Dallas

Dallas Bay is now part of the area that was once the site of the first permanent county seat of Hamilton County. Old Dallas occupied a reservation made by Fox Taylor, a Cherokee, under the treaty of 1819. The town of Dallas was laid out and a post office established there in 1822. It was named for Alexander J. Dallas, and remained the seat of Hamilton County until 1840 when it was moved to Harrison. Old Dallas is located about fifteen miles north of Chattanooga on Hixson Pike.

    Dallas, old Dallas, as it is now called, because it is not any longer a town, was started about 1830. Asahel Rawlings had a store there about this time and was the first postmaster, having been appointed in 1822, when the place was named Hamilton Court House. In 1840 the town was in its prime, having then two or three stores, about half a dozen houses and a few cabins, a blacksmith shop, a good hotel and a population of about sixty. When the county seat was moved to Harrison in 1840 Dallas soon declined. Asahal Rawlings was appointed postmaster at Hamilton Court House, May 11, 1822. The name was changed to Dallas, February 20, 1833; the post office was discontinued March 23, 1846; was re-established June 29, 1848; was again discontinued October 2, 1849; was again re-established September 4, 1866, and finally discontinued September 13, 1872. Since Mr. Rawlings, the postmasters have been Aaron M. Rawlings, appointed July 24,1833; Samuel S. M. Doak, July 21, 1836; James S. Yarnall, March 21, 1837; Samuel T. Izen, May 27, 1837; Thomas Stiff, October 26, 1838; Albert W. Boddo, May 1, 1844; George R. Cannon, December 3, 1845; Clinton A. Jones, June 29, 1848; John H. Bradfield, September 4, 1866; Daniel B. Brayfield, November 4, 1869.
Goodspeed's "History of Tennessee" 1887

Photo Courtesy of Phebe Morgan