Fertile land and plentiful water drew settlers to this area from as early as the 1840s. This part of Collin County was well populated by 1876 when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad built a water supply stop on Cottonwood Creek near this site. . . . — — Map (db m220381) HM
Located on land purchased from Mr. and Mrs. John W. Whisenant, this cemetery was formally established on April 5, 1884, by the International Order of Odd Fellows, local lodge No. 249. Encompassing almost three acres of land, the cemetery has served . . . — — Map (db m43407) HM
The Community of Allen, founded in the 1870s, experienced a surge of growth after the arrival of the Texas Traction Company in 1908. The town was a stop on the interurban line between Dallas and Sherman, serviced daily by hourly passenger cars from . . . — — Map (db m220378) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m220383) HM
Pioneer settler C.A. McMillen established the Corinth Society Church of August 2, 1846. Thought to be the oldest continuing church congregation in Collin County, its charter members included the Murphy, Wilkins, and Maxwell families. The church . . . — — Map (db m164621) HM
Methodists were among the earliest settlers in Collin County. A group of thirteen pioneers met at Joseph Russell’s log cabin close to present-day Allen on November 15, 1847 and organized a church. Russell’s home was located south of Rowlett Creek . . . — — Map (db m220384) HM
In 1874, the Houston and Texas Central Railway Company was expanding north from Houston to Denison, Texas. Water stops were necessary along the route at 7 - 10 mile intervals to keep the steam locomotives going. At this location Irish immigrants . . . — — Map (db m43406) HM
Lewis and Paulina Sherley moved to North Texas from Kentucky about 1853. When the town of Anna was established in 1872, their grandsons, brothers Andrew and Fred Sherley, opened a hardware store. In 1894 they built this structure to house the . . . — — Map (db m194691) HM
When the Houston & Texas Central Railroad came through in 1872, there was no town here. The railroad was the spark that ignited the town of Anna, and the population had grown to 20 people by 1883.
The depot was 70 feet in length when it was . . . — — Map (db m194687) HM
This cemetery, which dates to the mid-19th century, is on land donated by early settler John Coffman (1804-1880). His son, George W. Coffman (1840-1913), owned and operated a homestead one mile west of this site. The oldest marked grave dates to . . . — — Map (db m72897) HM
Liberty Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), one of the earliest Christian churches in Texas, was founded in northern Collin County by pioneer settlers Collin McKinney and J.B. Wilmeth in 1846. In 1854 a Christian seminary was established by . . . — — Map (db m194694) HM
On February 23, 1854, William C. McKinney, James W. Throckmorton, John A. Throckmorton, and Joseph Wilcox set aside twenty-five acres for the town of Mantua, which was conceived as a site for Mantua Seminary. Proceeds from the sale of town lots . . . — — Map (db m223613) HM
The earliest citizens of Anna were determined that their children should have the best educational opportunities possible. Founded in 1883 with a population of twenty, Anna was named for the daughter of a Houston & Texas Central Railroad official. . . . — — Map (db m194695) HM
Located in northeast Collin County and positioned between Desert and Pilot Grove Creeks, Blue Ridge was named for its hilltop location and the blue-flowering grass in the area. From a distance, the grass looked like a blue haze. Pioneers began to . . . — — Map (db m185635) HM
Born in Wilson County, Tennessee, George Washington Smith came to Texas in 1834 with his wife Elizabeth Briggs. He fought in the Texas War for Independence (1835-36) as a private in Capt. Clendennin’s Company 1st Regiment Artillery. In the Mexican . . . — — Map (db m163227) HM
In 1866 Moses and Mary Jane Hubbard and their daughter Alla moved from Missouri to Collin County, where Hubbard was a successful doctor, farmer, and one of the largest landholders in the area. Concerned with the inadequacy of the local school, the . . . — — Map (db m194794) HM
In 1910 local businessman J. Fred Smith devised a plan to build a downtown shopping area in Celina. Influenced by the "City Beautiful" movement popular at that time, he acquired land, laid off the "Square" and proceeded to build brick buildings . . . — — Map (db m194845) HM
