McKinney Texas History and Information

Location

  McKinney is at the intersection of U.S. highways 380 and 75, thirty-two miles north of Dallas. That's about 33°11'50"N 96°38'23"W (33.197210, -96.639751), or however you want to say it. The old Town Square is a bit east and south of there.

Post Office

  The first post office was also established in 1848, and Joel F. Stewart became the postmaster. Following Stewart were:

  The 1911 Mckinney Post Office was designed by architect J. H. Suttle. The building 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 after 1910. These elements and the three bay arched recessed entry define the facade. It was the fourth Post Office to serve the area, the structure was deeded to Collin County by the Federal Government in 1959 and in 1982 became a Collin County Museum.

  The current Post Office is located at 550 N Central Expy Mckinney, Tx 75070-9998

The Mural in the 1911 Post Office building

  Titled: Confederate Company Leaving McKinney, 1934
  The triptych mural depicts a scene in 1864 that was witnessed by the artist’s grandmother on the McKinney Courthouse Square – a block from the museum. Klepper painted his grandmother into the foreground of the main panel.
  In the mural the mounted men were volunteers for a Confederate spy unit - a group formed by orders from Brigadier General Ben McCulloch. As the men leave – a casket containing the remains of the same General McCulloch is being transported to Austin from Little Rock.
  McCulloch had been killed in action at the Battle of Pea Ridge in Arkansas in 1862 and his remains exhumed and sent to the State Cemetery in Austin.
  It is one of the few post office murals based on a particular event.
  The painting was moved to the 1960 post office, but after restoration it was placed back in the foyer of the original 1911 post office building – back in its former place.

Education

  McKinney is served primarily by the McKinney Independent School District, but some western areas of McKinney are zoned to nearby Frisco Independent School District and southern areas to Allen Independent School District.

Colleges and Universities

  McKinney is the home of the Central Campus of Collin County Community College, also known as 'Quad-C', which opened in January 1986.

Noted people born in McKinney

William (Haystack" or "Haystacks) Calhoun

A professional wrestler, who used the professional name "Haystack" or "Haystacks" Calhoun. The gargantuan wrestler was one of the foremost drawing cards during the industry’s "Golden Age" of the 1950s and 1960s while sporting his trademark white T-shirt, blue overalls, and horseshoe necklace. He is recognized as being among the chief pioneers for the sport’s super-heavyweight attractions.

Josh Duhon

An American actor. He was born Joshua Wilson Duhon in McKinney, Texas, and stands 6'. Josh Duhon joined the cast of General Hospital in March 2007 as Logan Hayes, Lulu Spencer's eventual love interest. He left the series in September 2008.

Roy Furr

Former president of the Furr's chain of supermarkets and restaurants. In 1929 he moved to Lubbock, where he bought six grocery stores, the beginning of the chain. Furr's, Inc.

Tom Kite

Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. (born December 9, 1949) in McKinney, Texas. He began playing golf at age 6 and won his first tournament at age 11.

Otho Nitcholas

Otho James Nitcholas (September 13, 1908 - September 11, 1986) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in seven games, all in relief, for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. The 36-year-old rookie right-hander stood 6'0" and weighed 190 lbs.

Guinn Smith

Owen Guinn Smith (May 2, 1920 – January 20, 2004) was an American athlete, the 1948 Olympic champion in the pole vault.

J. Michael Tatum

John Michael Tatum (Born May 25, 1976 in McKinney, Texas) is an American voice actor who is better known by his stage name J. Michael Tatum he is most well known for portraying Shizuka Do-meki in Funimation's English language dub of the hit series xxxHOLiC and Kyouya Ootori in Ouran High School Host Club

James W. Throckmorton

James Webb Throckmorton (February 1, 1825 – April 21, 1894) was an American politician who served as Governor of Texas from 1866 to 1867 during the early days of Reconstruction. He also served as a United States Congressman from Texas from 1875 to 1879 and then again from 1883 to 1889.

Dudley Wysong

H. Dudley Wysong, Jr. (May 15, 1939 – March 29, 1998) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s.