World War II brought staggering change to Dallas, Texas, as the city became a banking, commercial and transportation centre. The growing population strained available housing and put particular pressure on already overcrowded African-American neighbourhoods. In "Hamilton Park", William Wilson brings to light the stirring history of how both black and white citizens of Dallas worked together to create a thriving African-American planned community. Through interviews with pioneer residents and development planners coupled with research into the politics and problems thay faced, Wilson traces the evolution of Hamilton Park from idealistic plans to true residential community. Placing this movement by Dallas blacks to obtain decent housing into the broader context of rapid post-war growth in the United States, Wilson examines how the assault on housing segregation waged by Dallas's black leadership matched the struggles of African-American leaders throughout the nation. He outlines the dilemma of identifying and procuring a suitable tract of land - one large enough, near African-American employment, and far enough from whites' neighbourhoods that the development would not be opposed.
He also examines individual struggles, from procuring utilities in the new neighbourhood to arranging financing for new home buyers to choosing street names.