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Burleson
Interurban Depot circa 1921
Photo courtesy Burleson Heritage Foundation |
| History in
a Pecan Shell
Named in honor of Dr. Rufus C. Burleson, president of Baylor University,
the town dates to 1881 with the arrival of the Missouri Kansas and Texas railroad.
An earlier community called Brushy Mound, was bypassed by the railroad. The area's
first school had opened at Brushy Mound in 1879, and in 1885, even as Burleson
was building, Alta Vista College was under construction. In 1900 the building
was moved to Burleson.
In 1882, Burleson was granted a post office.
It broke the mold of most Texas post offices since it didn't share space with
a store - located not in a store - but a saloon. As soon as residents started
getting their mail - they set about setting up a proper town.
The population
was 200 in 1890 and cotton fueled the local economy. With an artesian well that
supplied water to homes and businesses, Burleson's future seemed bright. But from
a population of 368 in 1904, it declined to 241 by the mid 1920s. During the 30s
it increased and by 1940, 573 people called Burleson home.
It was made
a stop on the Cleburne - Fort Worth Interurban line in 1912. Using the electricity
brought in for the Interurban, Burleson was wired for electricity in 1913.
In 1924 Highway 21 passed through Burleson and the town annexed land to contain
the anticipated growth. The population increased by nearly 30% in the 1940s but
real growth came in the 1950s when it swelled from 795 to 2,345 in the ten years
from 1950-1960. Burleson became a bedroom community of Fort
Worth and agricultural employment was replaced by white collar jobs downtown.
The population went from 11,734 in 1980 to over 16,000 by 1990 and in
2004 it appears on the official state map as 20,976.
Burleson
Hotels > Book Your Hotel Here & Save |
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| "Mrs.
R.G.K. Deering at Burleson’s circa 1923 linotype after the final edition of the
long-running Burleson Dispatcher newspaper in 1985. The paper ran in the building
in former Interurban Depot from roughly 1935-1985." - Robert Griffith. Photo
courtesy Burleson Heritage Foundation |
| "The
former Interurban Depot has been remodeled and is home to the Burleson Heritage
Foundation’s Visitor’s Center & Museum. The building is the site of Burleson’s
first concrete floor, which is still there, and the first electric light bulb."
- Robert Griffith, December 06, 2005 photo |
People:
The Quebe Sisters
by Bob Bowman (From "All Things Historical")
"Listening
to the Quebe Sisters play the western swing music pioneered by Wills in the 1930s
and l940s, you realize they are special musicians who love what they’re doing."
[more]
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Burleson
Texas Forum The
Burleson Heritage Foundation is restoring Interurban Express Car #330.
On the second Saturday of each October, Burleson holds Founder’s Day, a large
celebration of Burleson Heritage and Culture. - Robert Griffith, Burleson,
Texas, December 06, 2005
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Your Hotel Here & Save
Burleson
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