Editing Garland, Texas (section)

==History==
{{For timeline}}
Immigrants began arriving in the [[Peter's Colony|Peters colony]] area around 1850, but a community was not created until 1874. Two communities sprang up in the area: Embree, named for physician K. H. Embree, and [[Duck Creek, Garland, Texas|Duck Creek]], named for the local creek of the same name. A rivalry between the two towns ensued as the area began to grow around the [[BNSF Railway|Santa Fe Railroad]] depot.

Eventually, to settle a dispute regarding which town should have the local post office, Dallas County Judge Thomas F. Nash asked visiting Congressman [[Joseph Abbott (Texas politician)|Joe Abbott]] to move the post office between the two towns.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thomas Nash Helped Mediate Duck Creek-Embree Dispute |url=https://www.garlandhistorical.org/online-resources/45-articles/individuals-and-families/131-thomas-nash-helped-mediate-duck-creek-embree-dispute |website=The Garland Landmark Society, Inc |access-date=18 January 2025}}</ref> The move was completed in 1887. The new location was named Garland after [[United States Attorney General|U.S. Attorney General]] [[Augustus Hill Garland]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Maxwell |first1=Lisa C. |title=Duck Creek, TX |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/duck-creek-tx |website=Handbook of Texas |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=18 January 2025}}</ref>

Soon after, the towns of Embree and Duck Creek were combined, and the three areas combined to form the city of Garland, which was incorporated in 1891. By 1904, the town had a population of 819 people.<ref name="Garland, TX" />

In 1920, local businessmen financed a new electrical generator plant (sold by [[Fairbanks-Morse]]) for the town. This later led to the formation of Garland Power and Light, the municipal electric provider that still powers the city today.<ref name="Garland, TX"/><ref>{{cite web|title=A Brief History of Garland|url=http://www.ci.garland.tx.us/Home/General+Information/Garland+History/|publisher=City of Garland-|access-date=January 8, 2012|archive-date=February 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220234538/http://www.ci.garland.tx.us/Home/General+Information/Garland+History/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On [[Tornado outbreak of May 1927|May 9, 1927]], a devastating [[Fujita scale|F4]] [[tornado]] struck the town and killed 15 people,<ref>{{cite book|last=Grazulis|first=Thomas P.|title=Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events|year=1993|publisher=Environmental Films|location=St. Johnsbury, Vermont|isbn=1-879362-03-1|pages=808–811}}</ref> including the former mayor, S. E. Nicholson.

Businesses began to move back into the area in the late 1930s. The Craddock food company and later the Byer-Rolnick hat factory (now owned by [[Resistol]]) moved into the area. In 1937, [[KRLD (AM)|KRLD]], a major Dallas radio station, built its radio antenna tower in Garland, and it is operational to this day.

During [[World War II]], several aircraft plants were operated in the area, and the [[Kraft Foods]] company purchased a vacant one after the war for its own use. By 1950, the population of Garland exceeded 10,000 people.<ref name="Garland, TX" /> From 1950 to 1954, though, the Dallas/Garland area suffered from a serious and extended [[drought]], so to supplement the water provided by wells, Garland began using the water from the nearby [[Lake Lavon]].

The suburban population boom that the whole country experienced after World War II also reached Garland by 1960, when the population nearly quadrupled from the 1950 figure to about 38,500. By 1970, the population had doubled to about 81,500. By 1980, the population reached 138,850.<ref name="Garland, TX" /> [[Charles Matthews (Texas politician)|Charles R. Matthews]] served as mayor in the 1980s; he was later a member of the elected [[Texas Railroad Commission]].

In the 2000s, Garland added several notable developments, mostly in the northern portion of the city. [[Hawaiian Falls Garland|Hawaiian Falls]] [[waterpark]] opened in 2003. (Garland formerly had a Wet 'n Wild waterpark, which closed in 1993). The [[Garland Independent School District]]'s [[Curtis Culwell Center]] (formerly called the Special Events Center),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.specialeventscenter.com/|title=Curtis Culwell Center|work=specialeventscenter.com|access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref> an arena and conference facility, opened in 2005.

Later that year, [[Firewheel Town Center]], a Main Street-style outdoor mall, owned by [[Simon Property Group]], opened in October 2005. It has over 100 business and includes an AMC theater. In 2009, the city, in conjunction with developer [[Trammell Crow Company]], finished a public/private partnership to develop the old parking lot (the land between 5th Street, 6th Street, and on the north side of Austin Street) into a new [[mixed-use]], [[transit-oriented development]] named 5th Street Crossing. Cater-corner to both City Hall and the downtown [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit|DART]] Rail station, the project consists of 189 residential apartment units, {{convert|11000|sqft}} of flex retail, and six live-work units.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jhparch.com/onesheets/w_5th_Street_Crossing.pdf|title=JHP - Architecture & Urban Design|website=Jhparch.com|date=August 12, 2016|access-date=August 27, 2017}}</ref>

On May 3, 2015, the [[Curtis Culwell Center attack]] took place in Garland. The attack ended in a shootout with police guarding the event and the deaths of the two perpetrators.

The southeast side of Garland suffered a major blow on the night of [[December 2015 North American storm complex|December 26, 2015]], after [[2015 Garland tornado|a large EF4 tornado struck the area]], moving north from Sunnyvale. Nine fatalities were confirmed in the city from this event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/12/27/severe-weather-tornadoes-texas-south/77939562/|title= Texas under siege: Tornadoes, flooding, snow and ice|publisher=USAToday|access-date=December 27, 2015}}</ref> Exactly 6 years later, [[2021 Garland shooting|a mass shooting]] took place at a convenience store in Garland, resulting in the deaths of 3 people.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-28 |title=Suspect arrested after Texas convenience store shooting that killed 3 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/three-dead-one-critical-garland-texas-convenience-store-shooting-rcna10034 |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Keller |first=Alex |date=2023-02-10 |title=Father of Texas teen accused in triple murder found guilty of capital murder for driving getaway car |url=https://www.kwtx.com/2023/02/10/father-texas-teen-accused-triple-murder-found-guilty-capital-murder-driving-getaway-car/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=KWTX |language=en}}</ref>