Add an Article
Add an Event
Edit
411 West Arapaho Road
972-744-4100
In the 1840s, settlers from Tennessee
and Kentucky
began arriving in the Richardson
area which was inhabited by Comanche and Caddo Indian tribes. Several of the
earliest families clustered around an area later named Breckinridge in honor of
the Vice President of the United
States from
1857-1861. The town was situated near the what is now RichlandCollege
and consisted of a general store, a blacksmith shop and the FloydInn.
After the Civil War, the railroad bypassed Breckinridge and an area to the
northwest of Breckinridge became the new center of activity. William J. Wheeler
donated land for the town site and railroad right-of-way, but declined to have
the village named in his honor. Instead the town was named for railroad
contractor E.H. Richardson, who built the line from Dallas
to Denison.
Richardson
was chartered in 1873 and was generally situated between present-day Greer and
Phillips streets on the north and south, and between Central Expressway and Greenville
Avenue on the west and
east, although a small segment did lie west of Central Expressway in its
present alignment. Originally, there were three businesses: a general store, a
post office and a drug store.
In 1908 the Interurban, an electric railway, began service north to Denison,
south to Waco,
southeast to Corsicana
and west to Fort Worth.
By 1910, residents had seen their first telephone, electric light and gravel
street, and had grown in number to about 600. In 1914, a red brick schoolhouse,
presently home to the administrative offices of the Richardson Independent
School District (RISD), was built.
In 1924, the Red Brick Road
(Greenville Avenue)
was completed, bringing an increase in traffic, population and property values.
The following year the town incorporated and elected its first mayor, Thomas F.
McKamy. All taxable property was assessed at a value of $515,292, and a total
of 15 businesses were in operation. Bonds were issued and in 1926, waterworks
were completed so homes could be furnished with indoor water. A sewage
treatment plant was then constructed, the volunteer fire department began
operating and, soon after, utility franchises were awarded to Lone Star Gas and
Texas Power and Light Company.
By 1940, the population stood at about 740 but after World War II, the City
experienced a new surge in population. By 1950, the City boasted a population
of approximately 1,300. Additional municipal services, such as emergency
ambulance, police protection and parks and recreation facilities, became
available to residents.