Who says that Jim Town is not putting on style? Whoever says so, does not know Jim Town. Ever since Jim Town was placed on the map, the placid faced cows and horses and mules have been permitted to roam at will through the lanes and thoroughfares of the Jim Town precinct. Jim Town, however, is now taking on real city airs. Perhaps the residents of that community heard about the famous Dallas city ordinance which does not even permit chickens to run at large, and wanted to get in line for real city airs. Anyway, at an election held Saturday, fourteen of those participating in the election voted that, henceforth, from now on, all livestock should be kept from grazing, browsing or loitering in the public roads. Ten believed that the stock should be permitted to roam at will. Lisbon and Christian Valley, which places are also in the same stock law precinct as Jim Town, also voted on the same question. If the vote was anywhere near even in these two boxes, it will mean that the liberties of the livestock in that section of Dallas county have been considerably curtailed through the majesty of the ballot box.

     In the election at Jim Town last Saturday, to determine whether the school district shall incorporate as an independent district, the vote was fifty-three for incorporation and seven against incorporation.
     School trustees were also elected. These are: F. W. Howard, A. M. Hill, J. T. Mays, C. V. Story, J. C. Sparks, J. E. Russell and W. E. Willis.
     It is proposed to erect a new brick school house in the district. A bond issue will be submitted to the voters later.

     

     Jimtown Road could be given just about the last word in high-sounding, ornate designations and still do honor to the man whose name it bears now, but perhaps the most vigorous objector in Dallas to such a move, would be the widow of that man. James (Jim) Bumpas, whose picture is inset above. Mr. Bumpas died in 1903.
     "Jamestown Boulevard" could be painted on the curbs of the traffic way and the memory of James Bumpas would be honored, but James Bumpas was "Jim" to folks who knew him back in the old days and was even called "Jimtown" himself. His widow, now living at 3520 Dickason avenue, shown in the picture above, kept store at Jimtown while her husband farmed in the vicinity back in the days when the area west of the river was farming country. The postoffice was in the Bumpas store. When application for the postoffice was made, the name "Jamestown" was wanted, but there was another station in Texas by that name and the postoffice received the name that the road now bears. The postoffice was obtained in 1878.
     Now, there's a movement to change the name of Jimtown Road. While she has no children to be glad of the honor, and she, herself, will be 74 years old on May 24, Mrs. Bumpas would dislike to see the name changed. "Mr. Bumpas worked hard for that country out there and worked to get the postoffice," said the widow. Retaining the name of Jimtown would honor Jim Bumpas more, perhaps, and what would "Jamestown Boulevard" mean to an old-timer?

     Jimtown has journeyed along the sunset trail into the lost valley of forgotten cities. The end came undramatically this week, when wreckers destroyed the ancient store at West Clarendon Drive and Hampton, where once, Jim Bumpas served as postmaster, sold groceries to prairie freighters who passed along the Cedar Hill-Dallas road or dispensed drugs for country doctors.
     For several years, the old building has been occupied as a feed store. The end came when county engineers started surveying for the improvement of Clarendon Drive, which is to be widened.
     The story of Jimtown is the tale of a country druggist, who became postmaster in the days when Rutherford B. Hayes was President. A wagon yard and a livery stable, at different times, stood at Jimtown, and there was a union church where Cumberland Presbyterians, Baptist and Methodists gathered to hold camp meetings in the days when a two-fisted [preacher?] thought little of preaching to the top of his voice for two hours at a time.
     A tiny school was built, and for several years, only one teacher was employed. The seats were boards, and the desks, if any, were built by the students or the parents. About 1900, a new school was erected, and the student body continued to grow until, at one time, there were more than 100 pupils.
     In 1925, the old Jimtown School was abandoned and the district annexed to Dallas. Students were transferred to the modern Lida Hooe School. Now, two other schools have been built in the vicinity to take care of the fast-growing population -- the Winnetka and the Leila P. Cowart Schools.
     The first definite clue that Jimtown was to be only a chapter in the story of pioneer days, was when a petition was circulated ten years ago, asking that Jimtown Road be given a more dignified name. As a result, that road now is known as Clarendon Drive.