Greetings List: After a conversation with Colleen today, I was looking thru the Buffalo Reflex and found this and thought I would share it. Blessings Sherry Carroll Qualls Dallas Co Surnames: Carroll, Cheek, Chapman, Rice Edington Pierce EARLY DALLAS COUNTY: A Historical Sketch Dallas County, Missouri, was created by an act of the Missouri legislature on January 29, 1841, and was named Niangua County, after the river which bisects it. Prior to that act, it was part of Polk County. Early settlers in the county included Mark Reynolds and the Randleman family. Reynolds first settled in Polk County in 1831, then in 1833 moved to Buffalo Head Prairie west of Buffalo. Martin Randleman is credited with paying the first taxes in what is now Dallas County in 1829-1832. Randleman later donated land for the county courthouse in Buffalo. In April, 1839, Joseph Miles, a bachelor tailor, built the first cabin in Buffalo on the north side of the square. The town was surveys the same year by Noah Bray, a Baptist preacher. By March, 1840, Peter Haymes reported Buffalo included a store, two groceries, a tailor shop, a blacksmith shop and a shoe shop. Under the act of 1841, Richard Sage and E.M. Campbell of Polk County and Hosea Mullins of Greene County were appointed to select the new county seat. Buffalo was selected, and a the first term of the county court was held in the log schoolhouse. Levi Beckner built the first courthouse in 1847. The name was changed to Dallas County on December 16, 1844, in honor of Vice President Dallas. Dallas County was divided during the Civil War, though dominated by Union sympathies. A home guard was formed, and was occupying the courthouse when it was burned by Confederates on October 18, 1863. Trepidations of guerilla bands made life treacherous during the war years. After the end of the Civil War, the arrival of a railroad, construction of a new county courthouse and a general atmosphere of optimism promised prosperity for new generations. (For additional reading on local history, the Dallas County Historical Society's Dallas County, Missouri, History: 1841-1971, is recommended. That 1974 publication, many family histories and other archival documents are available at the Dallas County Library.)

I am virtually certain that the PETER HAYMES mentioned below is incorrect, and that it should be PETER HAYNES. I state this, because I have worked on the HAYMES family (particularly of the Webster, Polk, Dallas, and Greene Counties area) for about 37 years, and have never found a PETER HAYMES--although there is a PETER HAYNES in the Dallas County (and perhaps for a time over in Polk County) area. I have never found a PETER in the HAYMES family of that are--or any other area, as I recall, although I am making this statement strictly from memory. Charlene Hook Chook35@msn.com ----- Original Message ----- From: <QUALLSjr@aol.com> To: <MODALLAS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2001 9:47 PM Subject: Dallas Co History -Buffalo Reflex > Greetings List: > > After a conversation with Colleen today, I was looking thru the Buffalo > Reflex and found this and thought I would share it. > > Blessings > Sherry Carroll Qualls > Dallas Co Surnames: Carroll, Cheek, Chapman, Rice Edington Pierce > > EARLY DALLAS COUNTY: > > > > A Historical Sketch > > Dallas County, Missouri, was created by an act of the Missouri legislature on > January 29, 1841, and was named Niangua County, after the river which bisects > it. > Prior to that act, it was part of Polk County. > Early settlers in the county included Mark Reynolds and the Randleman family. > Reynolds first settled in Polk County in 1831, then in 1833 moved to Buffalo > Head Prairie west of Buffalo. > Martin Randleman is credited with paying the first taxes in what is now > Dallas County in 1829-1832. Randleman later donated land for the county > courthouse in Buffalo. > In April, 1839, Joseph Miles, a bachelor tailor, built the first cabin in > Buffalo on the north side of the square. The town was surveys the same year > by Noah Bray, a Baptist preacher. > By March, 1840, Peter Haymes reported Buffalo included a store, two > groceries, a tailor shop, a blacksmith shop and a shoe shop. > Under the act of 1841, Richard Sage and E.M. Campbell of Polk County and > Hosea Mullins of Greene County were appointed to select the new county seat. > Buffalo was selected, and a the first term of the county court was held in > the log schoolhouse. Levi Beckner built the first courthouse in 1847. > The name was changed to Dallas County on December 16, 1844, in honor of Vice > President Dallas. > Dallas County was divided during the Civil War, though dominated by Union > sympathies. A home guard was formed, and was occupying the courthouse when it > was burned by Confederates on October 18, 1863. Trepidations of guerilla > bands made life treacherous during the war years. > After the end of the Civil War, the arrival of a railroad, construction of a > new county courthouse and a general atmosphere of optimism promised > prosperity for new generations. > (For additional reading on local history, the Dallas County Historical > Society's Dallas County, Missouri, History: 1841-1971, is recommended. That > 1974 publication, many family histories and other archival documents are > available at the Dallas County Library.) >