The land that is now called Hensley Field is the result of many human-made changes to the landscape. Historically, Cottonwood Creek flowed eastward through the site until it joined with Mountain Creek on its way to the Trinity River, as shown in the 1893 map and 1930 aerial image.

In 1938, Dallas Power and Light constructed a dam to create a cooling reservoir for its power station, thereby creating Mountain Creek Lake.

Increased airfield operations during WWII and larger aircraft of the 1940s prompted the most extensive reconfiguring of the site; in 1943, over 4.5 million cubic yards of dirt were moved to fill a portion of Cottonwood Creek, cut a new diversion channel, and create the majority of the present-day shoreline for Hensley Field.

The last major land modifications were made in the 1950s: the north-south runway was extended from 5,200 feet to 7,500 feet to accommodate the Navy’s fast-landing Cutlass fighter produced at the neighboring Chance Vought Aircraft plant.