Allen in Collin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Allen Water Station
Photographed By Jeff Leichsenring, April 11, 2023
1. Allen Water Station Marker
Inscription.
Allen Water Station. . On March 11, 1848, Ebenezer Allen, former Republic of Texas Attorney General, obtained a charter for the Galveston and Red River Railway. Track construction began in early 1856, and the company was renamed Houston and Texas Central (H&TC) Railway Company in September of that same year. Construction on the line began in Houston and reached Corsicana in 1871, Dallas in 1872 and Denison in 1873 where the connection was made with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad to form the first all-rail route from Texas to St. Louis and the east, allowing grain, cotton and cattle to reach its destination overnight. , In 1874, the H&TC Railway acquired land from J.W. Franklin in Collin County to construct a stone dam across Cottonwood Creek and a water station to provide water for its steam locomotives. The water station included a pump house, an elevated water storage tank, a privy for the railroad workers who operated the water station and other facilities. The workers were Americans and immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland. H&TC Railway Company Surveyor Theodore Kosse created the town of Allen in 1876 by platting the James Reed survey. The station and town established a center for commerce for local farmers and provided better equipment and broader markets for agricultural production. The Allen Water Station remained in operation until diesel engines replaced steam engines in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The station is recorded as a State Antiquities Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The 1874 stone dam and foundations for the water tower and pump house, still visible today, highlight the important role that the H&TC Railroad played in late 19th century commerce, transportation and settlement.
On March 11, 1848, Ebenezer Allen, former Republic of Texas Attorney General, obtained a charter for the Galveston and Red River Railway. Track construction began in early 1856, and the company was renamed Houston & Texas Central (H&TC) Railway Company in September of that same year. Construction on the line began in Houston and reached Corsicana in 1871, Dallas in 1872 and Denison in 1873 where the connection was made with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad to form the first all-rail route from Texas to St. Louis and the east, allowing grain, cotton and cattle to reach its destination overnight.
In 1874, the H&TC Railway acquired land from J.W. Franklin in Collin County to construct a stone dam across Cottonwood Creek and a water station to provide water for its steam locomotives. The water station included a pump house, an elevated water storage tank, a privy for the railroad workers who operated the water station and other facilities. The workers were Americans and immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland. H&TC Railway Company Surveyor Theodore Kosse created the town of Allen in 1876 by platting the James Reed survey. The station and town established a center for commerce for local farmers and provided better equipment and broader markets for agricultural production. The Allen Water Station remained in operation
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until diesel engines replaced steam engines in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The station is recorded as a State Antiquities Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The 1874 stone dam and foundations for the water tower and pump house, still visible today, highlight the important role that the H&TC Railroad played in late 19th century commerce, transportation and settlement.
Erected 2015 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 18112.)
Location. 33° 7.018′ N, 96° 39.896′ W. Marker is in Allen, Texas, in Collin County. Marker can be reached from East Exchange Parkway. The Old Stone Dam is located in the upper reach of Cottonwood Creek about 1,000 feet North of Exchange Parkway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Allen TX 75002, United States of America. Touch for directions.
4. Allen Water Station National Register of Historic Places Marker
Photographed By Jeff Leichsenring, April 11, 2023
5. State Antiquities Landmark medallion
Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 13, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 106 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 13, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.