The Gragg-Reno House Address: 702 W. Main St., Olney, TX

L.F. (and M.D.) and Pauline Gragg built the house in 1930. Hamilton Hospital records show that Dr. Gragg worked from 1911-1947 and received his medical training from the medical college in Ft. Worth, just like Dr. G.B. Hamilton. Dr Gragg was born in 1883 and died in 1947. The Graggs had two sons, Kibbie and W.A. (Mutt) Gragg, who grew up to run the doctor’s ranching interests in Young, Jack, and Palo Pinto Counties. Dr. Gragg officed in the very South end of the Palace Drug Store after 1935 in the building that had housed City National Bank. Palace was owned by Elby Wilborn and his wife Doris and aided by their son, Barney, especially in running the soda fountain.

In 1933 C.V. (Binck) and Nadine (Sherwood) Morgan became the owners of the house. Mr. Morgan became the Chevrolet Dealer in Baird Texas (the county seat of Callahan County) in 1929 and moved the agency to Olney almost immediately. Morgan Chevrolet built the building that today houses the State Farm Insurance Agency (Johnny Moore) and several other offices at the corner of Main and South Ave B.

Two of his long time employees were Ed Hart (his wife worked for the Olney Enterprise) and Red Campbell, whose son became a well-known golfer. Mr. Morgan sold the Chevrolet Agency to J.F. (Tad) Carter in 1941 and spent the rest of his life investing in farm land and oil production. He was one of the largest donors in the1980s for the building of the Olney Community Library. The Morgans had two daughters-Joanne and Nancy. Joanne was a 1944 grad of Olney High and went on to Christian College in Missouri just like the two Wolverton girls across the street. She married Earnest W. Hunt, Jr. in the early 40s and they both graduated from Texas Tech. Nancy married into the Eiland Family of Snyder, Tx who were the GM dealers for Scurry County. The Morgans added the addition on the first floor of the house on the North side.

In 1944 Joanne Hunt as the executor of her mother’s estate sold the house to Sam and Susan (Slater) Kilpatrick. Susan is the daughter of Mildred Kunkel and Herbert Slater who were also the parents of Steve Slater of Olney Interbank.

In 2006 Elmer Dale and Sheila Batts became the owners of the house moving here from Marshall, TX.

Their son Troy Batts had become the Olney Elementary School Principle and their daughter also came with the senior Batts, living in the house with them and her four children whose surnames was Mays. There were two boys and two girls in the Mays Family. Troy and wife, Sarah Beth, eventually moved to Throckmorton for Troy to work for the Throckmorton ISD.

The ownership of the house passed to Richard and Elaine Reno in 2016. Elaine is the curriculum coordinator for OISD and Richard has a law degree. Their Christmas displays of blow-up figures is a real asset to Main Street in the Christmas Season.

If you have any relevant information you would like to add or subtract from this article, please contact Clifton Key at 940-564-2979.