Plano, TX Area Guide

Plano is a northern suburb of Dallas, Texas that is located mostly within Collin County. The suburb had a population of 222,030 as of the 2000 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas. According to a 2008 census estimate, Plano grew to 267,480 residents, making it the seventieth most populous city in the United States. Plano is within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, colloquially referred to as the Metroplex. The city is home to many corporate headquarters, including Ericsson Inc., Rent-A-Center, Crossmark, Perot Systems, Electronic Data Systems, JCPenney, Frito-Lay, Cinemark Theatres, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and UGS.

In 2005, Plano was designated the best place to live in the Western United States by CNN Money magazine. In 2006, Plano was selected as the 11th best place to live in the United States by CNN Money magazine. Plano schools consistently score among the highest in the nation. It has been rated as the wealthiest city in the United States by CNN Money with a poverty rate of less than 6.4%. In 2008, Forbes.com selected Plano, University Park, and Highland Park as the three "Top Suburbs To Live Well" of Dallas. The United States Census Bureau declared Plano the wealthiest city of 2008 by comparing the median household income for all U.S. cities whose populations were greater than 250,000. The annual Plano Balloon Festival is the city's premiere cultural and entertainment event. To learn more about Plano, please visit their official website at: http://www.plano.gov/Pages/default.aspx.

History of Plano

Discover the following and more of Plano’s rich history by clicking on the link provided below: http://www.plano.gov/DEPARTMENTS/PLANNING/LONG%20RANGE%20PLANNING/HERITAGE%20PRESERVATION/Pages/history.aspx.

The community of Plano originated in the early 1840's in the Republic of Texas. Most of the early pioneers migrated from Kentucky and Tennessee as small groups of settlers found their way to Collin County's blackland prairie. Initial efforts to settle the area began in 1841, but progress was halted by Indian attacks until 1844. The settlements were widely scattered in 1844 and only a few were made in 1845. In 1846, William Foreman bought Peter's Colony land from Sanford Beck and settled a half-mile northeast of Plano. Plano's birth was due in part to the enterprises of the Foreman family. Mr. Foreman erected a sawmill and gristmill that would be in demand by his neighbors. Later a store and gin were added and these facilities attracted other settlers to the area.

Joseph, Daniel and Samuel Klepper took up their head-rights in 1847 at the present site of the city of Plano. Many more people came to help form a community. Silas Harrington, his brother Alfred and Dr. Henry Dye came to settle in 1848. Mr. Dye was the first medical doctor in the settlement. Mail service was established around 1850 and William Foreman's home became the unofficial post office. The scattered settlements had now become a closer community and Dr. Dye felt the need for a proper name and he dispatched to Washington D.C., an application requesting the name of Fillmore, in honor of the President of the United States. The name Fillmore was rejected and the name Foreman was suggested but declined by William Foreman. Dr. Dye, determined to have a community with a recognized name suggested Plano. He understood the word Plano to mean "plain" (to describe the surrounding terrain) in Spanish. Postal authorities approved the name and Plano became the name of the community. William Foreman served as the first postmaster.

Although raising livestock was the principal business in the county, more and more of the populace began farming the rich, black land. Churches and schools were built and local business began to prosper. In the closing years of the 1850s growth was steady, but this halted with the arrival of the Civil War. From 1861-1864, the growth of Plano was at a standstill. As the South would surrender in defeat, the men began to return to Plano to pick up their run-down farms and persist again to open more business and trade to attract new people to the area. New people came from the mechanized North as well as the South to escape their gutted communities and farms to start a new life.

Attractions

The following information on Plano’s attractions has been directly sourced from
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g56463-Activities-Plano_Texas.html and
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g56463-d1097444-r17526138-Interurban_Railway_Musuem-Plano_Texas.html. Please click on the links provided for more information.

D'Vine Wine is a boutique winery specializing in custom wines made from the highest quality varietals. Buy the glass, buy the bottle or our vintners will guide you through the process of customizing your very own wine.

Interurban Railway Museum this is a wonderful little museum in a converted substation that tells the history of the Texas Electric Railway and how it helped the economic development of the area. The Art Centre of Plano focuses primarily on contemporary visual art installations and maintains a varied calendar of receptions. There are innumerable strip malls in Plano. The Central Expressway is a road to retail variety establishments like Barnes & Noble, World Market, and Bed, Bath, & Beyond

Parks & Recreation

Plano is home to a wonderful parks and recreation service that provides a carefully and progressively integrated range of parks, recreation, cultural and human services. The Plano community and the city work together to foster creative partnerships, while making sure that the needs of this growing and evolving community are met. To learn more about the Plano parks and recreation department, please visit them on the web at:

http://www.plano.gov/Departments/ParksAndRecreation/Pages/default.aspx