From Dance Pavilion to Dust

On the weekend, I had business in River Oaks (Fort Worth) and while driving down White Settlement Road came to realize that I was a short distance from the site of the old Crystal Springs Dance Pavilion, which was the birthplace of Western Swing. According to Hometown by Handlebar, even Bonnie and Clyde used to go dancing to the music of Milton Brown at Crystal Springs.

I stopped the car in front of a business and walked across the street in the blistering summer heat to see what I could see. I had read an online thread describing the site of the old dance pavilion, which burned down in the 1960s, and the picture below matches the description. At the very least, the dance hall would have been in the general vicinity of the photo that I took.

Here is Bob Wills, who appeared regularly at Crystal Springs, playing Clyde Barrow's favorite song, "My Mary." According to Hometown by Handlebar, Clyde Barrow often requested Milton Brown to play this tune.