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History
in a Pecan Shell
The town was named after Frank Overton, early
settler and landowner who donated the townsite. It was platted in 1873 and a post
office was granted that year.
Originally intended to be a crossroads for
two railroads, in the mid 1870s the Henderson and Overton Branch Railroad, was
completed and was later joined by the International-Great Northern. When the nearby
towns of Rocky Mount, Belleview, and Jamestown were all bypassed by the railroad,
Overton gained the businesses and people who felt a need to be connected to the
rest of the world. The town offered lots for businesses to relocate and many took
the offer. |
| | Tandy
Reid American Legion Hall
Photo courtesy Lori Martin, December 2005
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Fellows built the first school and a church was constructed in 1875. By 1888 the
population had increased to 500 and had all essential businesses, including a
newspaper. Overton prospered as an agricultural community and in 1904 the population
had reached 568. |
| | The
old theatre in Overton
Photo courtesy Lori Martin, January 2006
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| Oklahoman
wildcatter C. M. (Dad) Joiner was drilling his third well in 1930 and the town
of Overton helped raise the funds he needed to drill. When the well came in -
Overton shared in Joiner's success. Churches, schools, and a refinery were built.
The towns economy suddenly revolved around the production of oil. |
| | Overton
School detail
Photo courtesy Lori Martin, December 2005 |
| | Overton
School
Photo courtesy Lori Martin, December 2005
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Schools |
From 426
in 1931, Overton's population exploded to 3,000 in just two years. By 1936 it
was up to 4,500 and the town went through the Great Depression relatively unscathed.
But by the end of WWII the population had declined by half - reaching just 2,000
in the fifties and remaining at that level through the 70s. In the 1980s Overton
was Rusk County's "second city" with a population of 2,430 in 1983. By the 1990s
Overton extended into neighboring Smith County.
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