The Peters' group advertised heavily in Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee, so many of the earliest settlers were from those states.

They chose an uninhabited area south of Dallas along the north bank of Ten Mile Creek as the site of their new settlement.

In December 1844, the three men went back to Lamar County near the Red River to bring the rest of their wagon train.

[7] Several miles north of Hardscrabble, a second community called Pleasant Run was established in 1846 by Polly Rawlins, one of Roderick's daughters, and her husband Madison Moultrie "M.M."

At its peak, Pleasant Run boasted a stage stop, school, and steam-powered grist mill in addition to Miller's store.

Bledsoe began selling lots at a public auction in 1853, reportedly giving as many as two-thirds of them to settlers from the nearby Pleasant Run community.

[13] During the American Civil War, the Tucker, Sherrod &and Company contracted with the State of Texas to manufacture replicas of the .44 caliber Colt Dragoon from a factory on West Main Street in Lancaster.

[14] John M. Crockett, former mayor of Dallas and lieutenant governor of Texas, served as superintendent of the arms factory.

The economy did not fully recover until well into the 1870s, due in large part to the town's proximity to heavily trafficked cattle trails.

By 1897, the town had a public school, Masonic Temple, a chapter of the International Order of Odd Fellows, and a variety of Christian churches.

[20] At the start of the 20th century, Lancaster had 1,045 residents and served hundreds more from the surrounding rural areas who worked, worshiped, attended school, and made their purchases in the town.

The Texas Legislature created the Lancaster Independent School District in March 1905, and voters approved several bond elections over the next decade that improved educational facilities.

Farmers produced a wide range of crops, including wheat, cotton, beans, peas, and sweet potatoes.

Soon after, the growth rate rapidly increased as Lancaster began to transform from a small town into a suburban bedroom community of Dallas.

[8] Highlights of the 1970s included a 1975 urban renewal project to improve the town square, which had suffered a loss of businesses to areas outside of downtown, and the opening of Cedar Valley College in 1977.

A hospital, two shopping centers, four schools, several apartment complexes, and a number of new residential subdivisions were built to accommodate the growing population.

[21][22] The White and Company Bank building, a local landmark since 1898, was severely damaged in the tornado, but was rebuilt, and in 1998, reopened as headquarters for the Lancaster Economic Development Corporation.

[28] Lancaster is located in southern Dallas County and is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the largest metropolitan area in Texas.

[29] On November 14, 2011, a tract of land covering 2.9 sq mi (7.5 km2) within Lancaster's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) was annexed to the city.

Today, light industrial manufacturing, distribution, health care, education, residential development, and retail services are all significant components of the local economy.

The city's location in the fast-growing Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex region, land availability, easy access to three major interstate highways, Lancaster Regional Airport, and a planned 200-acre BNSF intermodal freight facility round out the logistic options of road, rail, and air for the transport of goods.

[45] The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) serves a small portion of the city that includes the subdivisions of Cedardale Highlands, Taylor Brothers, and Lancaster Gardens.

In January 2012, the Accelerated Intermediate Academy (AIA) opened an elementary campus in Lancaster on East Belt Line Road.

[36] Lancaster residents can obtain a library card free of charge, which entitles the bearer to borrow materials and use the public-access internet computers.

[60] The Cedardale Park and Complex in northern Lancaster contains baseball/softball fields, a basketball court, playground, and concession stand.

[62] The newest addition to the park system is the 2.4 mile Pleasant Run Hike and Bike Trail, which opened in the spring of 2010 and is routed through neighborhoods in central Lancaster.

[64] Features of the park site include equestrian and walking trails with interpretive signage, a fishing pond, climbing rock, butterfly garden, and a large pavilion for picnics.

[66] The 64,000-sq-ft Lancaster Recreation Center features an indoor water park, gymnasium, elevated jogging track, and fitness atrium with an aerobics/dance room.

[70] It has a chipping area, putting green, and driving range, as well as on-site golf pro shop and sports bar.

[89] Crescent Medical Center Lancaster is an 84-bed acute-care general hospital located at 2600 West Pleasant Run Road.