Browse Items (13 total)

In 1909, the McKinney Courier-Gazette recounted a story of a bomb and a surprise. The newspaper article prints the tale told by Yancy Powell about some mischievous lads, who weren’t vicious but always looking for opportunities to play pranks. Powell…

The ads for saloons were interesting and unique to the time period. Here is an example from the Democrat newspaper from 1898. "If you want to drink liquor, drink pure liquor, old liquor, something that will not make you sick, wild or wooly. I carry…

Bar fights are associated with saloons in the late 1800s. McKinney saloons had their fair share of fights but rarely did they shake the citizens. In 1890, according to the Democrat newspaper, two stand up citizens, George Howell and Frank McGill, got…

The Elm Saloon was located on the east side of McDonald Street. To see the historical marker, visit 346 Virginia Street.

There are many stories about notorious gangs and outlaws making their way through McKinney. According to the Democrat…

“Saturday afternoon about 4 or 4:30 o’clock every prisoner in the Collin County Jail made his escape,” opens the Democrat newspaper article. On October 13, 1898, while the sheriff was in Dallas, prisoners A.P. Ritchie and Jim Lawrence led the…

While there aren't many pictures of the saloons that used to be around the McKinney Square, in this picture between the bookstore and Smith Bros. Drugs is the Monarch Saloon.

On April 3, 1890 the Democratic Newspaper (I don't believe there was a Republican Newspaper) reported a story of gunfire and near misses! Todd Warden and John Campbell had gotten into an argument for some unknown reason. Later in the day they both…

Saloons and drinking were controversial in McKinney. As early as 1887, citizens began voicing their dislike of both. Prohibition speeches were delivered on the Courthouse steps. Opinion statements from both sides were published in the newspapers. In…