by Ana O'Reilly

Created on: December 12, 2009

Frisco Heritage Museum is located at 6455 Page St., Frisco, North Texas. It opens Wednesday to Saturday from 10 to 5, Sunday from 1 to 5 and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The admission fee is $4 for adults and $2 for children aged 5 to 11.

It is a rather small museum that traces the history of Frisco, a town which began as a watering hole and whistle stop along the Shawnee Trail and, later, the St. Louis-San Francisco railroad line, from which it took its name. Frisco became officially a town in 1902.

At the time of my visit, there was a travelling exhibit called the Shawnee Trail on display until January 3, 2010. Many authentic cowboy artifacts were showcased: weapons, articles of clothing, saddles, photographs, and hats, to name a few. The Shawnee Trail was the first major route used by the cattle trailing industry to deliver longhorns to the markets of the Midwest. It ran from south to north.

On the first floor, the visit begins with a mural by Texan artist Janice Hart Melito, which tells the story of Frisco as told by a grandmother to her son. Then, through the door, on the left hand side, the printing press of The Frisco Journal (1902 – late 1950s) is on display. On the right, an exhibit called "Fillin’ Up 1915" shows a Pegasus gas pump with a Ford Model T. Next to it there is a 1930’s flashier service station, as they were called back then.

At the back of the room, two furnished family rooms are displayed. One dates from the 1910s and the other, the 1960s. Both illustrate, through furniture and everyday items, how families spent their free time in those two distinct periods.

The second floor is devoted to the activities that brought prosperity to Frisco and its raison d’etre: cotton harvesting and processing and the railroad, which brought about a dramatic change from 1902 onwards. There is also a heritage theatre (decorated like a small town theatre) and a display by the Heritage Association of Frisco.

The cotton exhibition is quite educational. The cotton crop cycle and processing is explained, from seed to T-shirt. The Railroad Museum Exhibit is made up of a railroad handcar, a luggage wagon, dining car china, a crossing signal and various photos and graphics.

In the Timeline Room, visitors can watch a DVD presentation about the history of Frisco. The best feature of this room is its panoramic view of the Heritage Center and beyond.
The Heritage Association of Frisco’s area showcases a 1920s-1930s farm kitchen, the town’s first beauty parlor (some of its appliances look pretty dangerous to one’s health, at least by today’s standards) and uniforms, weapons and other memorabilia from both World Wars which belonged to Frisco veterans.

This museum is an ideal place to spend a pleasant hour or so learning about the history of this North Texas town.

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