#vizoftheweek 14: Dallas Death Map

Have you ever wondered which parts of the Dallas area are “haunted”? An interactive map created at UTA Libraries lets you do just that.

The Dallas Death Map, created by our Special Collections Archivist, Priscilla Escobedo, and Data Visualization Librarian Isaac Williams, maps the location of death for historical deaths in Dallas. As of now, the maps include deaths occurring in 1915 and 1920. Browse the map to see where people have died in Dallas, as well as their causes of death and any detailed information surrounding the circumstances of their deaths.

The map was created using resources from the Dallas Public Library, and includes Texas Death Certificates, City Directories, historical maps, newspaper, and inquest records. This map does not include deaths that occurred in hospitals or other places where people are expected to die. An exception to this rule is the Dallas Baby Camp, which later became the Dallas Children’s Hospital, because it recorded the deaths of children, and other deaths not represented elsewhere.

Fun fact: the site of the popular Oak Cliff bookstore, The Wild Detectives, may be haunted.

What to do next:

• Visit the Dallas Death Map page.
• Read a poster presented about the map at the 2020 Research Data Access and Preservation Summit.
• Schedule a consultation with a data librarian.