Arkansas Blue Granite as the rest of the building and without any steel reinforcements, high winds made the original clock tower susceptible to crumbling.  It was taken down stone by stone, and its clockworks and original bell sold – the current whereabouts of the original clock and bell are unknown.

The clock tower has been fully restored, with an exact replica of the original clockworks, an E. Howard & Co. Gravity #3 model, a new bell (about 1,000 pounds lighter than the original), and reinforced engineering to ensure that Old Red’s newest addition will last far into the future.

PLUS: Have your photo taken with Santa each Saturday (November 14 – December 19) during the holiday season at Old Red! We’ll also have plenty of live perfor- mances on Saturdays, so bring the whole family to Deck the Halls at Old Red!

Coming January, 2010

Coming in early 2010, Old Red will present a wonderful exhibit by former Dallas Star Post photographer, R.C. Hickman.  Hickman's photographs document the black middle-class life in Dallas and the celebrities who visited Dallas from 1949 to 1961. View these powerful images of lives lived prior to and in conjunction with the Civil Rights Movement.

Many Lancaster citizens remember a time from 1930 to 1950 when the sounds of hooves and metal-rimmed wheels in the mornings meant the Strain milk wagon was on its way. Ellis Strain started in the dairy business around 1930 and, over the course of twenty years, delivered fresh milk in glass bottles, whipping cream, butter, and buttermilk. Strain found an Amish wagon and a big black stallion named “Bill” to pull it. Bill knew his route. He would stop at the beginning of a block so Mr. Strain could load up with racks full of milk, and then Bill would walk to the end of the block to wait for Mr. Strain.

One of Ellis Strain’s favorite stories was about the day Bill and the wagon disappeared. After early morning deliveries, Mr. Strain went home for lunch and left Bill outside the Strain house. After lunch, Strain went outside and found no horse in sight. He walked across the pasture to the new dairy barn and found Bill had backed up the wagon to the loading dock and was waiting to be relieved of his duties. Bill pulled the wagon until the 1950s, when Mr. Strain replaced his trusty delivery system with a bright red Dodge truck.

Following its retirement, the wagon was parked behind the barn and left unused. When the time began to take its toll on the wagon, Mr. Strain sold it to G. Roy Heifrin who fully restored it. The Heifrin family has loaned the wagon for display as part of the Your Dallas: Lancaster Legacy and Legends exhibit. Stop by Old Red to see this part of Lancaster history!

Fall is upon us in Dallas County – and that means football fans are out in force. High school, college, and professional teams have always proven popular in Dallas. The first professional football team came to Dallas in 1952: the Dallas Texans. Although they only played for one season, they paved the way for the much more successful Dallas Cowboys, who came to town in 1960, and have won five Super Bowl championships since.

One of the most iconic coaches in professional football is Tom Landry, head coach of the Cowboys from 1960 – 1988. Always in his trademark fedora, Landry led the team to two Super Bowl championships. His fedora, pictured here, is on exhibit in Old Red’s World Crossroads gallery, and is a reminder that strong leadership goes a long way on and off the field.

Dallas is no stranger to college ball, either.  Before Doak Walker earned an award named in his honor (the Doak Walker Award is given yearly to the best college running back), he played for Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he won a Heisman Trophy in 1948.  His Heisman is also on exhibit in the World Crossroads gallery.