Frankston City Park

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm just along for the ride. Back in 1900, the Texas and New Orleans Railroad came through this part of Anderson County and plotted out a townsite right here. The land belonged to a woman named Frankie Miller, and when it came time to name the place, well, the town took its name from Miss Frankie herself.

Now here's the part that deserves a moment of appreciation: she donated this very site, the one they called the Town Square, for a city park. Just gave it. By 1908, a city park was standing here, and a post office had opened, and many of the town's earliest businesses had taken their places around that park square.

The whole town, in its earliest days, arranged itself around this spot. Then, about 1920, a gazebo went up and replaced a small bandstand that had been there before, and that gazebo became the gathering place, the site of local festivities and social events, the kind of place where a town remembers what it is. And here's the thing about Frankston City Park.

It didn't fade into memory. The park square continues to serve as the town's social and business center, same as it always did, still anchored by the gift Miss Frankie Miller gave to her town.

What the marker says

In 1900 the Texas & New Orleans Railroad built a line through this area and plotted a townsite here on land owned by Frankie Miller. The town was named for "Miss Frankie" who donated this site, known as the Town Square, for a city park. By 1908 a city park existed here, and a post office and many of the town's earliest businesses had opened around the park square. A gazebo, built about 1920, replaced a small bandstand and became the site of various local festivities and social events. The park square continues to serve as the town's social and business center. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845 - 1995