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Showing her roots
Matt Nachtrieb/Staff Photo
Mary Thompson speaks at Atria Carrollton about her great-great-grandfather, A.W. Perry, one of Carrollton’s founders. View photos at scntx.com.
By Senitra Horbrook, Staff Writer
A.W. Perry’s great-great granddaughter shares family history
The Perry name is well-known in both Carrollton and throughout the state.
Governor Rick Perry once told 84-year-old Carrollton resident Mary Thompson they are probably cousins because he traced his genealogy back to the same state as her, Virginia.
“I’m excited about it,” she said. “I hope to get everyone here thinking about their roots.”
Thompson shared her fragile photos, many yellowed around the edges. She also shared the stories of her family’s firsts in business, transportation and education.
Thompson is the great-great granddaughter of A.W. Perry. She has traced her genealogy back to 1670 when A.W. Perry and his family were in Virginia. They subsequently moved from Virginia to Kentucky to Indiana to Carrollton, Ill. to Texas. The Perry family settled in the Dallas area in 1844.
“They were so enthralled with the land in this area, mainly because of the river,” Thompson said.
Thompson said her family came to Carrollton to farm and wheat was one of the first successful crops. As a married man, A.W. Perry was given a land grant of 640 acres. Perry, his wife and children lived in an 11x14 cabin.
“Many other families came here around that time,” Thompson said. “They were all instrumental and have great histories just like I think my family does.”
The story of her grandfather meeting a man who sold Model T Fords in Dallas got a few laughs.
“My grandfather was so excited the next Saturday he got in his horse and buggy, went to Dallas and got one,” she said. “He offered people rides to Dallas for 10 cents.”
Thompson said her father was directly responsible for the first automobile dealership in Carrollton.
“My daddy was the director of a bank … he said (Carrollton) needed a real Ford place. He met with Henry Ford II,” she said. “As a result of that meeting Henry Ford II opened and sold cars on Belt Line Road.”
She also talked about the building of the railroad system.
“In 1878 the railroads offered to come in as a weigh station between Denton and Dallas. Perry had the area surveyed and chose Denton and Belt Line,” she said. “Three railroads came in and crisscrossed right there. That’s what became the Town Square.”
Shortly after the railroad came the brick plant.
“That was the first job my dad ever had when he got out of school,” Thompson said sharing one of the plant’s original bricks made.
Thompson’s grandmother was also one of the city’s first schoolteachers. Most people were schooled at home or church before the first public school was built.
“The first school was at what is now Josey Lane and Country Club Drive,” she said. “It was called Carrollton Academy.”
Thompson has watched with interest as Carrollton’s population grew from 600 when she was born in the 1920s to nearly 150,000 today.
“I’m proud of my heritage,” she said. “My 84 years have been wonderful.”
Contact Senitra Horbrook at 972-628-4074 or shorbrook@acnpapers.com. Comment on this story at scntx.com.
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