Anna

Anna is on State Highway 5, Farm Road 455, and the Southern Pacific Railroad eleven miles northeast of McKinney in north central Collin County. Although Collin McKinney settled within a few miles of the future townsite in 1846, John F. Greer, who arrived in 1867, is credited with building the first home and store there. The Houston and Texas Central Railway, at that time building between Dallas and Denison, passed through the area in 1873. By the time Anna was platted in 1883, it had a population of twenty, two stores, a steam gristmill, and a Baptist church. A post office also opened in that year. By 1890 the town had a population of 100 to 200. It incorporated in 1913, with Greer as first mayor. Two years later the Greenville and Whitewright Northern Traction Company built the Greenville and Northwestern Railway between Anna and Blue Ridge via Westminster. The line proved unsuccessful, however, and was abandoned in 1920. Anna's first bank, the Continental Bank, was organized in 1902, and the Collin County State Bank was organized in 1913 with R. C. Moore as president. The population of Anna was 538 in 1929 and 467 in 1931. Some sources suggest that the community was named after Greer's daughter. Others report that the town was named in honor of Anna Quinlan, daughter of George A. Quinlan, former superintendent of the Houston and Texas Central. Still another story suggests that Anna Quinlan was the wife of George Quinlan and the daughter of J. L. Greer. Finally, another story attributes the name to Anna Huntington, daughter of C. P. Huntington, who built the Dallas-Denison railroad line. In the mid-1980s Anna had 855 residents and several businesses. The population was 904 in 1990.