The history of Branch, Texas is a valuable lesson for educators.
 | IntroductionThe City of Branch was located on a peninsula in Collin County, Texas and lasted almost six years from 1971 to 1977. Branch was legally incorporated on August 14, 1971 and was unincorporated on April 12, 1977. At its largest, Branch extended from the intersection of FM 982 and FM 546 to the Culleoka-Branch bridge about a mile north and also extended from that same intersection to Lake Lavon about a mile south. The west part of Branch extended north to near McKinney and south to the lake. Currently, Branch is an unincorporated community. SignificanceThe history of the City of Branch is a study in democracy. It demonstrates what individual citizens can accomplish when they band together. Branch was founded to stop the encroachment of nearby cities, but was disbanded when a new city council imposed unwanted zoning laws upon its citizens. Specifically, a Branch landowner moved his elderly parents into a house, which he built for them behind his home. Branch officials told him the second house was against new zoning laws. The landowner was upset that he could not care for his elderly parents in the way they wanted. Subsequently, he rallied his neighbors to elect a new mayor, Harold Clem, for the express purpose of disincorporating Branch. |
