Cotton Once Drove Dallas County's Economy

By 1900, Dallas County farmers grew 41,012 bales of cotton. That was the county's high point for cotton. After 1900, cotton output dropped each year as the county grew more urban and more industrial.

Even before cotton peaked, cattle had passed hogs as the main livestock. By 1860, the county had over 35,000 head of cattle. As cotton fell, wheat rose, reaching 584,399 bushels by 1920. By that same year, 1920, the county had 492 manufacturers turning out over $116 million in goods. That was a big change from 1860, when there were only 15 manufacturers in the whole county.