Editing Richardson, Texas (section)

==History==
Emigrants from [[Kentucky]] and [[Tennessee]] settled near present-day Richardson in the 1840s. Before the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], a small settlement called Breckenridge, located near present-day [[Richland College]], was established. In 1873, the [[Houston and Texas Central Railway]] built a depot northwest of Breckenridge. After the H.&T.C. purchased acreage for a townsite from two local land-owners, the site was surveyed and laid out in blocks and lots, which the railroad began selling in 1874. The town was named after the secretary of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad, Alfred S. Richardson.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Butler |first1=Steven R. |title=A Sesquicentennial History of Richardson, Texas, Vol. 1, Rural Roots |date=2022 |publisher=Poor Scholar Publications |location=Richardson, Texas |isbn=978-1737948018 |pages=77–79,93–96,106 |edition=First}}</ref>

In 1908, the [[Texas Electric Railway]], an [[electric railway]] known as the Interurban, connected Richardson to [[Denison, Texas|Denison]], [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], [[Corsicana, Texas|Corsicana]] and [[Dallas]]. In 1910 the population was approximately 600. A red brick schoolhouse was built in 1914 and is now the administrative office for the Richardson Independent School District. In 1924 the Red Brick Road, the present-day [[Lower Greenville, Dallas, Texas|Greenville Avenue]], was completed. The completion of the road brought increased traffic, population and property values. The town incorporated and elected a mayor in 1925. In 1940 the population was approximately 740.

After World War II the city experienced major increases in population, which stood at approximately 1,300 by 1950. Throughout the 1950s the city continued to see growth including the opening of the [[Rockwell Collins|Collins Radio]] Richardson office, [[Central Expressway (Dallas)|Central Expressway]], a police department, shopping centers, and many homes. [[Texas Instruments]] opened its offices in Dallas on the southern border of Richardson in 1956. This was followed by significant gains in land values, population, and economic status. In the 1960s Richardson experienced additional growth including several new parks, facilities, and the creation of the [[University of Texas at Dallas]] within the city limits. By 1972 the population was approximately 56,000. Residential growth continued through the 1970s and slowed in the 1980s. Commercial development increased throughout the 1980s. Richardson had a population of 74,840 according to the 1990 census. Population increases throughout the 1990s were primarily from development of the northeast part of the city. The city of [[Buckingham, Texas|Buckingham]], after being completely surrounded by Richardson, was annexed into the city in 1996.

Richardson had a population of 91,802 as of the 2000 census. By 2002 Richardson had four [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit]] (DART) [[DART light rail|light rail]] stations and had built the [[Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts|Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and Corporate Presentations]] and the adjacent [[Galatyn Park Station|Galatyn Park]] urban center, which has a 2-acre public pedestrian plaza, a luxury hotel, and mixed-use development. Richardson was a [[Dry county|"dry city"]] with no alcohol sales until November 2006, when the local option election passed to allow the sale of beer and wine in grocery and convenience stores. In the fall of 2008 Peter Perfect, a [[Style Network]] television show, came to Richardson. The business-makeover show remodeled SpiritWear, an apparel and embroidery store in the city's historic downtown area. The episode first aired on January 22, 2009. It was the first episode of the series to be filmed outside of [[California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.richardsontexas.org/about.aspx|title=Richardson Convention & Visitors Bureau|website=www.richardsontexas.org|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref><ref>[http://www.dfw.com/105/story/88172.html DFW.com, SpiritWear, TV makeover]{{dead link|date=February 2011}}</ref>