Nevada

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, let me take you through the story of Nevada, Texas. Now, southeast Collin County holds a town that was building toward something big. Something that, on one particular night, got stopped cold.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's start at the beginning. It's 1835, and a man named John McMinn arrives with his family, holding a land grant for sixteen hundred acres.

He settles four miles north of where Nevada would eventually stand, and that community becomes known as the McMinn Chapel community. The Blackland Prairie out here was rich, rich enough to pull more settlers in, year after year. Then comes 1852.

Granville Stinebaugh, all the way from Missouri, purchases one hundred and sixty acres and establishes the town of Nevada. Modest beginnings, but the ground was good and the people were serious. The town incorporated on January 24th, 1891.

Back then, there were no denominational churches in the community, just an old gin house serving as a place of worship for all faiths. All under one roof, whatever roof that was. By the 1890s, though, Nevada had Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Christian churches standing on their own.

Now here's where things start to move. The St. Louis and Southwestern Railroad, which later became the Cotton Belt Railroad, came to Nevada in 1888.

And when a railroad comes to town, the town tends to follow. Nevada slowly moved closer to the railroad depot, nearby settlers came in, and the commercial district started to fill out. Restaurants, shops, hotels, offices, fraternal lodges, downtown Nevada was humming.

In 1902, a man named John Evans purchased land east of town and opened what they called the Evans Addition, because the interest in Nevada had grown enough to need more room. And education wasn't being left behind, either. Early on, classes were held in people's homes until a school was erected.

Nevada was tending to its future on every front. But here is where the story takes its turn. And you need to hold this one in your chest for a moment.

Monday, May 9th, 1927. Two-twenty in the morning. A tornado, half a mile wide, sweeps through Nevada and completely destroys the west side of town.

Twenty-seven people are killed. Seventy-five are wounded. In the dead of night, while the town is asleep, everything that had been building since 1852 gets tested in the most brutal way imaginable.

The marker doesn't dress it up, and neither will I. But here's what it does say, and this is the part worth carrying with you down the road. Even though a large portion of the town was destroyed, the citizens of Nevada continued to work and hope for future growth.

A booming commercial city had been the dream. The tornado said otherwise. And yet the people stayed.

That's not a footnote. That's the whole story.

What the marker says

Located in southeast Collin County, the settlement of Nevada was on its way to becoming a booming commercial city until a disastrous tornado swept the town in 1927. In 1835, John McMinn, who received a land grant for 1600 acres, moved his family to what was later known as the McMinn Chapel community, four miles north of the present-day site of Nevada. Soon, the rich Blackland Prairie attracted more settlers to the area. In 1852, Granville Stinebaugh from Missouri purchased 160 acres and established Nevada. The town incorporated on Jan. 24, 1891. There were no denominational churches in the community at the time, but an old gin house serving as a place of worship for all faiths. In the 1890s, the town had Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Christian churches. The St. Louis and Southwestern Railroad, which later became the Cotton Belt Railroad, came to Nevada in 1888 and the town slowly moved closer to the railroad depot. As a result of the railroad, nearby settlers moved to Nevada and the town prospered with a booming commercial district. Restaurants, shops, hotels, offices and fraternal lodges filled downtown. In 1902, due to increased interest, John Evans purchased land east of town and opened the Evans Addition. In addition to economic priorities, Nevada also focused on the education of its citizens. Early on, classes were held in people's homes until a school was erected. Sadly, on Monday, May 9, 1927 at 2:20 A.M., a half-mile wide tornado completely destroyed the west side of town with 27 killed and 75 wounded. Even though a large portion of the town was destroyed, the citizens of Nevada continued to work and hope for future growth. (2013)