Frankford - Dallas, southwest corner of Collin County
The early Collin County community of Frankford, located at the Collin/Dallas county line, was a watering stop on the Shawnee Trail. The post office opened on May 11, 1880 with Samuel T. Hammond at postmaster. It was continued on May 14, 1904. All that remains of the community are the Frankford Cemetery and the Frankford Church building. The interior of the church building was recently refurbished. Virgin prairie has been discovered around the church building and is being reclaimed. The perpetual spring that was capped sometime in the past has been uncovered and is flowing. The Frankford Cemetery Association looks over the property.
Frankford Church and Cemetery are what remain of a tiny early North Texas community called Frankford. The Frankford site is nestled in the middle of an upscale housing development in Far North Dallas and the Southwest corner of Collin County. Visitors today find the site much like it looked one hundred years ago.
The Frankford area served as a stop on the Shawnee Trail, a pre-
Columbian route used by Native Americans, soldiers, settlers, and cowboys herding cattle to northern markets. Halls Branch that runs through the property has an everlasting spring on its west bank near the current bridge. This spring, known as Indian Springs, provided water to travelers for hundreds of years. West of the creek lies an undeveloped area known as “the wagon yard” where settlers camped in their covered wagons in the mid to late nineteenth century.
The Frankford site consists of Frankford Cemetery and Church and the surrounding grounds, a total of about eleven acres. The first known burial dates to 1862. The current Frankford Church was built in the 1890s after an earlier one was destroyed by a tornado.
In 1978 the Texas Historical Commission (THC) named Frankford Church a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. In 2012 the THC granted Frankford Cemetery the Historic Texas Cemetery Designation. In 2015 the THC approved a subject marker for the Frankford site that tells the story of the town of Frankford.
In 2014 Frankford Preservation Foundation was formed and now owns and manages Frankford Church, the native Frankford prairie remnant, and Indian Springs. The mission of this new Foundation is to preserve the church, prairie and Indian Springs and to teach North Texas history through tours of the historic site. Frankford Preservation Foundation also holds a candlelight service called Christmas on the Prairie and cultural events like the On the Prairie series of concerts in Frankford Church.
The Frankford area served as a stop on the Shawnee Trail, a pre-
Columbian route used by Native Americans, soldiers, settlers, and cowboys herding cattle to northern markets. Halls Branch that runs through the property has an everlasting spring on its west bank near the current bridge. This spring, known as Indian Springs, provided water to travelers for hundreds of years. West of the creek lies an undeveloped area known as “the wagon yard” where settlers camped in their covered wagons in the mid to late nineteenth century.
The Frankford site consists of Frankford Cemetery and Church and the surrounding grounds, a total of about eleven acres. The first known burial dates to 1862. The current Frankford Church was built in the 1890s after an earlier one was destroyed by a tornado.
In 1978 the Texas Historical Commission (THC) named Frankford Church a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. In 2012 the THC granted Frankford Cemetery the Historic Texas Cemetery Designation. In 2015 the THC approved a subject marker for the Frankford site that tells the story of the town of Frankford.
In 2014 Frankford Preservation Foundation was formed and now owns and manages Frankford Church, the native Frankford prairie remnant, and Indian Springs. The mission of this new Foundation is to preserve the church, prairie and Indian Springs and to teach North Texas history through tours of the historic site. Frankford Preservation Foundation also holds a candlelight service called Christmas on the Prairie and cultural events like the On the Prairie series of concerts in Frankford Church.
Frankford Church and Cemetery are what remain of a tiny early North Texas community called Frankford. The Frankford site is nestled in the middle of an upscale housing development in Far North Dallas and the Southwest corner of Collin County. Visitors today find the site much like it looked one hundred years ago.
The Frankford area served as a stop on the Shawnee Trail, a pre-Columbian route used by Native Americans, soldiers, settlers, and cowboys herding cattle to northern markets. Halls Branch that runs through the property has an everlasting spring on its west bank near the current bridge. This spring, known as Indian Springs, provided water to travelers for hundreds of years. West of the creek lies an undeveloped area known as “the wagon yard” where settlers camped in their covered wagons in the mid to late nineteenth century.
The Frankford site consists of Frankford Cemetery and Church and the surrounding grounds, a total of about eleven acres. The first known burial dates to 1862. The current Frankford Church was built in the 1890s after an earlier one was destroyed by a tornado.
In 1978 the Texas Historical Commission (THC) named Frankford Church a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. In 2012 the THC granted Frankford Cemetery the Historic Texas Cemetery Designation. In 2015 the THC approved a subject marker for the Frankford site that tells the story of the town of Frankford.
In 2014 Frankford Preservation Foundation was formed and now owns and manages Frankford Church, the native Frankford prairie remnant, and Indian Springs. The mission of this new Foundation is to preserve the church, prairie and Indian Springs and to teach North Texas history through tours of the historic site. Frankford Preservation Foundation also holds a candlelight service called Christmas on the Prairie and cultural events like the On the Prairie series of concerts in Frankford Church.
FRANKFORD
THE SITE OF THE FORMER TOWN OF FRANFORD CONSISTS OF THE
THREE-ACRE WAGON YARD, FIVE-ACRE FRANKFORD CHURCH ARE
AND THREE-ACRE CEMETERY. THE TOWN OF FRANKFORD GREW
AROUND INDIAN SPRINGS. AFTER W. C. McKAMY AND HIS FAMILY
MOVED TO TEXAS IN 1852, THEY SOLD FIREWOOD AND WATER TO
SETTLERS MOVING ALONG PRESTON ROAD. SOME OF THESE
SETTLERS STAYED AT FRANKFORD, CREATING THE GROWING TOWN
NEAR INDIAN SPRINGS. THE FRANKFORD POST OFFICE STTOD AT THE
INTERSECTION OF THE DALLAS NORTH TOLLWAY AND HILTON HEAD
DRIVE. AT ITS HEIGHT FRANKFORD HAS A STEAM GRIST MILL, CORN
MILL, COTTON GIN, BLACKSMITH SHOP, TWO GENERAL STORES AND
THREE CHURCHES, WITH 83 RESIDENTS.
