Richardson, Texas

Richardson is a city in Dallas County and Collin County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 91,803. The city of Buckingham, after being completely surrounded by Richardson, was annexed into the city in 1996.

History

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.

Richardson Interurban Depot, 1908

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

In 1992, two incidents of violent crime took the lives of teens from the city's Berkner High School. On Nov. 6, 1992, student Sean Cooper, 17, was shot and killed near the school by gang members after they fired into a crowd after a football game. On Nov. 25, 1992, student Fred Banzhaf and recent graduate Justin Marquart, both 18, were killed during the robbery of the Herman's World of Sporting Goods store in Richardson where they worked.

Today the city is no longer the bedroom community of the '50s and '60s, 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.

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 a number of Indian American businesses.

A charitable trust called the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which was based in Richardson, was shut down in 2001, as it was accused of funding Hamas.

Geography

Richardson is located at (32.965628, -96.715707).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 74.0 km² (28.6 mi²), all 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 contained within the borders of the City of Richardson, 18.2 sq. mi. lie in Dallas County; the other 9.2 sq. mi. fall in Collin County.

Education

Colleges and universities

University of Texas at Dallas, despite its name, is located in the city of Richardson.

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.

Public libraries

The city of Richardson owns the Richardson Public Library [1].

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 91,802 people, 35,191 households, and 24,774 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,241.1/km² (3,213.9/mi²). There were 36,530 housing units at an average density of 493.8/km² (1,278.9/mi²). 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.

The median income for a household in the city was $62,392, and the median income for a family was $72,876. 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.

Notable Richardsonians

*Jensen Ackles (actor)
*Jeff Agoos (soccer player)
*Nicole Bilderback (actress)
*Ryan Cabrera (entertainer)
*Rogers Cadenhead (author)
*Jeremy Coon (film producer)
*Catherine Crier (television personality)
*Jeremy Wade Delle (student and subject of Pearl Jam's "Jeremy")
*Morgan Fairchild (actress)
*David Gordon Green (filmmaker)
*Gordon Keith (radio personality)
*Justin Leonard (professional golfer)
*Jake McDorman (actor)
*Carla Overbeck (founding member, Women's United Soccer Association)
*Anne Rice (author)
*Brian Torrey Scott (writer)
*Jessica Simpson (entertainer)
*Ashlee Simpson (entertainer)
*Matt Stover (NFL kicker)
*Frank Ticheli (composer)
*Kenny Tran (import racer)
*Everson Walls (NFL defensive back)

Images of Richardson

Image:TexasRichardson_heightsPark.jpg|Heights Park, famous for its rocketship slide.Image:TexasRichardson_heightsPark_bike.jpg|A January Saturday afternoon in Heights Park.Image:TexasRichardson_chinatown.jpg|Richardson's Asian market area.Image:TexasRichardson_mainStreet.jpg|Main Street in Richardson, heading east from Central Expressway.Image:TexasRichardson_comoMotel.jpg|The Como Motel, Richardson's oldest working motel.

External links

Richardson, Texas: Encyclopedia BETA

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