Olney, Texas, a city in Young County. (original) (raw)

Downtown Olney mural depicting oil boom
Photo courtesy Mike Price, 2007

History in a Pecan Shell

The community is said to be named after Grover Cleveland's Secretary of State or some incident of local interest that occurred at Olney, Illinois.

The town was settled around 1880 as a central location for local ranchers who held their annual round-up. In 1889 two acres of land were donated for a townsite, and soon after a post office was granted and a store was built.

In 1891 the community established a school and the Wichita Falls and Southern Railway arrived in 1909. The railroad caused the town to shift its location one mile north. In 1910 Olney became a two railroad town with the arrival of the Gulf, Texas and Western railroad.

Oil was discovered in 1923 and Olney became a boom town when huge reserves were found in '24. Three refineries opened and the population of Olney swelled to 5,000 by 1930. Railroad service was cut off during WWII and never reestablished. A tornado struck the community in 1951 causing extensive damage, injuring 75 and killing two.

Olney, Texas Landmarks

Photo Gallery

Olney Bank architectural detail
Photo courtesy Mike Price, 2007

"Ruth Oran Smith Moser front row 3rd, big bow in her hair."
Click on image to enlarge
Photo courtesy Martha Moser-Seddon

Old Olney School Class Photos

"I'm sending a couple of my grandma's school pictures. She was born 1907 in Chico but I believe they were schooled in Olney.

Photos Circa 1913-1916. Guessing from date of birth of Martha Moser-Seddon" - Martha Moser-Seddon, , January 24, 2018

Agricultural Aircraft and Leland Snow by Ken Rudine In 1951 a Texan named Leland Snow began designing an airplane for the purpose of aerial applications on crops... In 1958 he moved his company to Olney, Texas. There he began building his aircraft models S-2A and S-2B... . In 1977 the first turbine engine model Air Tractor was produced... In 2008 there was a celebration honoring Leland Snow�s 50th year in Olney Texas.

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