail depot. through the many ups and downs of the community, the one constant has been the arts. music clubs, dance halls, galleries and restaurants continue to greet the many visitors to the area. in the 1980s, the area was "downzoned" to keep the streets small, the buildings short, and the population limited. today the area is home to many, visited by many more, and photographed by me.
photo by: william goynes