The original county seat of Collin County was a town called Buckner, but the legislature’s decision that the county seat needed to be within three miles of the geographic center of the county meant it had to be in a different location. Two locations were put to a vote: what is now McKinney and a location near Sloan’s Grove which is in Fairview today. Heavy rains and swollen creeks prevented Sloan’s Grove voters from reaching the polls on voting day, and McKinney was voted to become the county seat. Although residents believed the new county seat would be named Buckner, the Texas Legislature named the town McKinney for Collin McKinney. The state legislature passed an act establishing McKinney as the county seat for Collin County on March 16, 1848.