Why Oak Cliff Celebrates Bastille Day

An Idealized ‘Look’ at the La Reunion Colony. Credit: Dallas Historical Society

For more than a decade now, Oak Cliff has come together each July to celebrate Bastille Day, or the French National Day (Fête nationale). It’s an opportunity, as we like to say, to don your beret and enjoy a summer night strolling through the streets of Bishop Arts with a wine glass in hand. It’s one of our favorite nights of the year (make sure you don’t miss this year’s festivities!) – But have you ever wondered why we are celebrating Bastille Day in the first place?

When you stop and think about Bastille Day in Oak Cliff..it’s quite odd. Why in Oak Cliff, of all places, is there such a strong French spirit around the 14th of July?

Oak Cliff’s Unique French Roots

Believe it or not, part of Oak Cliff was a French settlement in its earliest days. In the mid-1800s, a French philosopher by the name of Victor Considerant published a work, titled, “Au Texas,” which outlined and encouraged the idea of establishing a new type of society along the “Wild Eden,” of the Texas Frontier. Victor Prosper Considerant was a disciple of the Utopian socialist philosopher, Charles Fourier, who had lived through the French Revolution. He believed that there was a rare opportunity to begin anew and build societies centered around communal living and local agriculture.

Early settlers from the La Reunion Colony. Credit: Images of America; Oak Cliff

After personally inspecting an area near the three forks of the Trinity River in Texas, Victor Prosper returned to Europe where he formed a group of future settlers. The vision set took root in the hearts of many who searched for new beginnings in America. By 1855, a new colony had formed on the south bank of the Trinity River, covering nearly 1200-acres. 

The settlement became known as, “La Reunion” and was home to more than 350 colonists. But the project was short-lived; after only 18 months of difficulties, the colony dissolved. 

(If you’d like to learn where the name “La Reunion” came from, the Oak Cliff Advocate did a great piece on the topic). 

A Shot from Bastille on Bishop 2021.

Storming the Bastille and The Spirit of “La Reunion”

On July 14, 1789, the people of Paris had reached their boiling point. They broke into the city’s armory and using the weapons they found, marched on the ancient Royal fortress and then prison, the Bastille. After a significant fight, the crowd broke into the Bastille and released the handful of prisoners held there.

This was the first, or at least most memorable event, leading to the French Revolution. Just a few weeks later, on August 26th, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen) was proclaimed. 

So as you enjoy this year’s Bastille celebration, remember the brave folks who settled here long before we came. And keep looking closely: You’ll find the fingerprints they left (Like “Reunion Tower” and closer to home, “Victor Prosper Apartments” and “La Reunion” in Bishop Arts).