The local Baptist community built a church in 1882 approximately three miles east of Celina, just north of the present Crossroads Cemetery. The property, encompassing 1 1/2 acres, had been jointly owned by brothers Abiel D. and Edmond Stelzer. The . . . — — Map (db m194796) HM
Early Celina settler Richard Tinsley Peterman built this structure in 1914, twelve years after the town moved from its original site (1 mi. S) to the railroad line. The building originally housed a grocery store on the ground floor and rental space . . . — — Map (db m194798) HM
The town of Celina, settled by natives of Celina, Tennessee, was founded near this site in 1870. The oldest grave here is that of a child who died in 1884. W.J. Bounds (1830-1886) donated the land as a community cemetery after the death of Elizabeth . . . — — Map (db m194849) HM
Elisha and Margaret (Peggy) Ann Mannon Chambers immigrated to Texas in 1847 with their seven children. Elisha took up two headrights in Collin and Dallas counties, donating a piece of his homestead for the creation of a cemetery and a school in . . . — — Map (db m194597) HM
Elisha and Margaret Ann (Mannon) Chambers came to Texas from Indiana in 1847. Their infant son Lewis Cass Chambers died in 1853 and they donated the land on which he was interred for a cemetery and school. This site was once at the crossroads of a . . . — — Map (db m194598) HM
Established in 1905, Chambersville Methodist Church has served this community for more than 100 years. From Chambersville's founding in 1847 until the church's organization, residents attended non denominational services in various locations. J.M. . . . — — Map (db m194599) HM
This burial ground has served the residents of Climax since the mid-1800s. The Climax community dates to 1851, when William Warden, a farmer from Missouri, settled here with his family. The rural community grew and by the 1890s, it had two . . . — — Map (db m201781) HM
Kentucky native John Miles Cope, who settled in Collin County in 1848 with his parents and brother, helped organize the Copeville community (originally known as Black Spot) in the 1850s on land in the Willis Roberts and Hezekiah Walters surveys. . . . — — Map (db m164610) HM
Collin County pioneer Abner Thompson came to this area about 1850 and settled on land that was originally part of the Silvester Williams Survey, deeding a portion of it to be used as a cemetery. The first burial, that of Thompson himself, took . . . — — Map (db m164613) HM
The site of the former town of Frankford consists of the three-acre wagon yard, five-acre Frankford Church area and three-acre cemetery. The town of Frankford grew around Indian Springs after W.C. McKamy and his family moved to Texas in 1852. They . . . — — Map (db m93072) HM
The White Rock Masonic Lodge Hall served as a schoolhouse and church building for the early Frankford community. Among the worshipers were a group of Methodists who were organized as part of a circuit in 1885. In the 1890s, this frame church . . . — — Map (db m183199) HM
With Allied victory in World War II Europe secured, Farmersville celebrated the return of the area’s most famous citizen soldier. On his 18th birthday, Audie Murphy enlisted in the U.S. Army at the Greenville Post Office. In more than two years of . . . — — Map (db m162991) HM
Anna Melissa Hicks Bain (1834-1906), widow of John Alexander Bain, built this house in 1865 on 6.75 acres of land east of town square in Farmersville. She reared five daughters here: Mary Clorinda, Martha, Catherine, Christina and Margaret. An . . . — — Map (db m162856) HM
Bethlehem Baptist Church was established in 1854. Gifts provided land for a church and cemetery: in 1859, from Hugh and Edea Woody; in 1886, from Peyton D. and Sallie E. Huff; and, in 1904, from J.B. and Martha Watson. At that time, the Bethlehem . . . — — Map (db m164623) HM
Originated 1849 as a settlement on the Jefferson-McKinney road, and near Republic of Texas National road. Named by pioneers for their chief occupation. After 1854, the Yearys and their neighbors of Sugar Hill (2 mi. NE) began relocating here. Dr. . . . — — Map (db m162995) HM
Farmersville is one of the oldest towns in Collin County. It has historic ties to the antebellum (pre-Civil War) era of Texas and the pioneer settlement of Sugar Hill (1.5 mi. NE), founded by John Yeary. The center of settlement soon shifted to . . . — — Map (db m163056) HM
