Spanish colonial era Dauis is among Bohol's oldest municipalities, as evidenced by Chinese artifacts discovered in the 1970s. Dauis was a part of the Panglao and Bohol Centered Kedatuan of
Bo-ol. Although most town records were lost during World War II, church documents confirm the parish was formally established by 1697. The now-ruined stone watchtower was constructed in 1774. The first bridge between the poblacion of Dauis and Mansasa, Tagbilaran, was constructed by Spaniards during their reign, possibly in the 18th century. The bridge is still in place, used as a connection between the two islands. The other bridge was constructed near the old City Hall of Tagbilaran City, crossing towards Totolan. That bridge is known as 'the causeway' and leads as far as Panglao Beach resort about from Tagbilaran. The 1818 census showed that Dauis-Tagbilaran had 2,055 native families and 9 Spanish-Filipino families.
American colonial era In 1900, a Spanish official supervised the construction of a deep well in the poblacion, now located beneath the altar of the local church. The excavation was carried out by local residents using manual tools such as bolos, crowbars, pulleys, and ropes. The well reaches a depth of approximately 30 fathoms (about 55 meters or 180 feet) and has a diameter of around three meters (9.8 feet). The site is characterized by soil and stone layers containing limestone rock. On November 15, 1907, Eusebio Circulado was elected the
municipal president, but he informed the
municipal council that he is ineligible. As a result, a special election was scheduled for April 8, 1908. ==Geography==