Richardson, Texas

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Richardson, Texas
Flag of Richardson, Texas
Flag
Nickname: The Telecom Corridor
Location within Dallas County and the state of Texas
Location within Dallas County and the state of Texas
Coordinates: 32°57′56″N 96°42′57″W / 32.96556, -96.71583
Country United States
State Texas
Counties Dallas, Collin
Government
 - City Manager Bill Keffler
Area
 - City 28.6 sq mi (74.0 km²)
 - Land 28.6 sq mi (74.0 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation 630 ft (192 m)
Population (2007)
 - City 101,400
 - Density 3,549.1/sq mi (1,370.3/km²)
 - Metro 6,003,967
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s) 972
FIPS code 48-61796[1]
GNIS feature ID 1345172[2]
Website: http://www.cor.net

Richardson is a city in Collin and Dallas Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 91,803, while according to a 2007 estimate, the population had grown to 101,400. Richardson is a part of Dallas' Silicon Prairie, and is home to the Telecom Corridor, which is a very large technology business center that includes offices for 5,700 companies, including 600 technology companies, such as Nortel, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Tellabs, Texas Instruments, and AT&T. It is also the corporate headquarters of Fossil, Inc.

In 2006, Richardson was selected as the 15th best place to live in the United States by Money magazine.[3]

In 2007 the Morgan Quitno 14th Annual America's Safest and Most Dangerous Cities Awards were announced, and Richardson was named the 69th safest city in America. In the same study Richardson ranked the 5th safest city in Texas.

Contents

[edit] History

The Floyd Family Inn, circa 1880
The Floyd Family Inn, circa 1880

In the 1840s, settlers from Tennessee and Kentucky began arriving in the Richardson area which was inhabited by Comanche and Caddo Native American tribes. Several of the earliest families clustered around an area later named Breckinridge in honor of John C. Breckenridge, Confederate Secretary of State and General, and Vice President of the United States from 1857-1861. The town was situated near what is now Richland College and consisted of a general store, a blacksmith shop and the Floyd Inn.

After the American Civil War, the new railroad bypassed Breckinridge and an area to the northwest of Breckinridge became the new center of activity. William J. Wheeler donated land for the town site and railroad right-of-way, but declined to have the village named in his honor. Instead the town was named for railroad contractor E. H. Richardson, who built the line from Dallas to Denison.

Richardson was chartered in 1873. Originally, there were three businesses: a general store, a post office and a drug store. In 1908 the Interurban, an electric railway, began service north to Denison, Texas, south to Waco, Texas, southeast to Corsicana, Texas and west to Fort Worth, Texas. By 1910, residents had seen their first telephone, electric light and gravel street, and had grown in number to about 600. In 1914, a red brick schoolhouse, presently home to the administrative offices of the Richardson Independent School District (RISD), was built.

Aerial photo of Main Street, circa 1950
Aerial photo of Main Street, circa 1950

In 1924, the Red Brick Road (Greenville Avenue) was completed, bringing an increase in traffic, population and property values. The following year the town incorporated and elected its first mayor, Thomas F. McKamy. All taxable property was assessed at a value of $515,292, and a total of 15 businesses were in operation. Bonds were issued and in 1926, waterworks were completed so homes could be furnished with indoor water. A sewage treatment plant was then constructed, the volunteer fire department began operating and, soon after, utility franchises were awarded to Lone Star Gas and Texas Power and Light Company. By 1940, the population stood at about 740 but after World War II, the city experienced a new surge in population. By 1950, the city boasted a population of approximately 1,300. Additional municipal services, such as emergency ambulance, police protection and parks and recreation facilities, became available to residents.

Heights Park is famous for its rocketship slide.
Heights Park is famous for its rocketship slide.

In 1951, Collins Radio opened a Richardson office, ushering the city into the electronic era. U.S. Highway 75 opened in 1954 and the agricultural city of the past became a community of shopping centers and homes. In 1955, Richardson’s first police department was organized; consisting of a chief and two officers. On June 26, 1956, voters adopted a home rule charter and a council-manager form of government that still operates today. Door-to-door mail delivery became available to the 5,000 residents and funds were approved for a park and city hall. Also in 1956, Texas Instruments opened its offices just south of the Richardson border and land values increased dramatically as the city made significant advances in population and economic status. More than 500,000 people moved into the Dallas area in the period between 1940 and 1960.

Miss Richardson, 1970
Miss Richardson, 1970

In 1969, Erik Jonsson and other Texas Instruments executives donated the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies to the state and it became part of the University of Texas System called University of Texas at Dallas. In 1972, the population stood at approximately 56,000, and this same year the Richardson Independent School District had an enrollment of approximately 32,000 students in 16 elementary schools, seven junior high schools and four high schools.

