Allen, Texas History and Information
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Allen Texas, a History
Starting outAllen was founded in 1870 as a railroad stop for the Houston and Texas Railroad, connecting the railway with nearby farms. LocationIt is about 1214 miles from Allen to Washington D.C. and about 203 miles to the Texas state capital, as the crow flies. Allen Texas is 33.10 degrees north of the equator and 96.66 degrees west of the prime meridian. For us that don't understand the above, going to the intersection of State Highway 75 and McDermott should get you there. With that out of the way, you are probably wanting some history and information about Allen, Texas. Let's see what we can find. Ebenezer AllenThe city was named after former Texas attorney general and railroad promoter Ebenezer Allen. A native of Maine, Allen migrated to Texas in the 1830s. Becoming attorney general of Texas under Anson Jones in December 1844, he served a while as secretary of state, and assisted Jones in framing the terms of annexation to the United States. He was attorney general under Governor Peter Hansbrough Bell from 1849 to 1853. In 1848 Allen was instrumental in securing the charter for the Galveston and Red River Railroad Company, and in the 1850s he was a promoter and manager of the Houston and Texas Central Railway. He supported secession and entered the Confederate service at the outbreak of the Civil War. He died in Virginia in 1863. Post Office and TrainsIn 1876 a post office opened in Allen and in 1878, a gang of robbers led by Sam Bass, committed what is believed to have been the first train robbery in Texas at the Allen station. The first railway dam used to facilitate the railway still stands at Exchange Park |
Through TimeBy 1884 Allen had a population estimated at 350, three churches, a school, a chair factory, and a flour mill. In 1908 the Texas Traction Company built an electric railway through the town. The population had increased to 550 by 1915. In the mid-1940s the number of residents declined to 400, and in 1948 train service was discontinued. Beginning in the late 1960s, however, Allen's population grew rapidly. Between 1970 and 1980 the number of residents jumped from 1,940 to 8,314. This increase was influenced by the economic growth of Dallas and nearby Plano and the construction of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In the year 2000, Allen had grown to over 40,000. By 2007, the population had nearly doubled. Notable current and former residents of Allen:
EducationThe Allen ISD serves almost all the education needs of the city with small portions extending into Lovejoy, McKinney, and Plano ISDs. Allen also hosts a campus of the Collin County Community College District, which is located inside Allen High School. SportsThe Allen Eagle Football Program has won several titles. There is also a Hockey team, a Bowling team,as Soccor team and more. All in all, the Allen athletic program is very competitive. It is said that Eagle Stadium is haunted by an ex-football player. There have been sightings of a shadow running down the field at midnight, but the ghost has only been seen on Friday nights after a game. |
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