Situated between McKinney and Dallas on the rail line, Plano was breathing in change as the 1880's began. It was said that no one had locks on their doors until the railway came through town, bringing strangers from all walks of life to the community. Farms were expanding from subsistence level, able to sell produce afar due to rail travel. Cowboys now herded Longhorns that had helped the town recover after the war to the train depot, instead of up the Shawnee Trail. Cotton was a thriving cash crop for the community. Steam pressured threshers came into use, although mules still were the staples for travel and farm work. Mail, newspapers, and magazines came into town regularly. Plano was passing from pioneering into a bustling community.

Incorporated now for about seven years, Plano boasted a population of eight hundred people. The town was coming out of a countrywide depression; that and a series of devastating downtown fires kept businesses coming and going. Generally, a newspaper office, groceries, drug stores, carpentry and contracting, blacksmiths, photography, boot and shoe, millinery, and confectionery shops, mills, saloons, hardware stores, a cooperage, a wagon and buggy shop, farm implement stores, hotels, livery stables, a mule barn, "opera houses", doctors' and dentists' offices, schools, and a bank were a part of the landscape. Plano was well known for having as many saloons as it had churches, although the Temperance League managed to change that ratio in 1894, and again in 1902, achieving a more lasting effort. Cotton buyers, grain dealers, and a telephone company set up offices, and furniture, undertaking, barbering, as well as the restaurant trade were thriving.

Trade Days became an established custom in Plano, featuring anyone having anything to sell or trade, and giving merchants an opportunity to show their wares. Pigs, cows, sheep, horses, mules, goats, farm machinery, medicine shows, lemonade stands, dollmakers, singers, peddlers, and dancers on the backs of wagons filled the town. It was a practical excuse for showing off, trading tales, having fun, competing and comparing.

Plano was said to be devoted to progress, and by 1896 its population of 2,500 was considered to be quite refined, despite it's returning and thriving saloons. By the turn of the century a city artesian well water system existed, and the city was considering macadamizing the main, and often impassable, dirt roads although this took until 1917 to achieve. Automobiles became common sights despite the mud and rocks about 1910, but were forbidden to travel over 7 miles per hour in Plano. Electricity came to town about 1912, forever changing the landscape, and keeping the iceman busy delivering "electrified ice."

Fashions popular to the time included elaborate Victorian costumes, with piled, twisted, puffed, and curled hair for women, topped with exquisite millinery creations. Men were somewhat more conservative, in 4 or more buttoned vests and suits, with starched, detachable shirt cuffs and collars. In Plano, while farm wear was more conservative and smacked of pioneer days in its serviceability, many families dressed for occasions in the elaborate lace, satin, and delicate fabrics that exemplified the era. Bustles, corsets, and high boots were often worn by women, even in the heat of the summer. Many daring women wore outfits similar to the cowboys of the area. As the turn of the century took hold and crept toward the Roaring Twenties, simpler hair and dress took hold, but long dresses, vests and jackets still prevailed.

As the Victorian era was elaborate, so was food more so than in previous times. In Plano there was just as much emphasis on this when parties or festivals were held, but food spoilage was a concern. Anything that couldn't be preserved by smoking, salting, or cooking had to be eaten quickly. Ice wasn't easily obtained in the summer months, although it showed up unexpectedly in the winter. Fruits and vegetables obtained in the summer were bottled when possible, and used for pies, etc. later. Popcorn, candied apples, appleade, lemonade, jerky, fried and baked goods, popped corn in many forms, baked nuts, pickled veggies and meats, dried fish, ice cream, shaved ice cups, and sausaged meats were all among popular "treats".

Entertainment of this era also reflected the luxurious, in keeping with more affluence and leisure time. Plano included singing, recitations, plays, melodrama, concerts, odd or accomplished musicians, and demonstrations, as well as more educational "readings" and lectures in their activities. Painting was a popular pastime, as was whittling, carving, fancy stitching, and making items for the home. While behavior was publicly conservative (outside the bars) during this time, and correctness was expected, artistic individuality was given respect and admiration. Athletic endeavors, such as races between animals, children, buggies, or adults were prevalent, as were tennis and croquet.