Addison, Texas

History

Addison was originally part of Peter's Colony. The future town site was settled as early as 1846 when Preston Witt built a house near White Rock Creek. In 1849, the Witt family opened a gristmill. In 1880, settler Sidney Smith Noell purchased a large tract of land south of what is now Belt Line Road. In 1888, Noell, together with W.W. Julian and W. E. Horten, donated land to the St. Louis, Arkansas and Texas Railway, a predecessor of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (known as the Cotton Belt), for a coaling station.

The first substantial industry in the community was a cotton gin, opening in 1902. In 1903, the Cotton Belt built a depot and a 12 mi branch line leading south to Dallas, named the site Noell Junction, and started passenger train service from the small depot to the city. In 1904, a post office opened; however, there was already a community named Noell in Leon County, Texas, so the new community changed its name to Addison, after Addison Robertson, a local resident who would later serve as the community's second postmaster from 1908 to 1916. Also in 1904, Julian platted the first six city blocks.

The population grew to 75 by 1914, at which time the community had three grocers and a bank, but the bank later failed and the population fell to 40 in 1926. After World War II, residents grew concerned that the nearby cities of Dallas, Carrollton, or Farmers Branch might annex the community, so they petitioned the county to allow an election for incorporation. The election was held on June 15, 1953, and by a vote of 19 in favor and 11 against, Addison was incorporated as a city.

In 1955, W.T. Overton, a 28-year-old businessman from Dallas, purchased a large farm north of the Cotton Belt depot, and in January 1956, he announced that the site would be redeveloped as an airport focused on business aircraft. After obtaining final approval from the city, Addison Airport had its formal groundbreaking ceremony on March 16, 1957, and its grand opening took place on October 18 of that year.

At the time, Addison residents relied almost entirely on private wells for water. Overton and his investors realized that a private well would not support their development plans, so they petitioned the city to drill a municipal well and build its first public water system. The project was approved by voters in April 1957 and construction began in August. The well was later supplemented by a large water main extended from Dallas.

In 1961, an investment group including Overton, John D. Murchison (son of oil magnate Clint Murchison Sr.), and Dallas-area developer Trammell Crow opened a 73 acre industrial park in the triangular area formed by the Cotton Belt, Dooley Road, and the main Addison Airport runway.

In 1970, the city had 595 residents and eighty businesses. That decade, the local government heavily promoted industrial development. In 1976, residents voted to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages, which was prohibited in most of Dallas County and nearby Collin County; together with low taxes, this prompted many restaurants and hotels to open in the city. The town grew very quickly in the late 1970s and early 1980s. By 1986, there were 49 restaurants in town; in 1991, there were 118, and the population had grown to over 8,000. From 1989 through 1991, Addison hosted the Dallas Grand Prix.

In 1982 the name of the city was changed to the "Town of Addison".

The Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, a three-year, $26.8 million project to relieve traffic on Belt Line Road, was completed in February 1999, restoring the continuity of Keller Springs Road 42 years after it was severed by the construction of Addison Airport.

Geography

Addison is located within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan statistical area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.4 sqmi, all land. Addison Airport covers roughly one-eighth of the town's area.

Addison is bordered by Dallas to the north, east, and south, Carrollton to the west, and Farmers Branch to the west and south.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,661 people, 8,342 households, and 3,217 families residing in the town.

Economy

Though Addison has just over 16,000 residents, daytime population is estimated at over 120,000 as of 2010. Addison contains 22 hotels (with a combined total of over 3,000 rooms) and over two million square feet of office space.

With nearly 200 restaurants, the town touts itself as having more restaurants per capita than any other city in the U.S.

Major corporate headquarters in Addison include Dresser, Daseke, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Wingstop. Other major employers in Addison include Bank of America, Concentra and IWG. Addison is home to Hand Drawn Pressing, the world's first fully-automated vinyl record pressing plant.

Arts and culture

The WaterTower Theatre produces plays and musicals and hosts the annual Out of the Loop Festival. Addison Circle Park, built in the early 2000s, is a venue for several seasonal outdoor events, such as the "Addison Kaboom Town!," "Addison Oktoberfest," and the foodie fun event, "Taste Addison". The Addison Improv Comedy Club hosts shows.

