Klein Bros Bldrs, Dallas, Tex
Living in East Dallas for ten years, I’ve walked the neighborhood many times. My dogs see to it. Each day I notice names and stamps in concrete, most scribbled with a stick when old sidewalks are patched or new sidewalks poured. They often include handprints and dates, occasionally even a paw print.
There is one contractor stamp in particular I have wondered about time and again, the name repeated on the neighborhood sidewalks. Klein Brothers Builders, Dallas, Tex.
A few days ago, thanks to the copious historical records collected by Harry and the late Marian Gibson, I came across a picture of the Klein Brothers in front of the home they built on Live Oak, along with a hand-written letter from John Klein’s grandson.
The eldest brother, John Klein, moved to Dallas from Illinois upon the advice of his doctor who recommended a more southern climate for health reasons. Three Klein brothers followed. Having apprenticed as a cement contractor since age 15, the brothers founded Klein Brothers Builders in 1904.
Klein Brothers in front of their home on Live Oak
This company not only poured the sidewalks in 1905 for East Dallas subdivision Munger Place, but also built the fish pond at Hillcrest Mausoleum and the fountain in Snider Plaza. Expanding into commercial construction, they built the Arcadia Theatre on Greenville Avenue in the 1920s.
One hundred years later, long after the Kleins helped to build our city, the concrete mark remains on East Dallas sidewalks, only lightly faded.
We all make a mark, on our families, our neighborhoods and cities, on the world. Often unknowingly, actions and thoughts affect others, we leave behind a piece of ourselves everyday.
Life is interconnected and full of stories. The stories are all one.
