HOMES of OLNEY
Contact Clifton Key (940.564.2979) for changes or corrections. The Tucker-Burleson House
The Tucker-Burleson House
310 & 312 N. Avenue C., Olney, TX | Photos by Will Sadler
The lot for this house was carved out of the southwest corner of a TEWL survey by Samuel H. (1847-1922) and Elizabeth P. (Payne) (1854- 1929) Leath in 1907, when they began selling 2-acre tracts with this lot purchased by Joseph Alvin (1884-1922) and Estelle (Flatt) (1888-1947) Tucker for $220. In 1909, the Tuckers sold the property to John S. (1874-1935) and Mattie (Smith) (1881- 1970) Wilborn for $1,500, so this means that Tucker built the house (310) before 1909. Also, in that same year, Wilborn sold the house to J. Franklin (1856-1935) and Fannie (1863-1933) Smith, who married in 1880.
In 1924, the Smiths sold the property to Carl E. Krog (1891-1969) and his wife, Frankie Mae (1905-1999). The Krogs were probably drawn to Olney by the oil boom as they are buried in Ft. Worth.
In 1925, the Krogs sold the property to Texhoma Oil & Refining Company for $ 7,389, and they assumed the paving lien on the property for $1,860. This company was the predecessor of Continental Oil, which later was Conoco, and they used the 310 house and built the 312 house for their local employees. Most of the major oil companies had what we called camps for the employees, but they were not in town, and the larger camps were equipped with a grocery run by the oil company.
In 1943, Continental sold the houses to Harry Bettis, Sr. He owned Bettis Ice Company on Main Street. He converted it to a frozen food locker business and used the south end of the old Continental property for an ice distribution outlet. Bettis sold the two houses to Tom (1900-1957) and Ethel (1905-1983) Burleson in that same year. Mrs. Burleson had a withered hand, and she was employed at Motts 5&10 for years. Tom ran the icehouse as it was next door.
In 1957, Burleson’s widow conveyed the 310 house to Lee R. Allen and his wife Evelyn, whose daughter, Karie Jo, was in my OHS graduating class in 1945. Mr. Allen took over running the icehouse.
In 1977, Allen’s widow conveyed the house to Joe (1936-1999) and Barbara (Hall) Walker. Joe ran not only the icehouse but also a used car lot. Joe was a retired Air Force person, and he and Barbara had lived overseas on some of his assignments.
In 1982, the property was passed to Thomas Benton Corbin, Jr. (1947- 2014), and his wife Jerri, and Tom assumed the ice business. His wife is well-known in Olney for running the Senior Cub Center.
In 2010, Corbin sold to Richard Piney, who in 2012 sold 310 to Robert O. Keller, the current owner. As to a312 N. Avenue
As to a312 N. Avenue C, Mrs. Burleson sold it and the remainder of the property to Ray (1914- 1987) and Odessa Forbis, who sold what was left of the property to Jim Wade, which includes the trailer park.