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Highland Village,
Texas
By Clint
Skinner
Located twenty miles northwest of Dallas
in the southern region of Denton
County, the city of Highland Village is bordered by Copper Canyon
to the west and Lewisville to the
south and east. The western branch of Lewisville Lake separates it
from the town of Hickory Creek
to the north. Situated near Interstate 35 East and Farm Road 407,
the area saw little action during the nineteenth century, though some
claim that outlaw Sam Bass liked to hide there on occasion.
The first settlers in the area came from Dallas,
wanting a place to escape from the busy nature of living in the big
city. The Clearwater Estates Development built the first house sometime
between 1957 and 1958, beginning the pathway toward the establishment
of a rural community. By 1963, the population had reached a hundred,
most of them settling near the shore of Lewisville Lake.
That same year, Robert Duvall and Gene Smith decided that they wanted
incorporate the town because Lewisville
was growing and annexing land. They didn't want to be the next victim
because the community's remoteness provoked a fear of being neglected
by the local government. Gene's wife Jane wanted the name to be classy'
leading to the requirement that Highland had to be somewhere in the
name. The majority wanted to call the town Highland Park, but that
name had already been taken. Because the inhabitants felt their home
resembled a tiny village, a viewpoint enhanced by the fact that the
whole area only covered two square miles, everyone settled upon Highland
Village. The town was incorporated on February 14, 1963 with fifty-three
voting in favor of the proposition and seven opposing the measure.
Robert Duvall became the first mayor.
The town had 516 residents in 1970, which rose to 3,246 in 1980. By
1990, that number had risen to 7,027 and increased to 12,173 at the
turn of the century. The population reached 15,056 in 2010.
Highland Village currently has its own fire and police service. Although
its three elementary schools and single middle school are located
within the border, Edward S. Marcus High School proudly stands in
the city of Flower Mound. All educational facilities are part of the
Lewisville Independent School District. |
Sources
Highlandvillage.org
The History
of Highland Village: Celebrating 50 Years.
HighlandVillageTX.
Youtube.com
Tshaonline.org
Wikipedia.org
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