The neighborhood still contains the oldest gay businesses in Dallas, and remains an important political and social gathering point for the LGBTQ community today. In October 2018, it was commemorated with a Texas State Historical Marker – becoming the first neighborhood in any Texas city to receive a marker for its LGBTQ history. The intersection known as The Crossroads is particularly significant as an epicenter for political activism and social services. Since then, Oak Lawn has been considered the heart of the LGBTQ community. The neighborhood boasted the first gay bar in Texas when Club Reno opened in 1947, and hosted the first Gay Pride Parade in Texas in 1972. The counterculture movement has been strong in Oak Lawn since around the mid-20th century. Development centered around the first Methodist church building, built in 1874. The Oak Lawn area was particularly attractive to settlers due to the abundance of majestic trees – mostly oak and cedar – and easy access to fresh water via natural springs.
In the early 1870s people began moving into the rapidly developing residential developments outside of downtown Dallas in larger numbers. The area we now know as Oak Lawn/ Cedar Springs got its start in 1846 when William Grigsby, a veteran of the Texas Revolution, sold 320 acres of land to businessman John Cole who established a store and commercial area on the property.
