Sights

The history of Dallas (or as it is also called Big D or City of Hate) dates back to 1841, when John Neely Bryan chose a site along the river as a trading post.
In 1842, several settlers arrived at Bryan’s newly formed camp. The settlement later became known as Peter’s Settlement. In 1845, Petra Settlement was renamed Dallas, after U.S. Vice President George Mifflin Dallas (1792 – 1864). Dallas was officially designated a township in 1856 and a city in 1871.
Dallas was a supply base for Confederate troops during the Civil War (1861-65).
In 1871, work was under way in Texas to lay a railroad that would bypass Dallas, but the Texas Pacific Railroad Company, which was building the railroad, could not resist the tempting offers of free land from Dallas leaders. As a result, the road went 32 miles west of what had been previously planned. Thus, since 1872, the railroad passed through Dallas, which greatly contributed to the development of the city.
From 1872 to 1886 the population of Dallas grew from 6,000 to 36,000. Dallas became one of the world’s largest suppliers of cotton, and by 1900 the city had become a regional center for the cotton trade.
The next boom in Dallas came in 1930, when huge oil deposits were discovered near the city. Thanks to this discovery, many Dallas residents quickly became rich. That same year, the world learned of Dallas outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, better known as Bonnie and Clyde.
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in his motorcade driving through downtown Dallas. Two bullets were fired at Kennedy, in the head and neck. Governor Connally of Texas, who was in the motorcade with Kennedy, was wounded.
After Kennedy’s assassination, Dallas worked hard to restore its reputation. In 1973, the city opened the Fort Worth Dallas Airport, and in 1984, the national convention of the Republican Party was held. From 1980 to 1982, Dallas hosted the filming of the TV series of the same name, which had the highest ratings among late-night shows in the United States.
In 1998, the city experienced the worst drought in history. Temperatures reached 56°C for 29 consecutive days, killing more than 100 people and causing irreparable damage to crops.
In the twenty-first century, Dallas is considered not only a center for cotton production and oil refining, but also a center for women’s fashion and a regional center for financial and insurance institutions.