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History
in a Pecan Shell
The town was originally named Nickelville when it was settled in the 1870s
and was situated half a mile south of the current center. When the railroad (The
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe) came through in 1886 – the town moved and changed
their name to Wylie – after the railroad’s right-of-way agent.
That same
year the town incorporated and was granted a post office. In 1888 a second railroad
- the St. Louis Southwestern Railway reached Wylie.
Wylie had a population
of 400 in 1890 and it nearly doubled to 773 in 1900.
Dairy farming was
responsible for helping Wylie grow during the Great Depression. The population
was 914 in 1940.
Following World
War II the population continued to increase doubling to 1,804 by the 1960
census. In the next twenty years the population doubled again. Wylie has now spread
into Rockwall and Dallas counties.
Where
to Stay:
Wylie
Hotels |
Photographer's
Note:
Subject: Downtown Wylie
Wylie has one of the best preserved old business districts around. It's in almost
perfect condition and looks like just about every building is occupied. I think
its so well preserved because it was pretty much the only business area in Wylie
until relatively recently. The area had two fires in 1998 and the reconstructed
buildings were made to resemble the original structures according to the City
Of Wylie. The multiple dates indicate the date of original construction and the
reconstruction date.
Two murals in downtown Wylie.
They don't agree on the founding date! - Mike
Price, November 29, 2007 | |
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