The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-10-19
The Ancient boundaries of the Town Of
Dallas.

The following letter from an olu citllel
of Dallas, now living in Austin, to our city
engineer, gives information of interest as to
the first charter lines of our city:
Austin, Texas October II, 1SS2.-Captain NJ. NJ,
johnson, Dallas, TeXas--Dear Sir:
In reply to your favor of the 9th inst, |
beg to say that an examination OF the
official records in the office of the secretary
of state shows that the town of Dallas was
act approved February 2, 1856. Section
of said act reads as follows:
"Section 2. That the limits of said cor
poration shall be as follows: BEGINNING at
tBe waters edge at the east bank of the
Trinity river opposite the centre OF the
public square; thence south parallel with
the streets of said town according to the
town plot, ne,quarter Of a. mile; thence
east parallel with the streets, one half q
mile, and thence north parallel with the
streets one-haif a mile; thence west parallel
with the streets one-half a mile, or to
the Trinity river; thence south along with
the meanderings of said Trinity river one
quarter of q mile to the place of begin
ming"
The 18Th legislature passed all act in
cooperating the city of Dallas, which act was
approved April 20, 1871. Section2 OF this
act reads as follows:
"Section 2. That the bounds and. limits
of said corporation shall be as follows, to-
wit: Beginning ut q point on the east bank
of the Trinity river, at low water mark,
directly opposite (westward) from the centre
of the courthouse square, running thence
east, parallel with Main street ,one and one
halt miles; thence north, parallel with JET
ferson street, three-fourths of one mile;
thence west. parallel with Main street. to
said Trinity river; thence down said river,
with the meanderings thereof, to the place
of beginning; thence east, along the line
| first described one and one-half miles;
thence south, parallel with jefferson street,
three-fourths of a mile; thence west, parallel
with Main street, to said Trinity river
thence up said river, with the meanderlngS
thereof, 10 the place OF beginning; provided
that the said limits of said corporation may
be hereafter extended by adding additional
territory to the same wbensoeyer the ma
iority Of the inhabitants of said territory
shall indicate q desire to be included within
the limits of said corporation"
The 10th legislature august 0, 1876 en-
acted q law granting new charter, but the
provisions OF Section Of the act are identl-
cal with those Of the act of April 20, ISL.
If 1t is desired can give you a tnll copy oil
each of the acts of Incorporation aspassed;
and any other information that you may
wish will cheerfully obtain for YOU
Very truly yours,
JOHN w. SwIYDELLs.
The first boundary lines would embrace
territory OF ronehalf mile square, and
would reach out on Main street little be.
yond the east side Of Murphy street, and
south about the south side of Columbia
street, and north abou. the north side Of
Walnut street, making the northeast corner
| in Matthews lumber. yard on Camp street,
and the southeast corner in the Masonic
cemetery.
In June, 1856 Judge Patterson issued an
order of court making the corporation lines
one miles square, which would reach out
on Main street about 200 feet east Of Har-
wood street, and north about the Masten
street bridge over Dallas branch and south
about the terminus Of the Ervay street
railroad, making the northeast corner
at the west corner of San Jacinto
and Leonard street, and the southeast cor
ner at the middle line Of block l06, on the
west side Of Evergreen street.
The 18th legislature, in April, ISL. IN
corporated the city OF Dallas, giving us the
present territory Of one and one-half miles
square. and the next Legislature will probA,,
bly, extend these limits one mile east and
one half mile north aud south, embracing a
territory of two and one-half miles square,
and containing a population OF 5000 peo,.
pie. and property valued at SI,OOO,OOl, and
Dallas will rank next in size and wealth 70
Galveston.