01/05/2025
Plano, Texas has a history that includes being a hunting ground for nomadic tribes, a small rural farming community, and a thriving corporate hub:
Early settlement
The first Anglo settlers came to the area in the 1840s to take advantage of land grants. The area was originally Blackland Prairie, covered in tall grasses, wildflowers, and bison.
Incorporation
Plano was incorporated in 1873, a year after the Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived. The railroad linked Plano to Dallas and Houston, and new markets.
Growth
Plano's population grew slowly, reaching 1,304 in 1900 and 3,695 in 1960. In the 1960s, new neighborhoods and shopping centers transformed Plano into a suburban community.
Corporate headquarters
In the late 1970s and 1980s, many large corporations, such as JCPenney, Frito-Lay, and Toyota, moved their corporate headquarters to Plano.
Civic and historical core
Downtown Plano re-emerged as the city's civic and historical core in the early 2000s. The Farrel-Wilson Farmstead Museum (Heritage Museum) occupies a former sheep ranch and provides evidence of Plano's past as a small rural farming community.
The city's population was 269,776 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth most populous city in the state of Texas and the 69th most populous in the United S...
