Today we’d like to introduce you to Alberto Garza.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Alberto Garza, and I’ve been a Dallas resident for the past 17 years. In November 2021, I launched the Instagram account Sidewalks of Dallas (@sidewalksofdallas) as a passion project that I do in my spare time. It stems from my childhood fascination with historical houses and neighborhoods and the people who lived in them. But the idea for the site itself really kicked into high gear during the early stages of the pandemic when I started exploring the surrounding neighborhoods on my morning runs. I observed that many of the sidewalks in these neighborhoods had contractor stamps with dates from the 1920s and 1930s and almost always included the contractor name “Klein Brothers Co.” These stamps add so much character to the neighborhood by creating awareness of its historical development. Since I’m a naturally curious person, I wanted to learn more about the Klein Brothers Company to better understand their role in Dallas history. After finding that Google searches weren’t particularly helpful, I decided to make it my personal mission to find out as much as I could and, in turn, find a way to creatively share that knowledge with others. As I combed through the resources of the Dallas History and Archives Division of the Dallas Public Library and the digital archives of the Dallas Morning News, I began putting the puzzle pieces together of who the Klein Brothers were and their commitment to sidewalk construction. Founded in 1904, the Klein Brothers Company poured sidewalks throughout the city including in (but not limited to) Fair Park, Downtown Dallas, Lakewood, Oak Lawn, Highland Park, and University Park (well over 50 million square feet of concrete work) – an absolutely extraordinary feat.
During my research, I also unexpectedly discovered an amazing trove of historical photos of magnificent Dallas homes and buildings. Many of these homes and buildings are still standing and were built alongside the Klein Brothers sidewalks. At that point, I realized that there was an opportunity to combine both the sidewalks and historic homes and buildings into an interactive educational resource of Dallas history. That’s how Sidewalks of Dallas was born.
With every post, my goal is first and foremost to educate. Whether it’s a post about a contractor stamp and its approximate location or a detailed vignette of a historic house and its original owners, I try to add something I learned during my research about this wonderful city that my followers might appreciate.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Initially, the biggest challenge for me was providing accurate insight into the architectural styles of the historic houses and buildings. As I’m not an architect by trade, I wanted to do everything I could to ensure that the architectural commentary has merit. So, I reached out to one of my best friends from college who is an architect practicing in Washington, DC for guidance. He put me in contact with three other classically trained architects. Together, the five of us discuss each house or building to fully vet the style prior to posting. I have learned so much about architecture during this process.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When I first started this project, I had no idea how it would be received or whether anyone would find it interesting. It’s been so rewarding on a personal level to find that there are others out there who appreciate Dallas history as much as I do. Homeowners of the historic homes I profile have reached out to express their appreciation for me sharing photos and the history of their homes, some of which they were not aware of themselves. In addition, followers send me sightings of other contractor stamps that they have found on their own explorations of Dallas. These are some of my favorite interactions that I’ve had with my followers because there is a mutual appreciation for history.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
An innate curiosity and a heartfelt passion. With every post for @sidewalksofdallas, I try to tell a story in an objective, but thorough, way. There is so much rich history tied up in these historic homes (the home, the people, the city, and of course, the sidewalks). The wonderful team at the Dallas History and Archives Division of the Dallas Public Library have been invaluable in providing resources for helping me tell these stories, and for that, I’m truly grateful.
Contact Info:
- Email: sidewalksofdallas@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidewalksofdallas
Image Credits
John David Weddings
From the collections of the Dallas History & Archives Division, Dallas Public Library
