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UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS

Home to Southern Methodist University

Dallas County, Central Texas North

32° 50' 58" N, 96° 47' 31" W (32.849444, -96.791944)

ZIP code 75205 & 75225
Area codes 214, 469, 945, 972
Population: 24,985 Est. (2019)
23,068 (2010) 23,324 (2000) 22,259 (1990)

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UNIVERSITY PARK

By Clint Skinner

Located in the central part of Dallas County, University Park is bordered on the west, north, and east by the city of Dallas with Highland Park situated on the southern side. The city got its name from its proximity to Southern Methodist University. The school opened in 1915 and the houses which surrounded the campus originally provided quarters for professors and other staff members. An artesian well and storage tank provided SMU with water while Dallas allowed the campus to connect the sewage pipes to those owned by the city. In order to enjoy these same services, residents had to pay the university a fee.

When the year of 1924 arrived, there were more than 380 homes in the area. SMU came to the conclusion that it could no longer provide services because the population's size would make it too expensive to maintain. The residents asked Highland Park if the land could be incorporated, then turned to Dallas after being rejected. Like the other dismissal, the reason was the lack of affordability when it came to supplying public services in addition to the water and sewage maintenance.

With nowhere to go, the 1,200 inhabitants voted to incorporate the area as a city on April 24, 1924. University Park would have one mayor and five aldermen. However, an election two years later determined that a group of commissioners would rule the government.

University Park's efforts paid off. From 1930 to 1940, the population skyrocketed from 4,200 residents to 14,458. By 1945, the city boasted 120 businesses. The Dallas government, which had snubbed it earlier, now showed interest in annexing the land. The prospect appealed to many people and an election was held. On that fateful day, the city witnessed one of the largest voter turnouts in its history. The results were tallied, giving the proposal a narrow defeat of 53 percent against and 47 percent in favor. After the election, Dallas started annexing the surrounding area and made it impossible for University Park to expand.

In 1947, the city built its own water and sewage facilities, ending its reliance on Dallas for those services. The year of 1950 brought the construction of a reservoir, pressure tank, and water purification center. Six years later in 1956, the city had eleven churches, seven parks, and a population of 23,823.

An election took place in 1989 which established a new form of government. This time around, there would be a mayor and a five-member council. In 2010, the census recorded a population of 23,068.
Bibliography

  • Tshaonline.org
  • Uptexas.org
  • Wikipedia.org


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