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Dallas History continued...
Dallas was originally settled in 1841 by a man named John Neely Bryan. Bryan, a Tennessee lawyer, built the first cabin in the area (probably a mud hut), on the river bank. In its early days, Dallas consisted of a plan of 20 streets on 640 acres. Although the origin of the city's name remains a mystery, it is believed that it was originally named after George Mifflin Dallas. George Mifflin Dallas was the vice president of the United States from 1845-1849. In 1858, French and Swiss artisans came to Dallas. They came from nearby La Reunion, which was the site of the unsuccessful Fourierist utopian colony. In the 1870's, railroads arrived in Dallas. Two major railroads, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Line, and the Texas and Pacific Railroad, met in Dallas. This caused massive commercial growth. A huge wholesale market developed and many retail stores opened. In 1907, the first Nieman Marcus store opened in Dallas. Then in 1907, the Dallas Cotton Exchange opened. Cotton remained an important industry in Dallas until 1930, when “black gold” was discovered. A prospector named C.M. “Dad” Joiner struck oil 100 miles of east of Dallas. This led to the development of the East Texas Oil Field. Dallas immediately became an important piece of the petroleum industry. While the oil industry is still important in Dallas, the city's industry has since become far more diversified.
Many famous and noteworthy Americans have made Dallas their home over the years. Woodrow Wilson High School in eastern Dallas has graduated two Heisman Trophy winners, Davey O'Brien from Texas Christian University (1938), and Tim Brown from Notre Dame (1987). Dallas was the site for one of the most memorable events in United States history, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November, 1963. Interestingly, the assassination of the President took place almost exactly in the same location of John Neely Bryan's original dwelling. Another shooting, although fictional, caused a great deal of controversy. The shooting of the fictional television character, J.R. Ewing, from the T.V. show Dallas, caused whisperings in all 96 of the countries where it was screened.
Although Dallas is an important industrial city, it is also a city that likes to have fun. What else could one say about the city where the margarita and Tex-Mex chicken fajita were both invented? Also, the original Chili's restaurant was opened in Dallas. The city has more shopping centers than any other city in the United States. It also boasts the world's largest bronze monument, which stands at the Dallas Convention Center. The Convention Center houses a baseball field. In 1973, the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport opened. The airport has quickly become one of the world's busiest. Dallas is also home to the headquarters of the American Heart Association. The U.S. Army and Air Force Exchange Service are also located there.
Dallas is a city that loves its professional sports teams. Almost everyone in the United States is familiar with the saying “How ‘bout them cowboys?” (the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.) Dallas is also home to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and the Dallas Stars of the NHL.
With its vigor for youth and all of its successful industries, Dallas is a place that offers true southern hospitality, as one tenth of its residents work in the hospitality industry. The Mansion on Turtle Creek is the only hotel in the United States rated in the world's top ten. With all of these things, Dallas truly is a city that has it all.
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