Dr. Lilburn Howard Colley Plaque

Why would a town be named after a doctor? Right here in front of us is the Dr. Lilburn Howard Colley Plaque. This plaque commemorates a man who played a pivotal role in the development of this very town we now call Colleyville. Dr. Lilburn Howard Colley wasn’t originally from Texas. He was born in Missouri in 1843. He even served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Imagine a young Dr. Colley, fresh from his medical degree earned in Iowa in 1873, migrating to Texas with his wife. They settled in the Bransford community in 1885. This wasn’t just a new home for the Colleys. It was a place where Dr. Colley would leave his mark. He became a well-respected physician, tending to the needs of his community. His influence wasn’t confined to medicine. He was also an election official for the Pleasant Run School District. In a way, Dr. Colley was a pillar of the Bransford community. Now, let’s fast forward to 1914. A man named Walter G. Couch opened a grocery store near the Colleys’ home. When it came time to decide on a name for the area, Dr. Colley, the trusted figure that he was, suggested “Colleyville.” The name stuck. Over time, what was once a cluster of small communities, including Bransford, Old Union, Pleasant Glade, Pleasant Run, and Spring Garden, merged. They formed a larger, unified town embracing the name Colleyville. Dr. Lilburn Howard Colley passed away in 1924, but his legacy lives on in the name of this town and the stories passed down through generations.