Editing Lancaster, Texas (section)

=== Early 20th century ===
At the start of the 20th century, Lancaster had 1,045 residents and served hundreds more from the surrounding rural areas who worked, worshiped, attended school, and made their purchases in the town. The [[Texas Legislature]] created the [[Lancaster Independent School District]] in March 1905, and voters approved several bond elections over the next decade that improved educational facilities. Electric lighting was introduced in 1911 via the Texas Power and Light Company, when the interurban [[Texas Electric Railway]] (Dallas to [[Waco, Texas|Waco]]) ran through town.<ref name="Lancaster Genealogical Society"/> Lancaster remained tied to its surrounding agricultural lands. Farmers produced a wide range of crops, including wheat, cotton, beans, peas, and sweet potatoes. Many agricultural-related businesses also thrived until the [[Dust Bowl]] and [[Great Depression]] caused the economy to contract.<ref name="Comprehensive Plan"/> On February 27, 1934, Clyde Barrow of [[Bonnie & Clyde]] fame robbed the R.P. Henry and Sons Bank that was then located near the southeast corner of the town square. Bonnie Parker waited in the getaway car on Malloy Bridge Road while Clyde and Raymond Hamilton walked in, robbed the bank, and walked out with over $4,000. In June 1936, a storm toppled Lancaster's 50,000-gallon water tower, brought down utility poles, and damaged many homes. In the early 1940s, the economic climate began to show improvement.<ref name="Lancaster Genealogical Society"/>