Anna, Texas facts for kids

Anna is a city in Texas, a state in the United States. It's located in Collin County. In 2020, about 16,896 people lived there.

History of Anna, Texas

After the American Civil War, the Houston and Texas Central Railway started building train tracks north. They passed through the area where Anna is now in 1872. By 1883, when Anna was officially planned, it had 20 people, two stores, a mill, and a church. A post office also opened that year. In 1885, the railroad built a train station.

By 1890, the town had almost 200 people. Anna became an official city in 1913, and John L. Greer was its first mayor.

Local historian Chester A. Howell wrote a short history of Anna. It was part of a book called A Town Named Anna. This book was given out at a school event in 1985. Later, a small list of corrections was added in 1989. In 2018, a group called the Anna Area Historical Preservation Society published another book. It's called "The Spark That Ignited The Town Of Anna" (ISBN: 9781799137610). This book shares stories and pictures from Anna's early days.

The Houston and Texas Central Railway extended its tracks in 1872. This new route was several miles east of an older community called Mantua. Because of the new railroad, Mantua slowly faded away. New towns like Van Alstyne and Anna grew instead.

How Anna Got Its Name

The town was named after Miss Anna Quinlan. She was the daughter of George A. Quinlan. He was the superintendent of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad.

First Christian Church of Anna

First Christian Church of Anna, one of the earliest Christian Churches in Texas.

The Liberty Christian Church was one of the first Christian Churches in Texas. It was started in northern Collin County in 1846. Pioneer settlers Collin McKinney and J. B. Wilmeth founded it. In 1854, a Christian school was built by church members. It was about two miles northwest of Anna, in the new community of Mantua.

People in Anna say that the Christian church in Mantua split up. Some members moved to the new communities. Rebecca Sherley, an early Anna resident and former Mantua church member, helped start the First Christian Church of Anna in 1882. The Rev. Alf Douglas was its first pastor. Services were held in the Sherley home until it burned down in 1886. Around 1890, the church building was built where the Sherley home used to be. More parts were added to the back of the church in 1949.

A. Sherley and Brother Hardware Store

A. Sherley and Brother Hardware Store.

Lewis and Pauline Sherley moved to north Texas around 1853. Their grandsons, Andrew and William Sherley, opened a hardware store in 1894. William Sherley passed away in 1894. His son, Fred, then bought his father's share of the store. The store stayed in the family even after it closed in 1979.

Over the years, they sold many things. This included furniture, farm tools, machines, wagons, cotton, grain, and groceries. They also helped with funerals. There used to be scales in front of the building to weigh wagons. These were removed when the road was made wider. The building is a good example of an old Texas business. It still has its original roof over the sidewalk and painted signs. It also has some simple brick designs and special window frames from the Victorian era.

Tornadoes in Anna

On May 9, 2006, a big storm brought two tornadoes near Anna. The first tornado (F0) passed about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of the high school. It just barely missed the city limits. The second tornado (F3) touched down in nearby towns like Westminster and Whitewright. This tornado destroyed many homes and sadly caused three deaths.

During this disaster, volunteers from Collin County Amateur Radio Services helped. They worked with the National Weather Service to share important weather updates. The Anna police and fire departments, along with the American Red Cross, opened Anna High School as a shelter. It was a safe place for people who were hurt or needed somewhere to stay. Many roads were blocked and damaged in the area. People in Anna, Van Alstyne, and Melissa could see the tornadoes. The storm also caused power outages in many homes.

Geography of Anna

Anna is located in the northern part of Collin County. Its exact location is 33°21′01″N 96°33′03″W / 33.350308°N 96.550762°W / 33.350308; -96.550762. The U.S. Route 75 highway runs along the west side of the city. This highway goes 45 miles (72 km) southwest to the center of Dallas. It also goes 32 miles (51 km) north to Denison.

The United States Census Bureau says that Anna covers a total area of about 14.1 square miles (36.6 km²). Most of this area, about 14.1 square miles (36.4 km²), is land. A small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²), is water. The City of Anna's website says the city limits cover about 15 square miles (39 km²). Its planning area, which includes future growth, is about 60 square miles (160 km²).

Anna's Climate

The weather in Anna has warm temperatures and rain spread out through the year. The Köppen climate classification system describes Anna's weather as humid subtropical. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

People Living in Anna (Demographics)

Demographics is the study of people in a certain area. It looks at things like how many people live there and what their backgrounds are.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,896 people living in Anna. These people made up 4,450 households, and 3,792 families lived in the city.

Education in Anna

Most of Anna is part of the Anna Independent School District. A small part of the area is in the Blue Ridge Independent School District.

Anna High School is the main high school for the Anna district.

Collin College provides college services for all of Collin County, including Anna.

Notable People from Anna

• Ralph Fults (1911–1993), an outlaw who was connected to the Barrow gang.
• Curley Johnson (1935-2016), an American football player.
• Kewpie Morgan (1892–1956), an American silent film comedian.

See also

In Spanish: Anna (Texas) para niños