This Romanesque revival structure, built in 1888-89. Housed a second story fraternal hall above a first floor mercantile. One of the earliest surviving buildings in Farmersville, it features locally quarried limestone, narrow double-hung windows, . . . — — Map (db m162982) HM
Fifteen charter members, meeting under a brush arbor at this site on May 14, 1865, organized the First Baptist Church and chose the Rev. John C. Averitt (1818-1895) as the first pastor. Worship services were held in private homes and later in the . . . — — Map (db m162853) HM
This congregation traces its beginning to organized Methodist classes conducted in 1856 by the Rev. J. W. Chalk in a local schoolhouse west of the pioneer town of Farmersville. A community wide all-night revival held in Farmersville’s lone church . . . — — Map (db m162815) HM
Named for the occupation of many of its citizens, the town of Farmersville was founded in the mid 1850s. A private bank, the Exchange Bank was established in 1885, and housed in the rear of the Aston Brothers store. A national bank charter was . . . — — Map (db m170534) HM
Prominent businessman John Milburn Honaker and his wife Malinda (Buckley) built a queen-Anne home at this site in 1893. They extensively remodeled the house in 1910 in a neoclassical style, adding a full second floor and a two-story porch with . . . — — Map (db m162978) HM
Allen Daniel and his family came to Texas from Tennessee in 1847. He and his wife Elizabeth were the parents of eight children. They settled in this area in 1850 and Daniel purchased 480 acres of land in May 1851. Less than one year later, on . . . — — Map (db m163050) HM
Malissa (Dodson) Sides became the first person to be buried on this site in March 1891. Believed to have been half Native American, Mrs. Sides and her Cherokee half sister Ellen Murphy survived the U.S. government relocation of the tribe during . . . — — Map (db m201949) HM
Not so long ago an estimated 40 to 60 million bison roamed this continent in vast herds. Fed by seas of grassland prairie, the herds migrated in undulating waves from North to South with the seasons. Their numbers were not much threatened as they . . . — — Map (db m214128) HM
Built about 1911 to house the business established by 3 sons of Dr. J. D. Carpenter. This building was one of the few standing on the north side after the fire of 1922. Later it housed the Holmen Textile Co. for several years and was first site of . . . — — Map (db m191468) HM
Area frontier settlers William and Frances Rogers, Peter and Sarah Teel, and Elizabeth Rogers, and the Rev. Joab Biggs, a Methodist circuit-riding minister, organized this congregation in William Rogers' log home in 1848. Known as Bethel Methodist . . . — — Map (db m191459) HM
Built in 1911 to house a hardware store and undertaking business. It has been used for a wide variety of retail, service, manufacturing and storage businesses. Today it is home for Griffin Enterprises. Marker placed by Linda Griffin Feld and Mike . . . — — Map (db m191457) HM
By 1835, the under-funded provisional government of Texas offered to pay its soldiers with land. Surveying parties flooded the frontier, ingressing Native hunting grounds. Hard-fought battles and skirmishes brought no lasting victories to the . . . — — Map (db m244229) HM
Hispanic and Anglo settlers entered Texas to find a land well suited for cattle raising. English herding traditions from the East and Spanish ranching traditions from the South met in this region of vast open grasslands. Here English and Spanish . . . — — Map (db m214675) HM
Settlers traveling to this area of Texas after it opened for settlement as part of the Peters Colony found free land, clear spring water and plenty of timber. Those who decided to stay named it Lebanon and began to establish homes and farms. On . . . — — Map (db m191472) HM
Probably named for the white rock escarpment on which it was built, Rock Hill was established by December 1854 when John Moore became its first postmaster. By the early 20th century the town boasted two schools, four churches, three doctors, a grist . . . — — Map (db m191448) HM
Pioneer home of T.J. Campbell. Built in Lebanon Tx. on Preston Road, 1869. Moved to Frisco to be on railroad and mail line, 1902.
