Do you know that Weston is the oldest city in Collin County? This remarkable town is known for its authentic charm, famous traditions, and rich history.
Weston is over 184 years old with Larkin Adamson credited as naming it after his Missouri hometown. According to the Texas State Historical Association, Weston grew over the next forty years as a stagecoach stop on the way to Dallas. The booming town had over fourteen businesses including hotels, general stores, two churches plus a school. For decades Weston enjoyed popularity, but the creation of railroads built in nearby Celina resulted in an abrupt halt in Weston’s growth.
Although travel to Weston diminished, many families remained, averaging a small population of 200-300 persons intermittently for over most of the next century. Conversely, the last decade has produced record-breaking development in Texas and Collin County. As a result, the communities around Weston grew rapidly yet Weston remained a small provincial town until recently.
This unprecedented growth provided new visitors coming to Weston, attracted by the charisma of its original 1850s downtown buildings. One of the biggest draws was the recognizable Texas Range Honey owned by Steve and Epi Goldstein.
In 2023, after Steve Goldstein decided to retire the honey store, his wife, Epi, desired to better serve Weston. Bicyclists and tourists, purchasing honey, constantly asked for more such as beverages or snacks. Eventually, Epi decided to oblige so she opened Sis’s Country Store, named after the first owner Sis Mugg.
Sis Mugg opened Jack’s Grocery in the 1950s, honoring her late husband, but locals always called it “Sis’s” instead. The store remained open until the 1990s. Epi knew her new venture had to be named after Sis, the way it was always known. Epi called Margaret Merritt, a Celina resident and Sis’s daughter, seeking support for the store’s new name. Naturally, Margaret approved and even provided Epi with original items like old pictures as well as the original butcher block used by Sis.
Sis’s Country Store started with a food truck serving tacos and tasty hamburgers, an understatement to many. Continuing, Epi added a stage in the back for live music. Now, the store offers unique items like Olive Oil from South Texas, specialty canned goods, local farm fresh eggs, and various desserts like Weston’s own Marilyn Chamberlin’s State Fair Blue Ribbon fried pies (if you know, you know). Epi said those sell out instantly. Of course, the store still sells Texas Range Honey.
Sis’s Country Store is a family business with Epi’s sisters, brothers, and family members, all assisting with various tasks throughout the business. Almost everyone lives in Weston or within a four-mile radius. Epi says, “I could not run this without my family. We all work together.” Furthermore, customers often ask Epi, “Are you the new Sis?” - quite an honor to her.
Inside Sis’s Country Store is Reese’s Coffee Corner, owned by Epi’s niece, Reese Flores. Reese, a Celina High School graduate, is no stranger to the coffee industry. It was Epi who recognized this, she suggested Reese open a coffee shop inside the store. Reese’s Coffee Corner offers “craft espresso” with Brazilian coffee beans from the 1418 Coffee Roaster in Celina, 1836 Farms Milk, and homemade natural syrups. Reese believes using quality ingredients equals a better coffee experience.
A lifelong Weston resident, Reese still loves her town. “I remember it just as it is now,” she says. “It’s cool to have a business in the same space where I have grown up,” she recalls.
Weston enjoys so many traditions Reese remembers such as the annual Fourth of July Parade or seeing the chickens roaming freely around Chicken Street. The Weston Homecoming for all former and current residents occurs each June. Additionally, the “Light Up Weston” holiday event adorns buildings with Christmas lights plus a visit from Santa Claus. Epi Goldstein declares, “It’s straight out of a Hallmark Movie.”
Lyle Wise, owner of the Old School Playhouse agrees. “We are so impressed with the friendliness and quaintness of Weston,” he notes. His newly renovated building is home to Anderlin Arts and café. “Missing the Fourth of July Parade isn’t the worst thing, but it’s pretty doggone close,” jokes Lyle.
Surrounded by forthcoming developments, Weston is approaching nearly 1,000 residents. Business owners like Epi Goldstein are excited about the focus on Weston. “It will always have that small town atmosphere no matter the size,” she says. “We will always have that family feel, whether it’s watching the chickens or the kids playing outside with the neighbors,” Epi continued. Collin County’s oldest city may be changing, but its residents pledge to maintain its values and traditions for decades to come.
Visit Sis's Country Store and Reese's Coffee Corner at 108 Main Street, Weston
It will always have that small town atmosphere no matter the size