In its beginnings, Dallas relied on farming, neighboring
Fort Worth's Stockyards, and its prime location on Native American trade routes
to sustain itself. Dallas' key to growth came in 1873 with the building of
multiple rail lines through the city. As Dallas grew and technology developed,
cotton became its boon and by 1900 Dallas was the largest inland cotton market
in the world, becoming a leader in cotton gin machinery manufacturing. By the
early 1900s Dallas was a hub for economic activity all over the Southern United
States and was selected in 1914 as the seat of the Eleventh Federal Reserve