St. Paul
Wylie, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Located in South-Central Collin County, St. Paul is one of the oldest communities in the county. The name of the town comes from the St. Paul Catholic Church, which was established in 1856 and located in the area. At one time, the community was known as dump. In the late 1800s, St. Paul had two schools, two churches, a cemetery, a post office, a general store, a grist mill, blacksmith shop and a gin. The post office was established on May 12, 1876 with W.E. Marriott as the first postmaster. In addition to the Catholic Church, Methodist services began in the homes of Mark L. Morris and will Spurgeon as early as 1856 until a permanent church home was built in the late 1890s. Education in the area began in individual homes until public schools were established. The St. Paul community had two schools, at the Catholic Church and the Morris school, constructed in 1873, that shared the building with the Methodist church. The school at the Catholic Church was a two-story building built by the community. The upper floor was used by the ancient order of Hibernians, an Irish Catholic organization. At some point, these two schools combined as the surrounding community was not large enough to support them both. The schools consolidated with the Wylie school district, and the Catholic and Methodist congregations merged with churches in Wylie. St. Paul incorporated in 1971. This rural, agricultural community played a significant role in the early development of south-central Collin County. (2013)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
One of Collin County's oldest communities, St. Paul took its name from a Catholic church established in 1856 and was once known simply as 'Dump.' By the late 1800s it had two schools, two churches, a cemetery, a grist mill, a gin, and a post office, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians—an Irish Catholic society—met above one of its schoolhouses. As nearby Wylie grew, the schools and congregations consolidated there, and St. Paul finally incorporated in 1971.
Why it matters
It preserves the story of an Irish Catholic settlement on the north Texas prairie, a reminder of the immigrant faith communities that shaped the rural frontier.
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Related people
- · W.E. Marriott
Themes & tags
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