DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Travis College Hill Addition in Dallas County. Now settle in, because this one starts with a town on the rise and a grand idea that never quite made it — and somehow left something worth remembering anyway. Between 1910 and 1920, the population of Garland nearly doubled — going from about 800 souls to more than 1,400.
A town stretching its legs, finding its stride. And where there's growth, there's somebody with a plan. In this case, that somebody was the Eastern Texas Traction Company, and their plan was an interurban electric trolley line running all the way from Dallas to Greenville.
Now just picture it — sleek electric cars humming along, connecting communities, drawing commerce, pulling people in like a magnet. The route would have run along Mewshaw Avenue — later called Avenue D — and right there, along that southern edge, sat a 73-acre property belonging to Garland pioneers Richard and Sallie Walker Wyatt. In 1913, that land got platted into what would become the Travis College Hill Addition.
Developer R.O. Travis worked with Richard Wyatt to oversee the whole establishment, running it through the Interurban Land Company. The neighborhood sat right next to Garland College, which is how the Interurban Land Company arrived at the name Travis College Hill.
Large lots, a promising future, and the proposed trolley humming right along the southern border — businesses and homeowners started taking notice. Right at the center of the addition ran the Garland Avenue Thoroughfare, now known as South 11th Street. Here's where the story takes its turn, though.
The Eastern Texas Traction Company went bankrupt. The interurban line was cancelled. And any chance of reviving the project?
Well, World War I arrived, and right behind it came the Model T automobile. The trolley was finished before it ever ran a single mile of track in Garland. You might expect the neighborhood to have folded right along with it.
But here's the thing — it didn't. The area had already taken root. It became an integral part of Garland, home to civic leaders, religious figures, commercial minds, educators.
Those houses hosted meetings and events as Garland grew from a small town into a large city. Today, Travis College Hill Addition stands as a reflection of the architecture and the early development of Garland — built in the shadow of a trolley line that never came, and lasting long after anyone stopped waiting for it.
What the marker says
Between 1910 and 1920, the population of Garland increased from about 800 to more than 1,400. Accompanying the growth of the town was a plan by the Eastern Texas Traction Company to build an interurban electric trolley line. The route, connecting Dallas to Greenville, would have run along Mewshaw Avenue (later Avenue D), as the southern border of the Travis College Hill Addition, which was platted in 1913. The neighborhood was created as an addition to the interurban line developments, in part, to attract commerce and population near the line. The 73-acre property belonged to Garland pioneers Richard and Sallie (Walker) Wyatt. Developer R.O. Travis worked with Richard Wyatt to oversee the establishment of the addition through the Interurban Land Company. The neighborhood adjoined Garland College, giving the residential addition the name of Interurban Land Company's Travis College Hill. Large lots and proximity to the proposed trolley line helped attract businesses and homeowners. At the center of the addition was the Garland Avenue Thoroughfare, now South 11th Street. The interurban line was cancelled due to the bankruptcy of the Eastern Texas Traction Company, and the chance to renew the project was lost with the coming of World War I and the Model T automobile. However, the area had already become an integral part of Garland, and has featured the homes of many of the city's civic, religious, commercial and educational leaders. The houses have also been used for numerous meetings and events as Garland has grown from a small town to a large city. Today, Travis College Hill Addition reflects the architecture and history of the early development of Garland. (2015)