when and why plano's street names were changed
brenda kellow
october 6, 2013
Librarian Cheryl Smith was hunting for information on when and why Plano Street names were changed for someone in the Genealogy Center. I was one of the people she called to help enlighten her or give her an approximate date. After searching through old deeds of property my family owned I was able to find one original deed that listed the real estate on Mechanic Street. After searching through more deeds and insurance papers, I found the addresses written as being on 15th Street. The dates of the documents listing Mechanic and 15th were 1947 and 1948 respectively.
With this clue, Cheryl searched the Dallas Morning News for the answer. She found it on page 13 on February 8, 1948. It was not the exact date of the changeover, but it did explain the change was in the works.
"Delivery of Mail Near for 532 Plano Homes"
“Plano’s 532 homes will get mail delivery as soon as street markers are placed, mailboxes installed, and homes renumbered in compliance with postal regulations.
Postmaster W. C. Carlisle said residents of the Collin County town would be required to number their own houses and buy mailboxes. The street markers are being set by the town council.
He said an examination would be held to select Plano’s first house-to-house mailman.”
The Dallas Morning News, February 8, 1948, page 13.
With the “when” answered, Cheryl searched to find why the streets were renamed. Here is what she found from information I gave her.
“Your information you gave me about those deeds helped me narrow down the years when I went looking for this. I discovered a map drawn up by Mr. A. R. Schell Jr. with the new names of the streets. I found out through the research he was working on an engineer major at the time. He was asked to help create the map and rename the streets because his dad was mayor also at that time. So, about a hundred years after Plano first began receiving mail for the town we now had door to door mail. It’s part of my History of Plano talk.” Cheryl Smith
Prior to mail delivery, residents picked up their mail at the Post Office in downtown “old” Plano on 15th Street. It was on the north side of the street near Avenue K. Mr. Carlisle was the first postmaster and Billy Wayne Creed and Claude Nelson were the first mail carriers. Billy Wayne Creed became our second postmaster. Thanks to Plano resident Kenneth Christian for the information on the mail carriers.
It was during that time that residents got curb and gutters. I remember what a mess the street was in during that construction period. I also remember that we lost the lovely hedge in front of the house. It was too close to the property line I suppose, so it had to be removed.
All these changes must have made it easier for the milkman to deliver our fresh Borden’s milk. Mr. Morgan, owner of the ice house, lived in Plano so the modern changes would not have helped him find our houses to deliver the block of ice. He used to come in the back porch, open a large door and slide the ice block through it into our icebox. Yes, it was an icebox before it became known as the refrigerator or fridge.
I have not heard Cheryl’s talk on Plano, but I would be interested in doing so. Hopefully she will give it again in a few months so that all of us from that period can attend.
Thank you, Cheryl, for information on the when and why Plano’s streets were renamed.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION JUST LEARNED AND NOT IN NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:
I just heard form Betty Forman Plank who emailed me the following:
"It was my understanding that William Forman was the first postmaster. Back in the 1850s ??????
There is a story about the naming of Plano, and William Forman did not
Want the town named for him????
I also remember Billy Wayne Creed, but there was an old postmaster by the Name of Willie Glen Carlisle ???
I often wish for my Mother to remember all of this."
(Betty, I think we all wish for our mothers, for many reasons.)
I would like to hear from my readers if you have any remembrances of "old" Plano before the 1950s, or the many communities around Plano. Email these to me at the email address below.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
