Pleasant Grove, Dallas

W. W. Samuell High School

Pleasant Grove is an area in southeastern Dallas, Texas. It is located in the southeast portion of Dallas less than 15 minutes from Downtown Dallas.

The Pleasant Grove "area is unofficially bounded by Bruton Road to the north, White Rock Creek to the west, Trinity River to the south, and Cheyenne Road to the east," which excludes Urbandale (further to the north).^[1]

Boundaries

The boundaries of Pleasant Grove are well documented by the Dallas Public Library Sam Street's Map of Dallas County, Texas.^[2] and a 1941 road map of Dallas County, Texas, by the Dallas County Engineering Department.^[3]

History

Lisa C. Maxwell gives the history of Pleasant Grove in The Handbook of Texas:

The center of old Pleasant Grove was at Lake June Road and Buckner Boulevard, but the area now considered Pleasant Grove includes portions of Pleasant Mound, Urbandale, Parkdale, and Piedmont. The first settlers in the Pleasant Grove area in the 1840s included W. B. Elam, who held the original land grant, Richard Bruton, and Cornelius Cox. By 1875 a wooden building was used as a union church and school. An early teacher at one of the schools built in the 1880s was Don Lebow, who named the school Pleasant Grove after its location in a grove of cottonwood trees. The name was then applied to both the school and the community. In 1900 Sam Street's map of Dallas County showed Pleasant Grove as a small community with a store. In 1916 the first brick schoolhouse was built.^[4]

Recreation

Pleasant Grove is a 15 minute drive from White Rock Lake and less than a 20 minute drive to Lake Ray Hubbard.

Education

High schools include H. Grady Spruce High School (Dallas, Texas), Skyline High School, and Samuell High School.

Adelfa Callejo Elementary School will open in Pleasant Grove in 2012, and Thelma Elizabeth Page Richardson Elementary School will open in Pleasant Grove in 2013.^[5]

Ann Richards Middle School will open in Pleasant Grove in 2012.^[5]

Libraries

The Pleasant Grove area is served by three public libraries.^[6]

Transportation

Trains

A freight line runs through the northern edge of Pleasant Grove, as does another along the edge of the Trinity Forest and US 175. The DART Green Line runs parallel to this line.

Light Rail

• DART: Green Line
• Lake June Station
• Buckner Station

Highways

• Interstate 20
• Interstate 30
• Interstate 45
• U.S. Highway 175

Famous residents

• Maceo Baston grew up in the Pleasant Grove area and attended Nancy Moseley Elementary School. He plays for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA.
• John Ford Coley — partner in musical duo with Dan Seals; hits include "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight"
• Larry Johnson, former NBA player grew up in the Pleasant Grove area and attended John B. Hood Middle School and Skyline High School.
• Michael Johnson also attended Skyline High School, gaining fame as a US Olympic Gold Medalist, setting numerous world records in Men's Sprinting.
• Joe Kendall — former federal judge (1992–2002)
• Russ Martin — Host of The Russ Martin Show, a radio program in Dallas.
• C.J. Miles of the Utah Jazz grew up in Pleasant Grove and attended Skyline Career Development Center. As a senior in high school he was named to the McDonald's all-high school team.
• Carl Mitcham — philosopher of technology and engineering, now at Colorado School of Mines
• Steve Ramsey — Punter/Quarterback New Orleans Saints 1970, Denver Broncos (1971–76)
• Lulu Roman — Former Hee Haw TV show personality.
• Dan Seals — country and pop musician

Notes

Further reading

• Miss Adas Pleasant Grove Community by Carothers, Meredith
• Pleasant Grove, yesterday and today by Samuell (W.W.) High School. 1979 English 501-503 Class
• Pleasant Grove, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online