Pioneering Plano

Pioneering Plano. . , Plain Potential , The Republic of Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836. However, the population was so low that by 1841 the Texas Congress provided land to immigration agents. W.S. Peters was granted contracts for North Central Texas and founded the Peters Colony. Settlers arriving from the east agreed to conditions such as building a cabin, fencing in at least 5 acres, and staying for at least 3 years. By 1844, a year before Texas was annexed by the United States, the community had 184 single men, 197 families, 482 children, and 305 cabins. In 1852, all the settlement needed was a name. Local physician Dr. Henry Dye proposed the name "Plano," believing that it was the Spanish word for "plains," when it actually means "flat.", A Growing City , In 1861, Plano lost about 70% of its population as men left to fight in the Civil War, dropping from 516 people to only 155. J.W. Shepard's Mule Barn was one of few thriving businesses at this time, as Collin County was the leading provider of mules west of the Mississippi River. The Texas state legislature incorporated Plano in 1873, and the town's economy saw renewed growth with the expansion of the railroad industry., The Drake Family Legacy , Andy Drake, one of Plano's first African American residents, arrived on an ox cart in 1860. He freed himself from the bonds of slavery using his earnings from hauling wood. Drake's legacy carries on through his descendants. Many lived in the Douglass Community just south of Downtown Plano, named after the famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The Douglass Mosaic, Tracks of Our Past and Future (2006), serves as a testament to the passion and drive that has been exhibited by this community since the 19th century., Plano's Original Highway , The Shawnee Trail was the main route used by Kiowa and Comanche hunters to track bison long before settlers arrived from the east. It was later used by cowboys and ranchers to drive cattle north through Texas from 1850 to 1867., Captions , (Photo #1) Dr. Henry Dye , One of Plano's first physicions, credited for the naming of Plano. Photo courtesy of the Genealogy Center, Plano Public Library, Plano, Texas, taken from the Frances Bates Wells Collection , (Photo #2) Early Plano House , The Coit Family's cabin, typical of homes in this area at this time. Ca. 1850, Photo courtesy of the Genealogy Center, Plano Public Library, Plano, Texas, taken from the Frances Bates Wells Collection , (Photo #3) Lawrence and Josie Bush Faulkner , Lawrence and Josie Bush Faulkner on their way to West Texas, Photo courtesy of the Genealogy Center, Plano Public Library, Plano, Texas, taken from the Frances Bates Wells Collection , (Photo #4) Tracks of Our Past and Future , The Douglass Mosaic with the modern DART rail tracks behind it.