HOMES OF OLNEY
Campbell-Aguiler-Shook-Hobbs
Address: 406-408-410 South Avenue D, Olney, TX
Original Owners: William Thomas (1855-1839) and Fannie (Williams) Thomas (1862-1936)
These three houses were built in 1908 by William Thomas (1855-1839) and Fannie (Williams) (1862-1936) Campbell for themselves and their two children· when they moved into town from their ranch in Archer County that Mr. Campbell had purchased in partnership with his brother R. Campbell in 1890. On the dissolution of the partnership, R. Campbell received the Young County portion.
In 1908, W. T. Campbell opened Campbell Banking Company—an independent bank—in the 100 East Block on the North side of Main Street in the middle of the block. Many male residents will remember that this is the building where Palace Barber Shop was located later.
Mr. and Mrs. Campbell took the 408 house for their residence.
The 406 house was built for Joseph Elbert (1878-1944) D.M. and Estelle (Campbell) (1888-1966) Daniels. Daniels was the mentor for George B. Hamilton who went on to become the Dr. Hamilton that the community knows today for Hamilton Hospital. Dr. Daniels left Olney in 1911 to become the medical director of The Great Southern Life Insurance Company in Houston. The next family was that of
Q.T. (Owen Thomas) (1872-1942) and Patti (Morris) (Hannis) (1877-1966) and her child Morris in 1911 shortly after their marriage. Q.T. was an engineering graduate of Texas A.& M. College who came to this area to help Kemp and Kell with the engineering of the two railroads that came to Olney. W. J. Logan became the owner in 1920 and it passed through several of his kinsmen. W. R. and Clara Logan (incidentally, Mrs. Billy Averett’s grandparents) were the owners until Clara acting as executrix of W.R.’ s Estate in 1978 sold the house to Bob L. Terry. Bessie Daralee Terry conveyed the house to Gloria Henderson in 2001 who executed a contract for deed to Jose Murillo and he conveyed it to Jesus Rosas in 2009. Joe Aguilar and his family became the present owners in 2017.
The Campbell’s lived full time in the 408 house until 1917 when Mr. Campbell sold Campbell Banking Company to the principal owners of The Stevens & Roach Company which owned one of the largest mercantile businesses in Olney at the time at the southwest corner of Main and Avenue C. Mr.
Campbell sold his businesses in the area over the next few years and established a ranch in Cochran County Texas and Roosevelt County New Mexico. He conveyed the house to Charles A. Malone in 1922 who conveyed the house to A. W. Hardy in 1924. In an Affidavit of heirship in 1966 the house passed to Vera Blancett who passed it on immediately to Luther T. Jones who sold the house to Jerry Wayne and Diane Miser in 1991. The current residents are Miser’s son-in-law and daughter-Andy and Heather Shook.
The 410 house was built for Richard Thomas (1885-1969) and Elizabeth (Bessie) (Keen) Campbell. His
son worked for his father in ranching, banking, and the Olney Electric Company which built the large metal building in the 300 block of East Main to house the electric generators in 1910, which ran on diesel that was brought in by rail on the WFS railroad. O.T. Anderson bought the house in 1922 and passed it on to Morris Hannis who had married Erline Roach, the daughter of Cherry Roach, the brother of George Hall Roach, who were involved in the purchase of Campbell Banking Company. J.T. Richardson purchased the house in 1923 and conveyed the house to Mrs. Ocie Wheeler in 1937. John Holbrook got the house in 1983, conveying the house to Jackie Hobbs in 1996. Patricia Downing Hobbs became the present owner of the house in 2014 as noted in her husband’s will.
If you have any relevant information you would like to add or subtract from this article, please contact Clifton Key at 940-564-2979.