Looking Back

Please join Olney Enterprise and Olney Heritage Museum as we journey through Olney’s past, present and future. This new series will take the reader on a journey that began in 1891 and will lead down a path of discovery to present-day Olney. Some articles in the series will be small and some large. You may be transported to the past, or it could be a look into the future of Olney. The constant in this journey is the destination is always Olney.

The journey begins in 1889 when John W. Groves, also known as J.W. Groves, donated 2 acres for the future townsite of Olney, Texas. In 1891, land was going for approximately $2 an acre, and J.W. Groves was Olney’s Land Agent.

There are two different stories on how Olney got its name. People still argue about it to this day. According to the first story version, the town was named for Richard Olney—the Secretary of State during the administration of Grover Cleveland. The second story version says Groves and Hutchings had journeyed to Farmer, Texas to discuss the situation with the postmaster at Farmer. While there, the two men read the St. Louis Republic newspaper about R.Q. Mills, the U.S. Senator from Texas who planned to open his campaign in Olney, Illinois. The men decided that the town where the senator was speaking deserved a namesake in Texas. You will have to decide which story you like most.

That’s it for this week’s look back into the history of Olney. Please join us next week as we continue our journey through time. I’m sending a special thank-you to the University of North Texas’ Portal to Texas History Archives, The Texas Gen Web Project, and the various history buffs of Olney who will be named as they share the rich history of Olney.