The city of Mesquite, Texas is located roughly 12 miles away from Dallas. Mesquite is a mid-sized city in north central Texas. The city gets its name from the Mesquite Creek which flows through the city. It is located near the crossroads of Interstate Highways I-635 and I-30 on U.S. Route 80. Balch Springs lies to the south and Garland City is located towards the north. Mesquite City is known as the "Rodeo Capital of Texas" since it hosts the Mesquite Championship Rodeo annually.
The Texas and Pacific Railway were constructed during the year 1873. In 1887, the city of Mesquite was incorporated and bit by bit began to expand with cotton being its major economic driver. In a twenty year span, from the years 1950 to 1970, the population rapidly increased from less than 20,000 individuals to 50,000 residents. The cities expansion was due largely in part to the growth of the neighboring Dallas City. To be able to help preserve the city's culture and heritage, the city established the Mesquite Historical Commission in the 1980's. The name has since been changed to the Historic Mesquite, Inc., and is presently working on multiple projects like for instance a historical park.
The town of Mesquite was founded on May 22, 1873, along the Texas & Pacific rail lines just outside of Dallas, by an engineer of the Texas & Pacific Railway. The population of the city of Mesquite started to grow more rapidly after the train, that ran from Dallas City to Shreveport, began to stop in the little town. On December 3, the year 1887, Mesquite City was incorporated officially.
The economy in Mesquite primarily revolved around farming and agriculture, in particular growing cotton, hay, corn, and sugar. The railway was invaluable for shipping these raw goods. The cities economy remained focused on agriculture until soon after WWII. Mesquite City prospered, and its population rose from about 1,600 in the year 1950 to roughly 55,131 during 1970.
Situated in Mesquite City are numerous unique attractions. The Mesquite Championship Rodeo is one of the most highly anticipated event of the year. It has run annually ever since 1958 and is televised all over the country. Another of Mesquites premiere attractions is the Mesquite Arts Center which is home to more than 16 arts organizations such as the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, the Mesquite Community Theatre, a local art gallery and the Mesquite Community Band. The Rodeo City Music Hall, a family-friendly facility, offers all sorts of entertainment intended for different ages. Between the months of March and November the Devil's Bowl Speedway hosts an assortment of action-packed competitions which racing fans flock to go to. Amongst the historic sites within Mesquite are the the Texas Queen and the Florence Ranch Homestead, which dates back to the late 1800's. The Texas Queen is actually a double deck paddle wheeler which serves as a popular place used for special events.
There are different other population attractions located nearby within Dallas and Fort Worth, consisting of Fair Park, the Dallas Arboretum Botanical Garden, Dallas Zoo, Dallas Museum of Art, Forth Worth Stockyards National Historic Districts, Dallas World Aquarium and Rainforest, The Sixth Floor Museum, the West End Marketplace and the Six Flags Over Texas.
There are a lot of nearby major sports teams, with the Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers playing their homegames in Arlington, whilst in Irving, the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Dallas Stars make their home.