This public water fountain, intended to be a public amenity thanking the citizens of Dallas for their kindness, reflected its time when installed in 1912. The three bubbling water fountains around its base were labeled "White Adults" White Children" and "Colored."
This fountain stopped working decades ago, and the signs have been removed, but the Owens monument remains as a link to Oak Cliff's past.
The inscription reads as follows:
"This monument presented to the City of Dallas for the use of all its citizens, in grateful recognition of their kindly sympathy and many courtesies during my long and serious illness.
Geo. W. Owens
January, 1915."
From the Oak Cliff History colun in the Oak Cliff Advocate newspaper: (
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"November 20, 2013
Oak Cliff history: The corner of Marsalis and Jefferson
Like the Hampton-Illinois corner featured in the October 2010 column, the intersection of Marsalis Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard holds volumes of Oak Cliff history. Last month’s story featured the beloved old Carnegie Library that once stood on the southwest corner. Here now, as promised, are the additional stories.
The now non-functioning triple bubbler-head fountain that remains on the corner was given to citizens of Oak Cliff, in 1915, by the Rev. George W. Owens. Erected at what was then called Library Plaza, the ornamental drinking fountain was a gift of gratitude for many kindnesses shown to Owens during his long and serious illness.
Born in 1852 in Alabama, Owens’ father died in the Civil War before his family moved to Texas in 1868, where the fatherless family picked cotton. Owens worked his way through school to become a circuit riding preacher and church founder for the Methodist Episcopal Church, eventually settling in Dallas. He helped organize Oak Cliff Methodist Church (across Jefferson Boulevard from the library) but also had a good head for entrepreneurship, later entering the lumber business. By the time of his 1918 death, George W. Owens & Son owned roughly 35 lumber outlets.
For many years Owens, who lived at 222 Lancaster Rd., was the financial agent for the Texas Christian Advocate, the state’s M.E. Church organization, and also served as president of the Texas Lumbermen’s Association. He became president of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company (the South Belt line) in Dallas and served on the board of directors of the American Exchange National Bank. He donated the girl’s dormitory and dining room at Polytechnic College in Fort Worth and also developed a plan to assist deserving young men finance their college educations at Southern Methodist University, by lending tuition money. “The only security they need[ed] in getting the money is good character.”
Owens’ 1918 funeral was held at Oak Cliff Methodist Church.
On a negative note: The fountain’s three drinking heads sadly were marked “White Children,” “White Adults” and “Colored.”
. . . ."