City of Princeton TX

In 1881 the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad Company extended its line from Greenville to McKinney.The name Wilsons Switch was commonly used to designate the area. When residents applied for a post office branch, they learned that the name Wilson was already being used in the state of Texas. The community then submitted the name Princeton in honor of Prince Dowlin, a landowner and promoter of the town. This name was accepted, and a post office was established in 1888.Princeton was incorporated in May of 1912. Located in the rich agricultural region of the Blackland Prairie, Princeton quickly became a retail and commercial center for area farmers. In addition to providing mills and grain elevators for wheat, corn, onions, and sorghums, the town also housed a lumber factory that became the states largest producer of bois darc lumber. By the mid-1920s the town provided electricity, water, natural gas, and paved roads for 500 residents. In 1940, the migratory camp was built west of...