The city of Buckingham, after being completely surrounded by Richardson, was annexed into the city in 1996.

Today the city is no longer the bedroom community of the 1950s and 1960s, but is itself at the heart of a significant employment center, the Telecom Corridor, where more than 80,000 people work each day. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) completed construction on three light rail stations for the city in the late 1990s. In the spring of 2000, City of Richardson officials broke ground on the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and Corporate Presentations at the Galatyn Park Station urban center, named after Richardson philanthropist and businessman Charles W. Eisemann.

On January 8, 1991, Richardson High School student Jeremy Wade Delle fatally shot himself in front of his English class, an incident that inspired the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy."

On December 4, 2001 a Richardson-based charitable organization called the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development was designated under Executive Order 13224[1] issued by President George W. Bush as a charity that provided support to Hamas. In the United States the charity provided support to victims of the Iowa floods, Texas tornadoes, and the Oklahoma City bombing. The Holy Land Foundation criminal trial began on Monday, July 23, 2007, at the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse in Dallas, Texas. On Monday, October 22, 2007, Judge Joe Fish declared a mistrial for the government's case against the charity because jurors were deadlocked. On November 4, 2007 the LA Times reported: "The nation's biggest terrorism finance case ended so badly for the government that it has thrown into question the Bush administration's original order to shut down the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development six years ago."[citation needed]

Richardson was a "dry city" with no alcohol sales of any kind until November 2006, when the local option election passed to allow the sale of beer and wine.

Richardson City Council members unanimously approved a smoking ban on May 12, 2008. Effective January 1, 2009 smoking will be banned in most restaurants. Exceptions are made for patio areas that are more than 10 feet away from the main entrance of the building. Businesses which produce 70 percent or more of their income from the sale of alcohol are exempt. Businesses which produce 50 to 70 percent of their income from alcohol sales can provide a smoking area provided that the smoking area is separated by walls and uses a separate ventilation system. Businesses which produce 90% or more of their income from tobacco sales are exempt. All businesses that are smoke free or allow smoking are required to post a sign, designed by the city, which informs entering patrons of their smoking status. Council member John Murphy was quoted in The Dallas Morning News saying "I cannot remember a more potentially divisive issue to come before this council,".

[edit] Economy of the late 2000s

Despite declining economies in other parts of the United States, from 2005 thru 2008 Richardson has had substantial increases in its economy. The city’s total assessed property value went up from $8.3 billion in 2005 to $9.5 billion 2008. Sales tax collection went up from $21 million in 2005 to an estimated $24.7 million in 2008. The city has also achieved a considerable amount of corporate recruitment and retention. Including the new Blue Cross Blue Shield development. The largest DFW office campus development since 1987 and the winner of DBJ’s 2006 “Best Rest Estate Deal of the Year” is a 15 story, 1,000,000-square-foot (93,000 m²) regional headquarters which employees 2,700. Some other major corporate expansions or relocations include MetroPCS, Yahoo, Huawei Technologies and Halff Associates, Inc.. Data centers continue to be a redevelopment interest in Richardson as well.

The city has experienced a surge of mixed-use development, suburban infill and transit-oriented development such as The Venue, a 4 acre mixed-use development adjacent to Galatyn Park rail station. The Venue started leasing in March of 2008. Eastside, a mixed-use, infill development, is at the midpoint of two DART rail stations, Araphaho Center and Spring Valley Station. Eastside is located on the southeast corner of Campbell Road and US 75. It features 450 apartments by Post Properties, 90,000 square feet (8,400 m²) of retail space and 35,000 square feet (3,300 m²) of office space in addition to a class A office building that was pre-existing on the development site. Eastside phase II will include 12 acres of office and mixed-use development.

Brick Row, a $200 million mixed-use development, is located on the northwest corner of Spring Valley Road and Greenville Avenue. The site touches the Spring Valley DART rail station. The Shire is a mixed-use center of 6.5 acres. Phase II is an additional 10 acres. The Shire has a boutique hotel planned and features 62 luxury condominiums. The former Richardson Square Mall has been redeveloped into a outdoor retail center. Other retail centers have been re-developed or remodeled including Buckingham Plaza, Buckingham Square, Dal-Rich Village, Richardson Village, II Creeks, Richardson Heights and Richardson Village.[4]

