A history of greater Dallas and vicinity, Vol. 1 Page: 37 of 512

                                
CHAPTER I.
DALLAS FROM ITS FOUNDATION, IN 1841, TO 1851.
Dallas was so named, in honor of George Mifflin Dallas,
vice president of the United States when James K. Polk was
president, 1845-49. Before this, it was known as Peters' Colony.
"Peters' Colony," grew out of an act of the Congress of
the Republic of Texas, passed February 4, 1841, to encourage
immigration, and under which W. S. Peters, and others, were
authorized to locate colonies in the northern part of Texas.
One of these, called "Peters' Colony," was located upon territory
which now includes the greater part of Dallas county.: It
was under tliis authority, that John Neely Bryan located at
Dallas, and became known in local history as the first settler
of Dallas county, and the founder of Dallas.
In this way, the first rude. settlement, within the territory
of Dallas county, was begun by John Neely Bryan, a Tennesseean
by birth, at the close of the year 1841, when he built a
little pole hut, 10x12 feet. in size, with mother earth for its floor,
on the banks of the Trinity river. The nearest then navigable
points were Jefferson, 170 miles east, and Houston, 265 miles.
south, both then infant towns. This location selected by Bryan
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