Dallas Travel: From a Ford of the Trinity River to Big D
Like many great American cities of the West and Southwest, the site of Dallas, Texas was well known to Native Americans and the Spanish long before Americans from east of the Mississippi River settled there. No doubt, the Caddo Nation of Native Americans crossed the Trinity River at its easiest fording point, regularly, even before the Spanish arrived. Spain, being the first European country to discover and settle much of what are now Mexico and the Southwest United States, included the three forks of the Trinity River as part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain during the 16th century. Even as late as 1819, the United States and European governments recognized the area as part of Spanish-held territory, since the Red River, now the border between Texas and Oklahoma, was the northern boundary of New Spain.
When Mexico became an independent country during 1821, modern-day Texas was included within its borders. Fifteen years later, Texans fought for their independence from Mexico at The Alamo and other famous battles, and remained a sovereign, separate country until it became a U.S. state during the last days of December 1845.
During those legendary years of Texas’ independence, John Neely Bryan traveled from Arkansas to Texas in search of a commercially strategic location for a trading post. Being attuned to local Native American culture, Bryan recognized that many of the Caddo Nation trails he found when he arrived at the broad Trinity River floodplain led to the best place to cross the river. Bryan had also done his homework before starting his trek into Texas, learning through inquiries and research that a major north-south route, to be known as the Preston Trail, would pass near the river ford. With the Native Americans still living in the area and the traffic coming north from Texas on the Trail, Preston knew he would have a customer base that would welcome the convenience of his trading post’s location.
Bryan had to change his plans two years later when he journeyed to the same Trinity River area because the Native Americans had been moved according to treaty, thus eliminating half of his customer base. He realized a trading post wouldn’t be a wise commercial enterprise to start, so made plans for a permanent settlement at the site of the river crossing. November 1841 is the official date of the founding of Dallas; however, it didn’t receive a town charter from the Texas State Legislature until February 1856. Even right before the start of the American Civil War, Dallas could only be described as much more than a village, having a population of 678 by 1860. The source of the city’s name has become legend and no one knows definitely that it was named for one of a number of people with the name Dallas. The historical record also suggests that the name was chosen in a town-naming contest during 1842.
The Civil War affected the future of Dallas, as it did for many Western states and small towns. First, all African-American slaves in Texas became free citizens. Many of them, and other former slaves from Southern states, moved there or nearby, since its commercial and financial structure remained intact, unlike many Southern cities. By 1873, it was evident how wisely Bryan had chosen the site, since Dallas now stood at the intersection of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, laid north and south, and the east-west route of the Texas and Pacific Railway.
Being an “inland port” of the 19th century American train system virtually guaranteed that Dallas would become a future major city of the Southwest. Trains brought trade and business, and then the people that were attracted by those opportunities. During 1871, Dallas was legally conferred city status and one year later had a population of more than 7,000, more than double in less than nine months. The railroads continued to drive the prosperity of Dallas throughout the late 19th century and, by 1890, it had the largest population of any city in Texas.
Railroads, farming and ranching generated great amounts of capital, which allowed entrepreneurs to diversify the business landscape of Dallas, resulting in it becoming an industrial center as well as an agricultural center. That diversification continued into the 20th century, and was then given another kick in the pants when oil was discovered east of Dallas during 1930. Dallas had the capital and banking structure to be the first place the oilmen turned for loans, adding “financial capitol” to the city’s list of distinctions.
Dallas and its citizenry would also benefit from a different discovery during the middle of the 20th century, when one type of the integrated circuit was invented there. The company, Texas Instruments, and other electronics businesses, would create a technology center that was the third largest in the United States. This new source of capital generation would help to fuel the building boom in Dallas from 1975 through 1985. All that money attracted many famous architects who designed very modern structures that make the Dallas skyline one of the most distinctive in the United States.
Technology companies continued to grow, and new ones were founded, until the “dot.com” bubble burst during 2000. Dallas survived that recession and, like the rest of the country, is slowing recovering from the Great Recession of 2009.
Throughout its periods of prosperity, the citizens of the Dallas, whether oil tycoon or people of moderate income, gave generously to develop a rich culture in Dallas. It is known as a major regional center for the arts with a thriving Arts District in downtown and the evolution of Deep Ellum, The Cedars and the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff as the home of many artists and musical and other performing arts venues. Dallas also hosts many cultural events and festivals, the largest being the annual Texas State Fair.
The 21st-century Dallas is not only a great place to do business, but is also a great city to visit, as it is a vibrant metropolis with much to see and do. Who knows, but Dallas residents may secretly consider “Big D” as “Big Doings.”
People who read this PhotographyTalk.com article also liked:
Your feedback is important to thousands of PhotographyTalk.com fans and us. If this article is helpful, then please click the Like and Re-Tweet buttons at the top left of this article.