[edit] Mayors

Tom McKamy, 1st Mayor of Richardson
Tom McKamy, 1st Mayor of Richardson
  • 1925-1927: T. F. McKamy
  • 1927-1929: W. S. Spotts
  • 1929-1931: Kit Floyd
  • 1931-1933: James Harben
  • 1933-1937: T. F. McKamy
  • 1937-1947: T. J. Jackson
  • 1947-1951: Elmer Dabney
  • 1951-1953: Dr. T. C. Longnecker
  • 1953-1955: A. W. Walvoord
  • 1955-1959: R. V. Thompson
  • 1959-1961: Glen Hoskins
  • 1961-1963: W. B. Strange
  • 1963-1967: Herb Ryan
  • 1967-1967: Robert Porter
  • 1967-1968: John Gordon
  • 1968-1983: Raymond Noah
  • 1983-1986: Martha Ritter
  • 1987-1991: Charles Spann
  • 1991-2007: Gary Slagel
  • 2007-Present: Steve Mitchell

[edit] Geography

Richardson is located at 32°57′56″N, 96°42′57″W (32.965628, -96.715707).[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.6 square miles (74.0 km²), all of it land.

Most of the city is in Dallas County, however the northernmost part of the city is in Collin County. Of the 27.4 square miles (71 km²) contained within the borders of the City of Richardson, 18.2 sq mi (47 km²). lie in Dallas County; the other 9.2 sq mi (24 km²). fall in Collin County.

[edit] Education

[edit] Colleges and universities

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The university is a young, dynamic research institution on the cutting edge of science, technology, medicine, business and the arts. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of universities in the state of Texas in terms of average SAT scores.

[edit] K-12 schools

The city is served by the Richardson Independent School District, except for the portion of the city in Collin County, which is served by the Plano ISD.

High schools in Richardson include Richardson High School, Lloyd V. Berkner High School, J.J. Pearce High School, and the Christa McAuliffe Learning Center. Although located in the City of Dallas, Lake Highlands High School is also in the Richardson Independent School District.

[edit] Public libraries

The roots of the Richardson Public Library date back to 1947 when a branch of the Dallas County Library was established in a section of the Cash Dry Goods store on East Main Street in downtown Richardson. The fledgling library collection numbered about 400 volumes and was managed by Jessie Durham the store's proprietor. The City Council established the library as a city department in 1958 and in 1959 the library moved into a newly constructed building at 310 Tyler Street. This new library was just under 6,000 square feet (560 m²) in size and was build at a cost of $100,000.

Richardson was experiencing rapid growth in the 1960s and 70s and the library facility soon became inadequate for community needs. The current facility was constructed at a cost of $2 million and opened December 1st, 1970. The new library was 76,000 in size and contained four floors of which two were finished out and put into use. The basement was finished in 1980 for the reference collection and services. 1995 saw another expansion which finished the upper floor and renovated the three previously opened floors. The most recent renovation occurred in 2006 when the Youth Services department was expanded and other collections and services rearranged. In 2008 the library has a collection of about 250,000 items and circulates just under 1,000,000 items per year. Library web site

[edit] Demographics

The city is home to a sizeable Asian American population, with large Chinese American and Vietnamese American communities contributing to the character of the city. There are notable concentrations of Chinese, Taiwanese and Vietnamese American businesses along Greenville Avenue, particularly between Arapaho Road and Belt Line Road. A shopping center there displays a sign declaring the area to be "DFW Chinatown," though the area is rarely referred to as such by locals, as there are other concentrations of Chinese American businesses of similar size (if not larger) in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metropolitan area. A large number of Vietnamese American establishments can also be found in the area of Richardson's historic downtown. The city is also home to many Indian Americans and a number of Indian American businesses.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 91,802 people, 35,191 households, and 24,774 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,213.9 people per square mile (1,241.1/km²). There were 36,530 housing units at an average density of 1,278.9/sq mi (493.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.39% White, 6.18% African American, 0.45% Native American, 11.67% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.65% from other races, and 2.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.26% of the population.

There were 35,191 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

According to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a family in Richardson was $83,821.[6] Males had a median income of $52,381 versus $35,255 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,551. About 3.3% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Notable Richardsonians

[edit] Images

[edit] Historic Richardson

Photographs courtesy of the Richardson Historical and Genealogical Society.

See also the University of North Texas' Portal To Texas History

[edit] Richardson Today

[edit] Bibliography

  • Braithwaite, Barbara (editor). A History Of Richardson. Richardson, Texas: Richardson Centennial Corporation, 1973.
  • Gillespie, Gwyn. Historic Richardson: An Illustrated History. San Antonio, Texas: Historical Publishing Network, 2002.
  • Harris, Janet (editor). And The Telling Takes Us Back: An Oral History of Richardson. Richardson, Texas: University of Texas at Dallas Center for Continuing Education, c1984-85. (Note: Part 1 consists of 21 interviews with representatives of families who settled in and helped in the development of the city. It covers the time period of early settlement to 1940. Part 2 begins with 1940 and continues to 1985.)

[edit] References

[edit] External links