“Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County,” published:  
Chicago;  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892.

JOHN BRYAN.  To this person belongs the distinction of being the first male child 
born in Dallas.  He was born January 9, 1846, and was reared as a farmer in and 
near Dallas, receiving his education here.  In the fall of 1864, when nineteen 
years of age, he enlisted in the Confederate service, and remained until the close 
of the war.  He was with the forces that operated in Louisiana, Arkansas and 
Texas, and was in an almost continuous skirmish and many battles.  He received 
no wounds, however, and was never captured; was mustered out in Milam 
county, Texas, and returned home.  Here he was engaged in farming and stock 
raising until 1872.  That year he went into Uvalde and Llano counties, bought 
cattle and engaged in ranching, remaining there fifteen years.  He then returned 
to Dallas county, and in 1889 purchased a farm and settled here; and here he 
expects to remain.

October 10, 1867, he was united in marriage with Miss Sallie Thompson, a 
daughter of Moses and Martha Thompson, of Tennessee.  They came to Texas 
in 1865 and settled on a farm in Dallas county.  Here her father, Moses 
Thompson, died, in Erath county, Texas, January 25, 1890.  To Mr. and Mrs. 
Bryan five children have been born, namely:  William W., November 12, 1870; 
Robert Lee, July 21, 1873; James B., March 21, 1877; Luella, October 12, 1882; 
and Burta M., May 5, 1886.

Mr. Bryan’s father, John Neely Bryan, was born at Fayetteville, Lincoln county, 
Tennessee, December 24, 1810.  He was reared in his native town, received a 
liberal education, and in his younger days was engaged in teaching.  After 
leaving Tennessee and while in Arkansas he studied law, and after coming to 
Texas he practiced that profession.  He landed in this State when it was yet a 
Republic, in 1839.  He traveled over it considerably and finally decided on the 
location of Dallas.  Returning to Red river, he got a man to accompany him to 
help guard against the Indians; came back, planted his stakes, obtained a head-
right of 640 acres, built a block-house and called the place Dallas.  His first work 
was to get some land under cultivation.  He broke soil where the courthouse now 
stands, planted corn and raised a crop.  That year a herd of buffalo ran through 
his corn and did it great damage.  In 1841 or ’42 he laid out a portion of the town, 
and soon afterward a few cabins sprang up.  February 26, 1843, he married.  
July 26, 1846, the county of Dallas was organized.  He gave to the county ninety-
eight lots, besides donating the public square, the same on which the new 
courthouse is now being built.  He gave bond for deeds of these gifts, and in 
1855 received his title from the Government and made deeds for same.  The 
town grew slowly, and in 1861, when the ware broke out, it was only a little 
trading post.  Previous to the war Mr. Bryan sold his claim and relinquished all 
right to the town.  Soon after hostilities began he joined the army, but as he was 
too old was mustered out of the service.  Finally he went in as a substitute, 
remaining until the war ended.  He then served one term as Justice, after which 
he settled on a farm and was engaged in agricultural pursuits until the time of his 
death.  He departed this life September 14, 1877.  He was a bold and fearless 
man, and during his early travels on the frontier met with some narrow escapes 
from the Indians.  He made the trip to California, was all through New Mexico and 
Arizona, and after an absence of about four years decided to come home, and 
made the journey home.

The mother of John Bryan was, before her marriage, Miss Margaret Beeman.  
Her father, John Beeman, was a native of North Carolina, and her mother Emily 
Beeman, of South Carolina.  They met and were married in Illinois, and in Illinois 
Mrs. Bryan was born, September 29, 1825.  In 1840, at the age of fourteen, she 
came to Texas with her parents and located at Dallas, where she was 
subsequently married to John Neely Bryan.  Six children blessed their union, four 
of whom grew to maturity, viz.: John Bryan, whose name heads this sketch; 
Elizabeth F., born December 4, 1847; Edward T., June 2, 1849; and Alexander 
L., October 3, 1854.  Edward died January 30, 1879, at the age of twenty-nine 
years and eight months.

John Neely Bryan was a member of the Presbyterian Church from early 
manhood up to the time of his death.  His widow is a member of the Baptist 
Church.  She is still hale and hearty, and has many pleasing reminiscences of 
her early pioneer life, which she relates in a vivid and charming manner.

Submitted by: L. Pingel