Fairview H&TC Railroad Historic District

Along Sloan Creek in Fairview, Texas, five surviving structures record two eras of rail travel and a popular swimming spot. The Houston & Texas Central Railroad built a large arched stone and brick bridge and a smaller brick bridge around 1873. Freight use on the line ended in 1988. Beside the large bridge are concrete abutments and eleven trestle posts from the Texas Traction Company's electric interurban line, which ran from 1908 to 1948. Nearby, a 1915 stone dam built by Edgar H. Bush created Trolley Lake, where visitors swam and picnicked and where the interurban later added a stop. The railroad arrived as Collin County's population nearly doubled between 1870 and 1880, and farmers gained access to distant markets. The interurban later ended rural isolation by carrying passengers, mail and goods. The large bridge has lost most of its wingwalls, but its main arch is intact. The district sits on roughly seven undeveloped acres.