Path to Progress

Path to Progress. . Two Steps Forward... , During the Reconstruction Era that followed the Civil War, the African American residents of Plano experienced segregation and racism. In 1898, a small group of white men who called themselves the White Caps tried to force them out of Plano, but were unsuccessful., The African American community soon provided many of Plano's most essential services, such as running the butcher shop and supervising local industry plants. Soon, the success of Collin County's new railroad system would signal the beginning of better times., The Houston and Texas Central Railroad grew the economy for both farmers and business owners in Plano. Steam engines worked well for moving goods and livestock, but by the 1900s it became clear that travel needed to improve. In 1908, J.F. Strickland's Texas Electric Railway came to Plano and provided Plano residents with an easier way to reach Dallas and other North Texas cities. This new interurban system was successful but was met with competition from personal automobiles. Ultimately, a combination of federal regulations on signaling equipment, frequent accidents, and reduced public demand caused financial problems for the company, which ceased operations in 1948., ...One Step Back , Frequent and devastating fires in Downtown Plano were one of many factors that slowed the town's growth. World War I soldiers returning to Plano in 1918 had trouble finding jobs. Flu epidemics hit the small town. From 1929 to 1939, the Great Depression threatened the prosperity that the railroads had provided, Cotton became essential, serving as Plano's most successful crop. By the time the United States got involved in World War II at the end of 1941, many of Plano's residents were able to earn more by working in nearby factories to support the war effort. Plano's citizens began looking ahead to the future of their city., Captions , (Photo #1) African American Family Home , An African American home in Plano, ca. 1900. Photo courtesy of the Genealogy center, Plano Public Library, Plano, Texas, taken from the Frances Bates Wells Collection , (Photo #2) Catching Car 326 , A woman catching interurban car 326 in Dallas, Texas. , (Photo #3) Downtown Plano , Downtown Plano in the early 1900s when both the Texas Electric Railway and Houston and Texas Central Railway were in use. Photo courtesy of the Genealogy Center, Plano Public Library, Plano, Texas. , (Photo #4) Cotton Belt Railroad Depot , Located in Downtown Plano, this depot later became Plano Implement Co. and has since been torn down.