Constructed of lumber hauled by wagon train from Jefferson. Has cypress siding and windows. Gingerbread added . . . — — Map (db m191450) HM
In 1902 this t-shaped house was pulled from Lebanon over log rollers by a steam engine. It has served as a Dr's office, rooming house, home to many & Randy's Steak House since 1996. Marker placed by Don and Kathy Burks — — Map (db m191454) HM
Each night the trail crew would seek a camp near water for the cattle. The cook often pointed the tongue of the wagon toward the north star to guide the crew the next day. Once the cattle were bedded down in an open area, the men took turns as . . . — — Map (db m214088) HM
Known variously as the Rio, Gem and Queen. This theater built in 1919 was destroyed by fire in 1922. Left standing was the brick arch and it was embedded into the building that soon rose from the ashes. Weekend movies were enjoyed here for almost 40 . . . — — Map (db m191455) HM
In 1838 the Republic of Texas Congress appropriated money for construction of a north-south road opening the northern Texas area to trade. The project leader, Colonel William G. Cooke, followed an existing Indian trail which reached from the Red . . . — — Map (db m191471) HM
The legendary Texas Longhorn, the first uniquely American breed of cattle, has its roots in the blending of cultures and cattle during the heyday of the Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1845. Spanish Retinto cattle were introduced into the San Antonio . . . — — Map (db m214083) HM
During the Texas cattle drives of 1867-1890, the typical crew had a trail boss, ten cowboys, a cook, and a horse wrangler. The trail boss, who found good water for the cattle and chose where they would bed down each night, might earn up to $100 per . . . — — Map (db m214091) HM
Commercial cattle-trailing companies delivered more than half of all Texas cattle driven to the Kansas railheads. Many large ranches did not want to spare their men for a trail drive lasting one or two months. Smaller ranches had to rely upon family . . . — — Map (db m214674) HM
Texas cattle trailing to Louisiana developed as a business in the Galveston/Houston area during the Spanish period (ending in 1821) and the Mexican period (1821-1836). The process continued under the Republic of Texas (1836-1845), when the "Texas . . . — — Map (db m214676) HM
John Abston (1761-1856), a soldier in the American Revolution, was a native of Virginia. In the 1830s Abston and his family moved to Missouri. In 1853 he moved to Collin County, Texas, with the family of his son Jesse. Following Jesse's death that . . . — — Map (db m164617) HM
Designed by architect J. H. Suttle, the 1911 McKinney Post Office is a characteristic and well-preserved example of an Italianate post office. The tile roof, ornamental columns, eaves and window configuration are common to the American post office . . . — — Map (db m164620) HM
Collin County was formed in 1846 and its only town, Buckner, was automatically selected as the county seat. To comply with state law, an election was held to relocate the county seat to the center of the county. Only eleven people participated due . . . — — Map (db m167861) HM
In the early 1930s, the Barrow gang committed robberies and other crimes across the country. Although the gang was infamous for its leaders, Bonnie and Clyde, two other members, Raymond Hamilton and Ralph Fults, were equally dangerous. In 1935, . . . — — Map (db m171537) HM
Designed by Putnam Russell, an architect from New York, this house was constructed in 1889 for local merchant Morris Aron and his wife Henrietta. In 1897 the home was purchased by Plummer and Josie Harris and it remained in their family until . . . — — Map (db m164688) HM
This home was built about 1910 for Joe and Florence (Largent) Barnes on part of the land acquired by her father, prominent McKinney merchant W.B. Largent. Following the death of her husband in 1924, Florence sold the home to her brother, Dr. Ben . . . — — Map (db m167880) HM
Edward Bradley, his wife Nancy, and their family came to this area from Kentucky in the 1840s as members of the Peters Colony. They built a log home of a branch of Wilson's Creek in the southwest part of present McKinney. A hillside near the . . . — — Map (db m170531) HM
The land surrounding this historic cemetery was part of a grant obtained by John McGarrah, a member of the Peters Colony who arrived in this area in 1843. McGarrah founded a trading post near this site, and soon the Fort Buckner settlement was . . . — — Map (db m162269) HM
