A Brief History of Plano, TX
Plano, Texas has a history that stretches back from being a hunting ground for nomadic tribes to the thriving city it is today. Here’s a quick look at some key points:
Early Inhabitants: Native American tribes lived in the area for thousands of years before European settlers arrived.
1840s: The first European-American settlers came to Plano, attracted by land grants. The area was named Plano, meaning “flat” in Spanish, due to the absence of trees and the generally level terrain.
1872: The arrival of the Houston and Texas Central Railway connected Plano to major cities and spurred its growth. Plano became incorporated the following year.
Late 1800s: The town faced setbacks from fires but rebuilt and continued to develop as a cotton and grain center.
1900s: Plano remained a slow-growing farming community for most of the 20th century.
1980s: A turning point came with the arrival of corporations like Electronic Data Systems (EDS) which established a major business park in Plano. This shift from agriculture to a focus on business and technology continues to define Plano today.