City Placement and Geography

Why were cities founded where they were? GEOGRAPHY! Most city placement has to do with the natural physical geography of a place Early settlement-crowds-look elsewhere

What did early settlers look for in a new place to settle? Water Water Food Food Shelter Shelter Defense Defense

Early settlements What do they have in common? Rivers! Ancient civilizations settled on rivers Mesopotamia (Euphrates and Tigris Rivers) Egypt (Nile) China River Dynasties (Huang He and Yangtze) Indus Valley (Indus)

United States What do Memphis, St. Louis, Minneapolis, St. Paul have in common? Founded on Mississippi River What do Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh have in common? Founded on Ohio River Oceanside/bay/port cities? Why? Baltimore/New York/Philadelphia/Boston

Texas Cities? Dallas/Fort Worth (Trinity River) Dallas/Fort Worth (Trinity River) Waco (Brazos River) Waco (Brazos River) Austin (Colorado River) Austin (Colorado River) San Antonio (San Antonio River) San Antonio (San Antonio River) El Paso (Rio Grande River) El Paso (Rio Grande River)

Physical Geography of Dallas/Fort Worth Trinity River-riparian woodland Trinity River-riparian woodland Grand and Blackland Prairies Grand and Blackland Prairies Eastern Cross Timbers- extension of Balcones Escarpment Eastern Cross Timbers- extension of Balcones Escarpment Prairie-forest ecotone Prairie-forest ecotone

Why did DFW develop where it is today?

Dallas River orientation shift River orientation shift Heading south, moving into Texas Heading south, moving into Texas Northern crossing of TrinityNorthern crossing of Trinity Bryan’s Cabin Bryan’s Cabin View for defenseView for defense Protection from floodsProtection from floods Rock bottom fordRock bottom ford Blackland Prairie-fertile land, transportationBlackland Prairie-fertile land, transportation

Fort Worth Southern crossing of Trinity River heading north 1849-Camp Worth Blue Mound Ford-low water crossing Riparian woodland Chisholm Trail (1876) Why not east or west?

Differences? Dallas Dallas 1872-RR1872-RR Linkages to MidwestLinkages to Midwest RR furthered economic growthRR furthered economic growth Where the East Ends Where the East Ends Fort Worth Fort Worth Military origins 1876-RR RR put end to cattle trails-Stockyards grow Slaughterhouses Where the West Begins Where the West Begins

Irving Founded 1903 by J.O. Shultz and Otis Brown Founded 1903 by J.O. Shultz and Otis Brown Increases in population by 1930s Increases in population by 1930s 357 residents in residents in 1925 Est. 201, Est. 201, Suburb of Dallas Suburb of Dallas Technology had to be present for suburb to existTechnology had to be present for suburb to exist

Galveston/Houston Which is bigger city? Which is bigger city? Not always so… Not always so… Galveston-port city, shipping trafficGalveston-port city, shipping traffic 1900 hurricane1900 hurricane Houston Houston Buffalo Bayou to Galveston BayBuffalo Bayou to Galveston Bay Break of bulk Break of bulk