Knockin' around on Labor Day

One of our favorite " spur of the moment " things to do on a Saturday or holiday,  is to go to McKinney, Texas and "knock around" for a few hours.  McKinney is about 30 minutes north of Dallas and the town square is a real treat.  McKinney was recently named by Money Magazine as the 5th best place to live in the country! McKinney is one of the oldest towns in Texas and also one of the fastest growing. McKinney's reputation as a great place to live is well deserved. It has most everything one could want in a city to live and raise a family:  Beautiful neighborhoods, historic homes, rolling topography, great golf courses,  lots of trees, excellent shops and, restaurants, great schools, a great business climate, close proximity to a big city and lots of history. McKinney's historic town square is one of  it's best assets and maintains it's late 19th century feel and charm.  Hundreds of folks make the trek to McKinney from all over the Metroplex every weekend to enjoy early Texas architecture, interesting boutiques, antique shops and various eating establishments.

One of my favorite shops is Alternative Furnishings.  The owner Charm, is a personal friend and one of the nicest ladies you will ever meet.  I don't think I've ever left her shop without buying something! (she loves to see me coming!)  Today's find was a fabulous antique arched leaded glass window.  Charm informed me that the window was removed from a Baltimore mansion.  We've been looking for an architectural piece to go in a special place in our cottage, and this window will fit the bill perfectly.  I've seen many leaded glass windows before, but this one has some of the most detailed lead work I've ever run across!  Most of the time, the lead work is basically plain lines of lead; this one has relief carved floral and leaf details that really make it special.  Can't wait to get it hung!

  Here's a tidbit of  history about McKinney: 

The history of McKinney, one of the oldest towns in North Texas, dates back over one hundred and fifty years to 1841, when the first settlers arrived in the region from Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Collin County got its name five years later, when the state’s first legislators, meeting under the Constitution of the State in 1846, created Collin, Denton, Hunt, and Grayson counties out of the territory that had been named Fannin County, an area that encompassed most of Northeast Texas.

The original county seat was established in Buckner in 1846, but just two years later, the seat was moved three miles eastward to a more central location, and was renamed McKinney. Both the county and its seat were named after Collin McKinney. The town was originally incorporated in 1849, and was re-incorporated on May 28, 1859.

In 1948 the U.S. Post Office Department changed the name of the new county seat from Buckner to McKinney.  McKinney’s first postmaster was Joel F. Stewart in 1848, the first merchant was John L. Lovejoy, and the first newspaper in town was the McKinney Messenger, published by James W. Thomas in 1858. McKinney’s first church was organized in 1848 by J.B. Wilmeth, who had also created Collin County’s first church two years earlier. The initial meetings of the First Christian Church of McKinney were held in the Wilmeth blacksmith shop, and were later moved to an upper room of the Wilmeth house. McKinney was also the home of James W. Throckmorton, the 11th governor of Texas, who later served in the United States Congress. Other frequent visitors to the town were Jesse and Frank James and their James Gang, who came to McKinney to visit their cousin "Tuck" Hill, whose historic house still stands just west of downtown.

The railroad came through McKinney in 1872. The first City Hall was built in 1882 on S. Kentucky St., the second built in 1909. The first McKinney fire company was organized in 1878, and electric lights were introduced in 1889.

In 1850, the population of Collin County was 1,950. By the turn of the century, it had topped 50,000, while today (2008) nearly 750,000 people call the county home. Land value has increased proportionally as well: the taxable value per acre in 1849 was a mere 68 cents; by 1872 it was up to $5.75 an acre, and in 1923 that number had jumped to $25-50 an acre.

I've included some photographs from our outing that will give you a feel for some of the neat shops the downtown square has to offer. I highly recommend visiting McKinney for some good shopping, some good sights, some good food and a chance to pick up that special find!   Enjoy the photos.

I hope everyone enjoyed Labor Day as much as we did.