History of Dallas (1930–1945)

The history of Dallas, Texas, United States, from 1930 to 1945 documents the city's emergence from the Great Depression, its economic boom after several local oil discoveries, its hosting of the Texas Centennial Exposition, and its existence during wartime.

Banks made loans to develop the oil fields, and Dallas became the financial center for all oil fields in the Texas Panhandle, the Permian Basin, East Texas, Gulf Coast, and Oklahoma.

[1] This put off most thoughts of depression until the middle of 1931, when falling prices and overproduction affected the city economy negatively.

[2] By 1931, the city had not completed the rerouting of the Trinity River and the construction of an extensive levee system based on plans by George Kessler.

In 1942, the Ford Motor plant in Dallas converted to war-time production, producing only jeeps and military trucks.