Anna in Collin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Anna Depot
Photographed by Mansfieldphoto.com, August 24, 2025
1. Anna Depot Marker
Inscription.
The Houston & Texas Central Railway, formally known as the Galveston-Red River Railway, came thru the area we now call Anna in 1873. At that time, the railway established a "flag stop" where a flag could be raised to indicate when freight or passengers needed to be picked up. In 1883, the town was established with 20 residents, two stores, and a steam grist mill. The post office opened that year as well. Anna was named for Miss Anna Quinlan, daughter of G.A. Quinlan, former superintendent of the Houston & Texas Railway. In 1885, Captain James Greer, veteran of the Civil War, who later served in the Texas Legislature, donated the land for the depot, switch line and main line. His brother John Greer was the owner of the first house in Anna and also owned one of the stores. The depot building was constructed in 1885. The first agent was Andrew Sherley. Other agents were Alden, Gitler, Jones, Schenewerk, Hamm, Star, and Charles Darwood. The depot design was the same as the others on the line. It featured 3 rooms: an agent's office with a bay window to see up and down the tracks and a small window for a ticket office, the central room which was a passenger waiting room, the north room for freight. The freight room floor sat 16" above the other floors with 2 sliding doors for supplies and materials to be delivered. One notable traveler thru the future city of Anna is said to be Doc Holliday, traveling from Dallas to Denison in 1874. The original depot building sat on the west side of the railroad tracks close to what is now 4th Street. This building was moved off the site in the 1960's. The original site was later sold to DART.
Erected 2017 by Collin County Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.
Location. 33° 20.923′ N,
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96° 32.9′ W. Marker is in Anna, Texas, in Collin County. It is at the intersection of South Sherley Road and 4th Street, on the right when traveling north on South Sherley Road. The marker is located at the Sherley Heritage Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 S Sherley Rd, Anna TX 75409, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 101 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 2, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
