Chitika

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Rich History Of The City Of Dallas

By Kalvin Timotherlly


The city of Dallas is the third largest in the state of Texas and the ninth largest in the United States. The city forms part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, which is the 4th largest in the US. These days, Dallas is ranked as an Alpha World City with very sophisticated and diversified industries, especially, banking, telecommunications, medical research, transportation and logistics. There is also a huge concentration of Fortune 500 companies in Dallas. This contributes to the economic strength of the city. In fact, it is included in the top 15 cities with the highest GDP score.



The area of present-day Dallas was not uninhabited when Europeans set foot there in the 16th century. In fact, when they arrived, there are several villages of Caddo Native Americans along the coast. The Caddo People were farmers because the region provided them with very good growing conditions. By the 18th century, Texas was claimed by the Spanish Empire as a part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Texas remained under Spanish rule until 1821 when the Mexican Empire gained its independence after a decade of wars. Texas was under the Mexican Empire from 1821 to 1836.

Eventually, Texas broke off from Mexico and became the Republic of Texas, and it remained an independent country for nearly 10 years. These days, the Hispanic culture is still very much alive. Two in every ten people in Dallas are of Hispanic origin, particularly of Mexican lineage. Dallas is also a top destination for Mexican migrants, both legal and illegal. The Mexican heritage is also seen in Texan cuisine. Proof of this is the popularity of Tex-Mex dishes.

The city grew slowly but steadily in the 1870s. Several developments in the area effectively transformed Dallas from a center of farming and ranching into a major, self-sustaining industrial city. Major railroad routes intersected in 1873, further contributing to its transformation into an important commercial center especially for raw materials like grains and cotton. With trains becoming widely available, people from other parts of the USA also relocated to Dallas. In that same year, the population of Dallas grew from 3,000 to 7,000 in just seven months.

With this massive population growth also meant construction of new buildings and other infrastructures, and the rise of new businesses. Dallas experienced great growth when oil was discovered near Kilgore. In the 1980s, Dallas experienced a real estate boom both in residential and commercial sectors. Today, Dallas has become not only an agricultural center, but also as centers of banking, insurance, fashion retailing, and several other businesses.

Go here if you're interested in reading about the history of other cities in the US.




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