The Collins-Salas House

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This lot sold several times before a house was erected. In 1919, G. W. Cook (1877-1966) sold the lot to M.A. Collins (a femme sole) for $400. Mr. Cook had come to Olney in 1910 to run the Stephens-Roach store, which was the largest mercantile establishment in town. Mrs. Collins and her husband, J.C. apparently built the house after 1919 for when they sold the property in 1921; The consideration was $5,500.

T.T. Meade (1871-1946) of Megargel was the purchaser, and he was an insurance agency operator and a realtor. Two of the Meade descendants in Olney are Marilyn Farmer (Mrs. Lewis Farmer), a granddaughter, and Matt Meade, a great-grandson. (Matt’s mother is married to my first cousin’s son, Dr. Kirk Purcell, a physician in Wichita Falls.)

Later in 1921, Abbie E. Thomas of Mitchell County bought the house and afterward married J.C. Etheridge, a brother to Beulah Hutchings’ husband. Beulah was the sister to Mrs. Sidney Hunt whose home has been covered in this column.

The Etheridges sold the house to B.R. Jeske (1871-1945) in 1927 with Mr. Jeske spending some of his newfound wealth from the Oil Boom. The Jeske family has been a contributing group to Olney, serving in many roles. Mr. Jeske must have missed the country, and he built a nice, brick home on his farm in south Archer County. In 1944, he sold the house to his daughter, Agnes Emile Roenfeldt, who must have rented the house to the Jordan family. Mr. Jordan worked for the Texas Company as did his brother-in-law, J.G. Duvall. Iva Jordan was the mother to three girls with each having a different father. June Sparks was in my OHS graduating class in 1945, and she married Richard Wainwright and moved to Atlanta.

In 1949, Mrs. Roenfeldt sold the house to Floyd (“Fat”) Teaff (1903- 1983). Olin Calvin made a fortune in the 1930s in the butane business and gas appliances. Mr. Teaff came along in 1949, and took over the appliance and furniture business. After Mr. Teaff ’s death in 1983, Leola Teaff and son Kenneth sold the house to Max and Toni (Leofler) Anderson when Max came to work for Olney Savings. The Andersons were from Munday, and Toni’s dad, Troy, was an aerial spray person in Munday.

In 2001, the Andersons sold the house to the current owner, Juan Salas.