Texas EscapesAn earlier community named Palo Alto had been established two and a half miles NE of what would become Killeen in the early 1870s. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was expanding in 1881 and platted a seventy-block town, naming it after the assistant general manager of the railroad - Frank P. Killeen. When the first train arrived - there was a crowd of some 40 residents there to greet it. Populations from smaller communities were drawn off and added to Killeen's population which was further bolstered by people attracted by a national campaign run by the railroad. By 1884 the town had 350 residents with a substantial number of essential businesses. It became a shipping point for cotton, and was wired for telephone service by 1896. The town was wired for lights in 1904-05 and bridges were constructed over Cowhouse Creek doubling the city's trade area. A public water system was set in place by 1914.
Killeen Website
The City of Killeen acquired the school building in 1993, and opened it as City Hall in 1995. While modified for its current use, much of the original structure remains intact including its red brick façade, boy’s and girl’s entrance markers and wood floors. Another interesting feature is the repurposing of the school’s cafetorium for use as City Council Chambers.