Information about Allen, Texas
Allen was named for Ebenezer Allen, a former attorney general of Texas and one of the promoters of the railroad. In 1872 the Houston & Texas Central Railroad was constructed through Allen to facilitate the transport of people and agricultural products.
In 1915, the town suffered a devastating fire that destroyed most of the business district between the interurban tracts and the railroad. Allen remained an agricultural community during the world wars and depression era. The interurban closed in 1948 and the importance of agriculture to the economic base of Allen began to diminish after World War II. With the relocation of high technology companies into Allen in the 1960’s through the 1990’s, the population has increased significantly and today Allen is becoming widely known as an ideal community in which to live and work.
Convenient to both Highway 75 and 121, two major commuter arteries in north Texas, Allen is located twenty-five miles north of downtown Dallas and immediately north and south of Plano and McKinney respectively.
The city is a destination for shoppers at the Allen Premium Outlets as well as the new Watters Creek state of the art out door mall both of which are located with easy access to US Hwy 75. Additionally the Villages at Allen and Fairview offers a multitude of shopping, dining and events for shoppers.
Allen is home to several notable residents including:
To find out more about Allen visit the city web site http://www.cityofallen.org/