Texas de Brazil and Fogo de Chão, two Brazilian Churrascaria franchises, originated in Addison.

Parks and recreation

Addison has 118 acre of parkland. Addison's first town park opened in 1978. The Dallas Independent School District operates the Alfred J. Loos Athletic Complex in Addison.

The Addison Athletic Club is a 52,000-ft2 residents-only facility that features indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gymnasium, fitness equipment, and racquetball courts.

Addison Circle Park was built in the early 2000s.

Vitruvian Park includes commercial and recreational sections.

There are approximately 27 works of public art throughout the city.

Government

Education

Most residents are zoned to the Dallas Independent School District, while those on the southern end of Spring Valley and Vitruvian Way are zoned to the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District.

George H. W. Bush Elementary School of Dallas ISD is located within town boundaries. It was scheduled to open in 2012. Bush's attendance boundary covers most of Addison, and DISD allows people in other parts of Addison in its boundaries to attend Bush. Other DISD elementary schools with attendance boundaries including parts of Addison are Anne Frank and Jerry Junkins. Residents zoned to Bush and Junkins are zoned to Walker Middle School and W.T. White High School, while residents zoned to Frank are zoned to Benjamin Franklin Middle and Hillcrest High.

The C-FBISD area is divided between the boundaries of Stark and Blair elementary schools, and all of the C-FBISD portion is within the zones of Vivian Field Middle and R. L. Turner High. Private, co-educational schools in the Town of Addison include Greenhill School, which enrolls over 1,200 students from preschool to high school, and Trinity Christian Academy, which enrolls over 1,400 from preschool to high school.

The original Addison School building was opened in 1914. In 1954 the school became a part of the Dallas ISD, and the school closed in 1964. That school building is now the "Magic Time Machine Restaurant."

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

References

1. "City Council". Addison, Texas.
2. "City Manager's Office". Addison, Texas.
3. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
4. "State and County Quick Facts". [[United States Census Bureau]].
5. "QuickFacts: Addison Town, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
7. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
8. (October 25, 2007). "US Board on Geographic Names". [[United States Geological Survey]].
9. https://www.addisontx.gov Addision Texas Homepage
10. Maxwell, Lisa C.. (September 20, 2023). "Addison, TX". Texas State Historical Association.
11. "The History of Addison". Town of Addison.
12. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. "ADS - Addison Airport {{!}} SkyVector".
14. [http://www.texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/CityPopHist%20web.pdf Texasalmanac]. Retrieves October 4, 2012
15. [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4801240.html US Census] {{Webarchive. link. (January 6, 2015 . Retrieves October 4, 2012)
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18. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin".
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24. Ediriwira, Amar. (June 13, 2016). "New pressing plant to open with new "automated" record presses".
25. (September 4, 2019). "WaterTower Theatre website".
26. LaCour, Brad. (June 11, 2018). "Dallas Independent Comedy Shows Are Not the Enemy, Improv General Manager Says". Dallas Observer.
27. "Brazilian Steakhouse Restaurant".
28. "Addison | Texas de Brazil".
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30. [http://www.addisontx.gov/About_Addison/default.asp History of Addison] {{webarchive. link. (November 6, 2011 ." Town of Addison. Retrieved on November 29, 2011.)
31. "[http://www.dallasisd.org/cms/lib/TX01001475/Centricity/ModuleInstance/7782/2G-Athletic%20Facilities.pdf Athletic Facilities]." [[Dallas Independent School District]]. Retrieved on February 24, 2012.
32. "[http://listings.dallasnews.com/addison_tx/venues/show/1088680-addison-athletic-club Addison Athletic Club]." Retrieved on June 25, 2013.
33. (December 22, 2024). "Public Art In Addison".
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42. "2024-2025 ". [[Dallas Independent School District]].
43. "2024-2025 ". [[Dallas Independent School District]].
44. "2024-2025 ". [[Dallas Independent School District]].
45. "2025 - 2026 Approved Attendance Zones". [[Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District]].