Frisco History

Have you ever wondered about the history of Frisco, and whether there is any connection between our city’s name and the city of San Francisco?

The History of Frisco

St. Louis-San Francisco Railway “Frisco 1522”

The town of Lebanon was founded along a trail used for driving cattle north from Austin known as the Preston Trail, which later became Preston Road. Lebanon was centered about 4 miles east of the current downtown Frisco and was granted a U.S. Post office in 1860.

In 1902, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway was built running near Lebanon but required watering holes at a lower elevation than the town was located. So the watering holes were built about 4 miles west at lower elevation and the town followed.

The community, which grew around the train stop, was to be called Emerson. But that name was rejected by the U.S. Postal service because it was too similar to another Texas town. Instead, the residents chose Frisco City, naming their new home after the St. Louis-San Francisco railway which had brought them there. Eventually, the name was shortened to “Frisco.”

The current Frisco logo, which you may have noticed looks similar to a railroad sign, reflects that heritage and history.

The red shield-like shape with the word Frisco in the center of it that still adorns the old water tower in downtown Frisco. The shape came from a coonskin hide tacked to the wall of a depot station in Neosho, Missouri in the last part of the 19th century. G.H. Nettleton, then vice president of the railroad, thought the shape of the tanned coonskin would make a good symbol to represent the railroad.

Nettleton also came up with the name Frisco. FR came from Franciso, IS came from the latter part of St. Louis, and the CO is for company.