Sharecroppers in Casa View before the land was developed for houses. (The Dallas Morning News article, 1956)

Sharecroppers in Casa View before the land was developed for houses.
(The Dallas Morning News article, 1956)

It was 1949 when developers Ben Tisinger and Bill Smith bought up cotton farms historically owned by black families and made plans for a new community. They built it around Casa View Village, a modern center with 75 tenants and parking for 1,500 cars. The area swelled to 50,000 residents in its first 15 years. On Feb. 29, 1964, the Casa View library opened to great fanfare, when 9,132 books were checked out, the largest book circulation ever recorded for one day by an American library. (Sources: The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Public Library)

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