IN 1858, THE WHITE ROCK MASONIC LODGE WAS ORGANIZED AT
WALNUT GROVE, AND IN 1872 MOVED TO A BUILDING IN COLLIN
COUNTY, LOCATED ON WHAT IS NOW THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF
FRANKFORD CEMETERY. THE HALL BECAME THE FRANTERNAL
RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL CENETER FOR MILES AROUND. A
CHURCH BUILDING WAS ALSO ERECTED ON THE CEMEETERY GROUNDS
IN 1880, ONLY TO BE DESTROYED BY A TORNADO. SOME OF THE
WOOD IN THE CURRENT FRANKFORD CHURCH CAME FROM THE
ORIGINAL CHURCH.
THE END OF FRANKFORD CAME WITH THE GROWTH OF THE
RAILROAD. THE LINE BYPASSED FRANKFORD AND INSTEAD WENT
THROUGH ADDISON, EVENTUALLY PROMPTING THE MOVE OF THE
LODGE HALL TO ADDISON IN 1907. THE TOWN OF FRANKFORD NO
LONGER EXISTED, THOUGH THE LARGER LANDOWNING FAMILIES LIKE
THE COOKS AND McKAMYS REMAINED. IN 1948, THE FRANKFORD
CEMETERY ASSOCIATION WAS INCORPORATED TO HELP MAINTAIN
THE CEMETERY.
Texas Historical marker 2015
The Frankford area served as a stop on the Shawnee Trail, a pre-Columbian route used by Native Americans, soldiers, settlers, and cowboys herding cattle to northern markets. Halls Branch that runs through the property has an everlasting spring on its west bank near the current bridge. This spring, known as Indian Springs, provided water to travelers for hundreds of years. West of the creek lies an undeveloped area known as “the wagon yard” where settlers camped in their covered wagons in the mid to late nineteenth century.
The Frankford site consists of Frankford Cemetery and Church and the surrounding grounds, a total of about eleven acres. The first known burial dates to 1862. The current Frankford Church was built in the 1890s after an earlier one was destroyed by a tornado.
In 1978 the Texas Historical Commission (THC) named Frankford Church a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. In 2012 the THC granted Frankford Cemetery the Historic Texas Cemetery Designation. In 2015 the THC approved a subject marker for the Frankford site that tells the story of the town of Frankford.
In 2014 Frankford Preservation Foundation was formed and now owns and manages Frankford Church, the native Frankford prairie remnant, and Indian Springs. The mission of this new Foundation is to preserve the church, prairie and Indian Springs and to teach North Texas history through tours of the historic site. Frankford Preservation Foundation also holds a candlelight service called Christmas on the Prairie and cultural events like the On the Prairie series of concerts in Frankford Church.
FRANKFORD
THE SITE OF THE FORMER TOWN OF FRANFORD CONSISTS OF THE
THREE-ACRE WAGON YARD, FIVE-ACRE FRANKFORD CHURCH ARE
AND THREE-ACRE CEMETERY. THE TOWN OF FRANKFORD GREW
AROUND INDIAN SPRINGS. AFTER W. C. McKAMY AND HIS FAMILY
MOVED TO TEXAS IN 1852, THEY SOLD FIREWOOD AND WATER TO
SETTLERS MOVING ALONG PRESTON ROAD. SOME OF THESE
SETTLERS STAYED AT FRANKFORD, CREATING THE GROWING TOWN
NEAR INDIAN SPRINGS. THE FRANKFORD POST OFFICE STTOD AT THE
INTERSECTION OF THE DALLAS NORTH TOLLWAY AND HILTON HEAD
DRIVE. AT ITS HEIGHT FRANKFORD HAS A STEAM GRIST MILL, CORN
MILL, COTTON GIN, BLACKSMITH SHOP, TWO GENERAL STORES AND
THREE CHURCHES, WITH 83 RESIDENTS.
IN 1858, THE WHITE ROCK MASONIC LODGE WAS ORGANIZED AT
WALNUT GROVE, AND IN 1872 MOVED TO A BUILDING IN COLLIN
COUNTY, LOCATED ON WHAT IS NOW THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF
FRANKFORD CEMETERY. THE HALL BECAME THE FRANTERNAL
RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL CENETER FOR MILES AROUND. A
CHURCH BUILDING WAS ALSO ERECTED ON THE CEMEETERY GROUNDS
IN 1880, ONLY TO BE DESTROYED BY A TORNADO. SOME OF THE
WOOD IN THE CURRENT FRANKFORD CHURCH CAME FROM THE
ORIGINAL CHURCH.
THE END OF FRANKFORD CAME WITH THE GROWTH OF THE
RAILROAD. THE LINE BYPASSED FRANKFORD AND INSTEAD WENT
THROUGH ADDISON, EVENTUALLY PROMPTING THE MOVE OF THE
LODGE HALL TO ADDISON IN 1907. THE TOWN OF FRANKFORD NO
LONGER EXISTED, THOUGH THE LARGER LANDOWNING FAMILIES LIKE
THE COOKS AND McKAMYS REMAINED. IN 1948, THE FRANKFORD
CEMETERY ASSOCIATION WAS INCORPORATED TO HELP MAINTAIN
THE CEMETERY.
Texas Historical marker 2015
