Deep Ellum: Brick, Blues & the Crossroads

Just east of downtown, where the railroad tracks once ran, lies Deep Ellum — a district of brick warehouses, gin and tent factories, and the saloons and theaters where Dallas's Black and immigrant communities made some of the most important music in American history. In the 1920s and 1930s this was a crossroads of blues, jazz, and gospel, where artists like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Robert Johnson recorded, and where a fraternal hall, an awning works, and a gin showroom all crowded together along the rails. This walk traces the old industrial bones of the neighborhood and the one block where Robert Johnson is said to have cut some of his legendary sides. The brick buildings have since filled with bars, galleries, and murals, but the layers of history are still there if you know where to look. Wear good shoes, mind the traffic, and let the names on the markers do the talking.