Van Alstyne, Texas is an delightful small town that’s growing in North Texas! The city was built in 1873 because of a need for settlers to be near the Houston and Texas Central Railway. McKinney and Sherman both paid the railroad to go through their towns, and that created the need for additional towns along the railroad. Mantua did not want the railroad, so land was purchased (at $20 an acre) to create the town of Van Alstyne. Even though the city does not have the original passenger or freight train depots, the vibrant history associated with the railroad can be seen in the Central Social District Park and in the railroad cars that are being restored from the Interurban Texas Electric Railway. The Van Alstyne History Museum shares stories from the past with hands on exhibits, lots of photographs and so much more! The railroad line between Main Drive and John Douglas Road still carries freight on the tracks.
One unique feature in the City of Van Alstyne is the Historical Downtown Square. The downtown square was where people came to buy groceries, go to a restaurant or cafe, go shopping, go to the movies, play billiards or dominoes, go to the saloon or visit. The City of Van Alstyne in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s had residents that lived in the downtown square (usually above the stores), lived in town or lived out on the farms. On Saturday night, one of the stores in the square would put a speaker outside the store so that residents could listen to the radio and catch up on the news. Eventually, Television replaced the radio, and residents would gather around a TV to catch up on what’s happening in the world. City Drugs in Van Alstyne has been operating as a Drug Store for over 100 years (since 1890) and has been in the same location since 1904.
Van Alstyne is a wonderful city and an amazing place to live in! If you are considering moving to Van Alstyne, check out the Real Estate section to learn how you can move to Van Alstyne! Van Alstyne is such a fantastic community with lots of community events to attend throughout the year.
Come and visit Van Alstyne, Texas! Explore our Historical Downtown, Fantastic Small Businesses, Amazing Parks, Community Library and Awesome Events! If you have any questions, please feel free to message me, I’m always happy to help!
Katricia
