History
Located on
the southern border of Dallas
near the intersection of Interstate Highways 45 and 20, the small
city of Hutchins started off as a trading place for people living
on the left side of the Trinity River and those crossing from Dawdy's
Ferry. Its location currently unavailable to the public, travelers
had to pay a dollar for each wagon, ten cents for a man and horse,
and five cents a pedestrian in order to use the barges.
Settlement in the area began during the 1860s. It became a town
in 1872, thanks to the arrival of the Houston and Texas Central
Railway. Wanting to honor the railroad's president, the residents
name the town after William J. Hutchins. By the end of the year,
there were several stores, a gristmill, a church, a school, some
gins, and a post office. The year of 1875 brought about the establishment
of the Hutchins Memorial Cemetery with Alonzo B. Clark as
its first resident. The population reached 250 in 1884.
Three years later, nine people got together and founded First Methodist
Church. They first gathered in a farmhouse before sharing a building
with the Christian Church of Hutchins. Reverend John M. Davis and
the congregation finally had a church constructed in 1891 after
A. S. Clark donated some land on Main Street.
After providing many years of service, Hutchins Memorial Cemetery
received the honor of getting placed on the local map in 1895. First
Methodist Church built its new home along Palestine Street two years
later.
Local citizens formed Hutchins Baptist Church and chose George Wharton
to be its pastor in 1904. However, the congregation was forced to
have their services at First Methodist Church until the members
could afford to build their own. The opportunity arose in 1911 with
the completion of a wooden structure at the intersection of Mills
Street and Athens Street. Unfortunately, the church burned down
in 1916, prompting the construction of a new one the following year.
A decade passed and the population of Hutchins rose to 500.
The city established its first library in 1948, but the actual building
was not constructed until 1958 when Charles Atwell provided funding
for the project. During this time, the population reached 741. The
year of 1972 brought a change in ownership regarding Hutchins Memorial
Cemetery, placing the property in the hands of a special foundation.
The public library doubled in size during 1984 with the addition
of a new wing. By 1990, there were 67 businesses in the local economy,
which was dominated by small manufacturing companies. The most prominent
ones made air-conditioners. data cards, and magnetic tapes, and
metal castings. The population at the time was 2,719 and increased
to 2,805 at the turn of the century.
Hutchins had 133 local businesses when the new millenium arrived.
Renovation of the library began in 2002 and concluded the following
year, successfully tripling its size in the process. By 2016, the
population of Hutchins reached 5,639.
© Clint
Skinner
July
9,2018
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