Completed in 1910, this house was built for prominent business and civic leaders Newton A. Burton (d. 1955) and Laura (Wallace) Burton (d. 1964). Designed by J.E. Cooper (d. 1936), the one-story eclectic structure features elements of the . . . — — Map (db m170544) HM
This residence was constructed by local merchant and cotton broker Charles P. Heard (d. 1937) and his wife Sallie (Galbreath) (d. 1949), McKinney philanthropists. Designed by architect John Martin, it was completed in 1893. The exterior features . . . — — Map (db m164684) HM
Formed from Fannin County Created April 3, 1846 Organized July 13, 1846 Named in honor of Collin McKinney 1766-1861 Land surveyor Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence Member of Congress, Republic of Texas Member of the Texas . . . — — Map (db m171047) HM
As early as 1858 Collin County had a system for providing relief to its indigent citizens. This property was acquired in 1886 and became known as the County Farm. Structures were built over the years to house the residents, who helped maintain the . . . — — Map (db m167940) HM
The Collin County Poor Farm was located in a valley slightly northwest of here. Originally, the Poor Farm was used to house and to care for the county's indigent residents. In later years, it housed county prisoners, who could work off their fines . . . — — Map (db m167979) HM
Designed by F.E. Ruffini, architect of numerous public buildings in Texas in the late 19th century, this High Victorian Italianate structure served as the Collin County prison for 99 years. Completed in 1880, it was modified in 1938 with funds . . . — — Map (db m142823) HM
Texas patriot and statesman One of committee of five that wrote the Texas Declaration of Independence, one of its fifty-nine signers, March 2, 1836. Served in House of Representatives, Republic of Texas. In recognition of his distinguished service . . . — — Map (db m171045) HM
A fine example of Queen Anne architecture, this home was built in 1887 for Joe H. and Clara Letson Crouch. It was sold in 1906 to F. Dudley Perkins and in 1920 was acquired by the Martin Moses Family. Prominent features of the rambling wood frame . . . — — Map (db m163403) HM
John N. Davis, a traveling buggy salesman, and his wife Maggie (Hamilton) had this house built in 1902. Their seven children were born here, although only three lived to adulthood. After Maggie's death in 1908, her mother, Cornelia Allen Hamilton, . . . — — Map (db m167888) HM
Built between 1897 and 1908 for the family of Judge Harvey Louis "H.L." (1861-1956) and Emma (Umphrees) Davis (d. 1949), this Transitional style residence features Prairie-style influences with a Sullivanesque frieze and Classical detailing with . . . — — Map (db m167884) HM
Dr. William Taylor Hoard (1873-1945) moved to McKinney in 1898. A dentist and civic leader, he built this house in 1907. Exhibiting elements of the Prairie School, Colonial Revival, and American Foursquare styles of architecture, the home features . . . — — Map (db m163470) HM
Built in 1916 by Dallas banker John Field for his sister, Mrs. Joseph E. (Lucie) Dulaney, this home remained in the Dulaney family for over fifty years. Joseph Field Dulaney (1876-1968) inherited the home from his mother and lived here until his . . . — — Map (db m164657) HM
Edward A. Newsome, a financier, land owner and philanthropist, built this home in 1895 for his wife, Laura Fitzhugh, and their family. In 1966, the home was purchased by the Murphy family. The grand, two-and-a-half story Victorian home was the . . . — — Map (db m170543) HM
Kentucky native Ben T. Estes (1841-1920) came to Texas in 1856. After serving in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, he returned to McKinney where he was engaged in the mercantile business. Estes had this home constructed for his family in . . . — — Map (db m170539) HM
Laura Frances (Fanny) Shipe (1866-1942) was born in Woodstock, Va., and educated in Texas. In 1890, after teaching at McKinney's Collegiate Institute, she married Henry A. Finch (d. 1934), later a Texas legislator and mayor of the city. The couple . . . — — Map (db m201915) HM
This congregation was organized in April 1882 under the direction of the Rev. A.R. Griggs. Originally known as the Second Baptist Church, the fellowship conducted early worship services under a brush arbor. Land at this site was deeded to church . . . — — Map (db m171531) HM
In 1900, twelve years after the founding of Murphy, local resident Mrs. May Cockrell directed the formation of this congregation. Aware of the need for a Baptist church in the community, she hosted the organizational meeting in her home. Present . . . — — Map (db m164654) HM
