It started in 1903. That was the same year the Wright brothers launched their maiden flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and Ford Motor Company was officially incorporated with Henry Ford as Vice President and Chief Engineer. That year, Dallas Plumbing Company was born. Soon after, Ward Downs began serving the plumbing needs of Dallas customers from his horse-drawn wagon. As the city grew, so did the opportunities for Dallas Plumbing Company.

From that early beginning, Dallas Plumbing Company has survived and thrived as the oldest plumbing company in the area, spanning four generations of family ownership in two millennia. The company has helped construct some of the most prominent homes and structures in Texas. In 1934, Dallas was selected host city for the Texas Centennial Exposition, celebrating the state's independence from Mexico. Among a labor force of 8000 workers, Dallas Plumbing Company helped build what is now the nation's largest collection of Art Deco buildings and now a National Historic Landmark