One of the first trains from the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway passes through town in March 1902.[/caption]

City to celebrate birthday of city's establishment

A little more than 100 years ago, the city of Frisco was not known by its current name. Frisco's first plot of land was purchased in 1902 to establish the town of Emerson. This was the birth of a city. Susanne Kerley, a Heritage Association of Frisco member, said because most residents are not originally from Frisco, it is important to know the city's origins. "It just helps them to form the basis of knowing their community," she said. The town of Emerson began to take form when the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, also known as Frisco Lines, looked to expand through North Texas. The railway originally looked to build a rail line along Preston Ridge, a natural ridgeline that settlers used for a cattle trail path, Kerley said. But because the steam engines required water and there was no water along the ridgeline, the railway looked 4 miles west to lower ground, according to the city of Frisco website. McKinney resident Francis Emerson, who had a farm on the property, originally owned that land. The Blackland Townsite Co., a subsidiary of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, bought the land from Emerson in 1901, according to Frisco's website. The land was subdivided into lots, and a public auction was held in February 1902 to sell the lots to potential settlers. The first plot of land sold covered the area that is now historic downtown Frisco, according to the Heritage Association of Frisco. The town was originally named after Emerson, but the post office rejected the name because it was similar to a town called Emberson in Lamar County. Instead the town residents decided to name it Frisco City after the railway. The name was later shortened to Frisco. After the city was established, people from Little Elm and a small community known as Lebanon began moving into Frisco, according to Frisco's website. By 1910, the census for Frisco was 332 people. "The people that lived here worked hard for their families," Kerley said. "They moved here for a better life."

Frisco's birthday celebration

• When: Feb. 15, 1–4 p.m.
• Where: Frisco Heritage Center, 6499 Page St.
• The event includes free tours through the museum, birthday cake and square-dancing demonstrations.