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  The Colony, Texas shares history unique to this part of the state. Colony is named in honor of the Peters Colony, a major organized colonization effort in 19th-century central Texas. W.S. Peters and 19 associates, half of them English, signed four colonization agreements with the Republic of Texas between 1841 and 1843, taking the name Texan Emigration and Land Company. They agreed to bring in 800 colonists, giving each newly arrived family 640 acres of land and enough food to last one year. Each single man received 320 acres and food for one year. The company received ten sections of land (6,400 acres) for every 100 settlers it brought into Texas.
Office Branch, which is now called Office Creek, was the site of the land office for 26 counties in the north Texas area. The principal settlements in the Peters Colony were in present Grayson, Collin, Denton, Dallas and Tarrant counties. These were called “The Colony at the Cross Timbers.” By June 1848, 635 colonists had been brought into the Peters Colony, and the contract was discontinued. The Colony of today began in 1973 as a Fox and Jacobs Inc. development near the intersection of
State Highway 121 and FM 423, eight miles east of Lewisville. It is now an incorporated city with a population of approximately 36,500.  The Colony is located in the fastest-growing area of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex, just 35 minutes north of downtown Dallas along the southeastern shores of Lake Lewisville. With Highway 121 running through the city, you are ten minutes from the corporate headquarters of EDS, J.C. Penney, Frito Lay, and Dr. Pepper, and less than 25 minutes from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Sysco Foods regional headquarters and distribution center lies along the southeastern border. Alliance Industrial Airport in Fort Worth is only 40 minutes from The Colony. Interstate 35E is less than ten minutes west, and the Dallas North Tollway is five minutes east, making The Colony a prime site for retail and corporate development.
The Colony has a reputation of being a young, progressive, family-oriented community, growing in residents and quality commercial development. With only 29 years since incorporation, The Colony’s population of approximately 36,500 is projected to reach 75,000 within the next 10-12 years. Population within a five-mile radius is approximately 79,000. Within an eight-mile radius the population is over 363,000. Businesses The Colony now boasts approximately 11,000 residences and 400 businesses. Major establishments include Wal-Mart Super Center, Pizza Inn National Headquarters and Distribution Center, Home Depot, Budget Suites, Comfort Suites, Trinity Medical Center North, Blue Sky Sports Center, The Tribute Golf Club, and Stewart Peninsula Golf Course, as well as the newly developed Hawaiian Falls Adventure Park Austin Ranch is a 1,900-acre master-planned community featuring a mixed-use environment that includes campus-style corporate offices, upscale multi-family homes and retail. Austin Ranch is a community designed to be a pedestrian-friendly place to live, work and play. The neighborhood town centers feature retail, small office and residential areas. Greenfield sites along State Highway 121 range in size from 13 acres to over 300 acres zoned Planned Development for General Retail, Business Park and Light Industrial. Main Street (FM 423) has several parcels ranging from two acres to nine acres zoned Retail, Shopping Center and Business Park. The Colony offers unlimited possibilities for retail and corporate office development. The central location of The Colony allows a company to capitalize on the significant work force and shopping power available in this immediate area. Team this thriving community with daily commuters from other nearby high-income households in Carrollton, Frisco, Plano and Lewisville, and the number of potential customers for a business is staggering. Generous incentive packages can be created for the right project. Call (972) 624-3127 and discover why Home Depot built its 100th store here; why Pizza Inn chose to call The Colony home for its new corporate headquarters; and why Edward Donn & Company, a restaurant supply distribution center, recently selected The Colony as the site of their sixth center.  The recreational needs of The Colony are well served by the award-winning Parks and Recreation Department, named the Top Parks and Recreation Department in Texas in 2002 by the Texas Recreation and Parks Society, as well as numerous levels of recognition by the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation. The Parks and Recreation Department of The Colony was also responsible for our city being named Sportstown, Texas by Sports Illustrated and the National Recreation and Parks Association.The Recreation Center, at 5151 North Colony Boulevard, offers a multitude of activities for youth and adults. While fitness enthusiasts can work out in the weight room or join an aerobics class, the more competitive-natured can participate in racquetball, basketball, volleyball or table tennis. Classes including dance, art, karate, and gymnastics are just a few of the many organized activities featured at the facility. Additional facilities surrounding the Recreation Center include an outdoor basketball court, skate park, and the Kids Colony playground. The Colony opened one of the premier youth sports facilities in the nation in 2003. The Colony Five Star Complex is home to six baseball fields, six soccer fields, two football fields, one softball field, two playgrounds, concession/restroom facilities, three group pavilions, and nearly 1.3 miles of hike and bike trails. A memorial to veterans of the armed services is also located within this new state-of-the-art facility. For those who enjoy the outdoors, The Colony is home to two beautiful lake parks, located on the eastern shore of Lake Lewisville. Stewart Creek Park and Hidden Cove Park offer visitors an opportunity to camp, hike, fish, boat, swim, or just relax in a scenic lake setting. If you are the adventurous type, or if you just enjoy floating down a lazy river, the new eight-acre water park, Hawaiian Falls Adventure Park, is a must, located just off Highway 121 on Paige Road. The Colony Senior Center provides activities, games, meals, art shows, theater groups, book review and computer clubs, as well as health screening services. Discover why the Dallas Morning News’ Texas 99 named Stewart Peninsula Golf Course as one of the top ten new golf courses in the state, the only metroplex course in the top ten! This course includes an innovative nine holes designed with double greens and six tees per hole, with beautiful lake views from every hole. The Tribute at The Colony pays homage to great Scottish courses with an 18-hole layout inspired by some of Scotland’s most famous holes. The Tribute has its own version of St. Andrews’ two finishing holes, including the famous Road Hole, complete with a stone wall running the length of the hole’s right side. The Tribute’s Scottish-style clubhouse offers an extensive selection of merchandise in the Pro Shop, a restaurant, pub, banquet and meeting rooms, and a variety of overnight suites. Blue Sky Sports Center has been the official training center of FC Dallas! They have two indoor soccer fields featuring AstroPlay and SofBoards, and three fully-lighted outdoor fields situated in a parklike setting. Additionally, the facility houses a specialty soccer store, deli-style concessions, weight room, children’s play area, coach’s classrooms, and a full locker room with showers. Additional information about the Parks and Recreation Department or other recreational opportunities can be obtained by calling (972) 625-1106. .....Back
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