Watching parts of historic Fair Park in Dallas fade over the years has inspired me to wonder how a place that was built with so much Texas grit and audacious imagination could be decaying like this once-revered old Leica camera my dad left behind when he died.

Fair Park’s path from pastoral city park to an Art Deco showplace began to evolve when Dallas won the bid to host the statewide and internationally recognized exposition that marked the centennial anniversary when Texas won independence from Mexico in 1836. The grand Texas Centennial Exposition, which ran from June 6-Nov. 29, 1936, was created with an array of beautiful buildings, artwork and landscapes that became a source of Lone Star State pride. All need wise maintenance.