Early Years
Prehistory to 1873
The place that became Dallas County attracted intrepid newcomers who envisioned new communities built through hard work and courage. Their dream was accomplished only after the displacement of the earlier Native American inhabitants in what was considered a border region at the edge of the advancement of American settlement. The first settlement in what is now Dallas County began in late 1841 at a crossing of the Trinity River at today’s Dealey Plaza. Pioneers moved into the area at the encouragement of the Republic of Texas and Peters Colony. The Civil War and emancipation of enslaved people changed daily life and the social order across the county.
Before the Civil War
Nature provided this land with many gifts, including rich soil and flowing water, but newcomers from the United States and Europe still struggled to build new communities. Settlers worked together–and sometimes in competition–and official government efforts to support their success were not always reliable. Yet settlements grew into towns that would become cities and agriculture flourished as the source of the county’s wealth.
Civil War Era
The people of Dallas County were far removed from the battles of the Civil War, but not from its consequences. Men enlisted and traveled east to fight, some never returning. Women assumed the duties of husbands and fathers on farms, while waiting for news that was slow to arrive. The large population of enslaved people lived with a mixture of fear and hope for the outcome of the war.
After the Civil War
The defeat of the Confederacy was painful for those who supported it, as was the transition to a new society in which the formerly enslaved were free and northern society pushed new ideas in the south. Peace brought new opportunities for growth and prosperity, which many Dallas County residents eagerly embraced.