Dallas

History

Dallas was officially incorporated in 1863 and is the oldest incorporated town in Gaston County. It served as the original county seat for Gaston County from 1846 until 1911. The old Gaston County courthouse, renovated in 1868 after a fire, still stands in the main square of the town and formerly served as the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department. The town government has renovated the courthouse. Dallas began to decline in importance when the town commissioners refused to appropriate money for construction of bridges over several creeks for the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway in the 1872. The commissioners said the reason was because residents thought that trains would wake them during the night and frighten their livestock. In 1890, White Caps attacked the town "'Kuklux' style", destroying entire portions of the town. After this, the county seat was relocated to Gastonia in 1911. The Dallas Graded and High School, Dallas Historic District, Hoyle House, and Eli Hoyle House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Dallas is located approximately four miles north of the city of Gastonia and about west of Charlotte. Lincolnton is north and Hickory is north of Dallas along US 321. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land. Dallas lies within the Long Creek watershed. Long Creek is a right tributary of the South Fork Catawba River. Dallas is drained by Long Creek tributaries Dallas Branch and Little Long Creek.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,354
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  6,182
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  5,901
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,759
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,811
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,789
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  4,158
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,144

Largest nearby schools

• Piedmont Community Charter School
  Other · Gastonia · 1,906 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Ashbrook High
  High · Gastonia · 1,303 students · 23.3:1 ratio
• North Gaston High
  High · Dallas · 1,134 students · 21:1 ratio
• Hunter Huss High
  High · Gastonia · 1,120 students · 24.3:1 ratio
• Forestview High
  High · Gastonia · 1,081 students · 20:1 ratio
• Stuart W Cramer High
  High · Belmont · 964 students · 18.9:1 ratio
• Cramerton Middle
  Middle · Cramerton · 909 students · 19.3:1 ratio
• East Gaston High
  High · Mount Holly · 883 students · 18.4:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.73 — 2025-08-14
  7 km N of Columbus, North Carolina
• M 2.65 — 2021-08-17
  6 km N of Morganton, North Carolina
• M 3 — 2014-12-15
  13 km NNW of Cedar Rock, North Carolina
• M 2.5 — 2012-10-29
  5 km SSE of West Marion, North Carolina
• M 2.5 — 2010-10-28
  2 km NW of Pacolet, South Carolina
• M 2.9 — 2007-12-07
  7 km N of Columbus, North Carolina