When Dallas turned 150 years old in 1991, Rose-Mary Rumbley celebrated the occasion by writing The Unauthorized History of Dallas—a history that takes the scenic route.

Rose-Mary, whose German immigrant forbears began arriving in Dallas after the Civil War, accumulates history almost by osmosis. And she finds humor in every snaggle-toothed story.

Her peephole history includes a collection of stories accumulated by her family, many originally published in the Oak Cliff Tribune. Rose-Mary explores everything in Dallas from South Fork and that "awful" Texas accent, to a two-bit Santa, and Dallas personalities are discussed, including Robert L. Thornton, Doak Walker, Rufus C. Burleson, and even Bonnie and Clyde.

There is also coverage of businesses—the department store bunch, Pegasus and Mobil Oil, Texas Instruments, LTV, and more.