This congregation was formed on April 1, 1848, when about 20 persons gathered to worship at the home of Nancy and Joseph Bryson Wilmeth (1807-1892). After a picnic lunch, the group journeyed about two miles south of the Wilmeth cabin to the new . . . — — Map (db m171038) HM
Entrepreneur Francis Emerson (1815-1905) founded a McKinney banking firm in 1869, which developed into the First National Bank in 1882. First National bought this site in 1912 and built this classical revival style building. Glazed bricks and . . . — — Map (db m173777) HM
This fellowship was the first congregation in Collin county affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in the United States, a denomination established during the Civil War. Chartered with eighteen members, it was organized by the Rev. W.K. Marshall . . . — — Map (db m171041) HM
This congregation originated in 1851 as a mission of the Dallas Circuit. At first it met in the county courthouse, Masonic hall, or a union church building. In 1858, it became center of the McKinney Circuit; erected in 1876 a building of its own; . . . — — Map (db m163476) HM
This house was built in 1915 by George W. and Lula Fox. George Fox, the descendant of one of Collin County's pioneer families, was a local realtor and county official. Prominent local citizens Gibson and Goldie Caldwell purchased the house in . . . — — Map (db m170541) HM
A member of the Peters Colony, George McGarrah (1804-1879) brought his family to this area in the 1840s. Prior to his arrival in Texas, McGarrah had lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he is credited with helping to build many of the historic . . . — — Map (db m167934) HM
A doctor's son, James W. Throckmorton was born in Tennessee. He migrated with his parents to the Texas frontier in 1841 and settled near this site. At age 17, he became hunter and scout for his pioneer neighbors. He served in the Mexican War . . . — — Map (db m150245) HM
Designed by the noted architect J.E. Flanders of Dallas, this home was built in 1900 for Stephen D. Heard (1847-1926), a prominent merchant and business leader, and his wife, Lillie Snapp Heard. Their daughter, Kathryn (Mrs. Thomas) Craig, . . . — — Map (db m163469) HM
John David Stiff (1853-1909) and his wife Blanche (Duer) (1866-1950) built this residence in 1893, the same year the first of their two children was born. A merchant, stiff owned a dry goods business on the town square. His home features . . . — — Map (db m164678) HM
James Calvin Rhea (1837-1925) came to Texas from Tennessee in 1855. He and his brother, W.A. Rhea, built a gristmill in the Collin County community that became known as Rhea Mills. Built about 1890 by John W. Hamilton, this home features Eastlake . . . — — Map (db m167835) HM
This vernacular style house was built c. 1868 by James Waller Thomas, an early civic leader in Collin County, for his family of 13. Originally a one-room residence, the house has not been substantially modified since 1902. It reflects the modest . . . — — Map (db m170536) HM
This home was constructed in 1854 by John Faires (1801-1878), who had come to McKinney from Tennessee three years earlier. Near his home he built a blacksmith shop, where he worked skillfully with metal and wood. The hand chiseled front door of . . . — — Map (db m164679) HM
John M. Martin (b. 1859), a member of an early Collin county family, was a local architect and builder who erected this house for himself about 1880. The structure exhibits elements of the Queen Anne style, including asymmetrical massing, wall . . . — — Map (db m170535) HM
Arkansas native and Confederate soldier John Spenser Heard (1841-1933) joined his family here in McKinney about 1865. He married Rachel Wilson in 1884. Business success allowed the Heards to benefit numerous local causes and to build this home in . . . — — Map (db m170540) HM
E.W. Kirkpatrick (1844-1924), a veteran of the Confederate Army and a prominent leader in business and civic organizations, purchased this property in the 1870s as a site for his prosperous plant nursery. This spacious Queen Anne style house and a . . . — — Map (db m171042) HM
Square nails used on the first floor of this Queen Anne style residence suggest a construction date before the late 1880s. Originally a one-story structure, the second and third floors were added soon after 1900, when the home was purchased by . . . — — Map (db m167879) HM
