Dallas Texans Founding

Lore & Background

The origin of the name Dallas is uncertain. The official historical marker states it was named after Vice President George M. Dallas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but this is disputed. Other potential theories include his brother Commodore Alexander James Dallas, brothers Walter R. Dallas and James R. Dallas, or the village of Dallas, Moray, Scotland.

In Their Own Story

The lights hummed over the Cotton Bowl as Lamar Hunt surveyed the empty seats from the press box. It was late autumn, 1962, and the wind cut through the Texas night. On the field below, players in red jerseys huddled tight against the cold, unaware this would be their final season in Dallas. Hunt knew the numbers didn't add up; the city had chosen another team, leaving his dream to struggle for breath. He turned to Hank Stram, who stood silently beside him. 'We're not done,' Hunt said, his voice steady despite the uncertainty. 'We just need a new home.' That night, the foundation of a future Super Bowl champion was quietly sealed in the shadows of a stadium that would never host them again.

Reader's Guide

Dallas is a core city of the largest metropolitan area in the Southern U.S. and the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. that lacks any navigable link to the sea. It is the seat of Dallas County, covering nearly 386 square miles and extending into Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties.

Did You Know?

• Dallas was formally incorporated as a city on February 2, 1856.
• The Praetorian Building in Dallas of 15 stories, built in 1909, was among the first skyscrapers west of the Mississippi.
• On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Elm Street in Downtown Dallas.
• The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex hosts 23 Fortune 500 companies, the second-most in Texas.