Lucas

Lucas is just north of Wylie and Parker eight miles east of U.S. Highway 75 in southeast Collin County. It was named after Gabriel H. Lucas, son of early settler Peter F. Lucas, who arrived in 1844. Gabriel opened a store there in 1870. For nearly a century the economy of the area was based upon agriculture, chiefly cotton and corn. In 1947 Lucas had a population of 100, two stores, a gin, a school, a public softball field, and two churches. With the growth of Dallas, several housing developments have transformed Lucas from a farming community to a rural suburb. The town was incorporated in 1970, and by 1984 its population was 1,500, most of the residents being newcomers with jobs in Dallas. The gin, the old school, and the softball field have disappeared. In 1990 the population was 2,205. That figure increased to 2,890 by 2000.