The town of Addison is located at the very northern edge of Dallas County. It was once part of Peters Colony, as was much of North Texas, extending roughly from Dallas and Tarrant counties to the Red River. People of Anglo-European descent settled in the Addison area as early as the 1840s. One of the earliest settlers was Preston Witt who built a house near White Rock Creek. The name Addison became used around 1900. A rail line, the St. Louis-Southwestern Railroad, had received land from resident named William Julian to allow the line to connect to Fort Worth in 1890. A coal stop was named Noell Junction, named for early resident Sidney Smith Noell. When the time came to seek a post office, the name Noell Junction was submitted but not accepted due to the existence of another post office named Noell in Leon County. The name Addison is believed to have originated from its first postmaster, Addison Robinson who served in that capacity from 1902 to 1917.
The young town of Addison gradually absorbed other communities like Frankford. Addison’s future became more secure when a rail line was extended to Dallas, The town grew to include businesses like a grocery store, drug store, dry goods store, blacksmith shop, churches and an early bank. It was incorporated on June 15, 1953 as the City of Addison and the name was changed to the Town of Addison in 1982.
Sources include “Little Towns of Texas” by Kathleen E. St. Clair and Clifton R. St. Clair, Jayroe Graphic Arts, 1982.
