043 - John Slate: Preserving Dallas History, Debunking Myths, and Digging Through Oak Cliff’s Past
John Slate has been Dallas’ city archivist for over two decades—but his love of history goes deeper than dusty documents. In this episode, John joins us to share stories that span from the JFK assassination files to forgotten WPA plans that saved a historic Oak Cliff pavilion. We talk about the origins of Lake Cliff Park, bootlegging archivists, dry neighborhoods, artisanal wells, and why Bonnie & Clyde’s roots in West Dallas still fascinate him today. Whether it’s helping city departments avoid reinventing the wheel or leading the charge to make historic archives accessible online, John proves history is alive and well—if you know where to look.
Behind the Scenes with John
