About 1848 Square
Why “1848 Square”
The Texas Legislature made McKinney the seat of Collin County on March 16, 1848. It nearly went another way: the county-seat election was held in a rainstorm, and the other town’s voters couldn’t get across the swollen creeks. McKinney has been reading the agenda ever since.
The square came first. The town’s first store was moved over from Buckner in May 1848 and set down on what became the northwest corner of the square. Everything else was built around it, including the county, which, like the town, is named for Collin McKinney, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Builders keep two tools within reach for keeping a foundation honest: the square and the level. One checks that your corners are true. The other checks that what you build on them is flat and fair. We named this site for the first and promise the second. News on the level, from the town that started at the square.
What we cover
City hall, schools, and the everyday decisions that end up on your water bill, your tax statement, and your street. Every story is built from the public record: agendas, minutes, budgets, and meeting video. The “Where this comes from” box at the bottom of each story lists the documents, so you can check our work.
Who pays for this
Nobody but us. 1848 Square is independent and self-funded. It runs no ads, takes no sponsorships, and answers to no one who appears in a story. If that ever changes, this page will say so first.
When we get it wrong
We fix the story and say so at the bottom, with the date and what changed. Errors of substance get corrected prominently, not silently, and every one is listed on the corrections page. Spot one? Tell us.
Reach us
Your friendly neighbor, T.