In 1881, a small agricultural community formed here around a dense thicket of plush elm trees surrounded by cornfields and took the name Elm Thicket. One of several freedmen's towns in the Dallas area, it evolved into a self-sufficient African American community with numerous churches, an elementary school, restaurants, and various family-owned businesses, and residents remembered it as a close-knit place where everyone looked out for each other. In 1917, Love Field School of Aeronautics confronted the neighborhood's growth with impending land and air quality changes. From 1920 to 1950, Elm Thicket faced racial segregation that led to numerous issues. Dallas annexed Elm Thicket in 1929 but neglected the area's upkeep, delaying connection to the city's water system, leaving streets unpaved, and not providing access to the city's public transportation system. Federal Housing Administration redlining also negatively affected home buying in the area. Despite these challenges, residents remained strong. From 1928 to 1949, students attended the local York School on Victoria Avenue, which was renamed in 1949 in honor of Kossuth B. Polk. In 1950, Hillard Golf Course opened as one of the first golf courses for use by African Americans in the South, but it closed four years later when Love Field announced expansion and took a significant portion of Elm Thicket, including more than 300 black-owned houses and businesses along with the golf course. During the 1970s, residents began referring to the area west of Roper St. as Elm Thicket and the area east of Roper St. as Northpark, and the two were eventually combined. The Elm Thicket/Northpark neighborhood remains a testament to the resilience of generations of families.