HOMES OF OLNEY
John Turner Richardson, Jr. built this house in 1927 after the Swastika Oil Field was discovered on his father’s ranch in Archer County in 1923. In 1929, he added an extension to the North but it was not masonry as the first part of the house. During the depression Jr. passed the house to his dad and his brother Curtis.
Curtis Richardson sold the house in 1933 to Dr. L.F. Gragg, whose office was in the very South end of the Palace Drug after City National Bank was merged into First National Bank in 1935. This was a very cozy arrangement back in Prohibition days, as a doctor could write a prescription for alcohol and a druggist could dispense it legally. (As a side note, Dr. Gragg died in a car accident in Archer County in 1947 and Elby Wilborn, the owner of Palace Drug, was one of his pallbearers.) In April of 1945, Miss Dixie Campbell, the
In April of 1945, Miss Dixie Campbell, the daughter of Richard and Alice, had to move from the 1903 Campbell house on East Church (which is covered in a previous column). In October of that year she married Albert Ragle, a widower, whom she had known from childhood. (As a side note, she was 50 at her first marriage and married two more widowers, Jimmy Smith and Joe Zinn. She outlived all three husbands and died as a widow.) The 1951 tornado damaged the house but fortunately the Ragles were building a new house on Arbor and the carpenters repaired this house in short order and went back to work on the new house.
In 1951, the Ragles sold the house to J.R. (Jim) Barnett. Mr. Barnett was a successful farmer on the Springcreek FM road.
In 1953, Forrest J. (Chief) and Vera (Taack) Thomas became the owners. Chief lost his first wife in a car accident and they had two boys, Jack and Bill. Their mother was Blanche Martin from Archer City. He married Vera and had two children, Cordie and Mary Ann. Chief had worked in the oil fields and later operated Vera Taack’s land in the True Community. Chief died in 1967, and Vera remained in the house. Vera’s interest was transferred to B.J. (Bill) Thomas in 1998. Bill had various jobs but put in 24 ½ years for Sears in Wichita Falls. Bill married Alice (Chambers) Eichmann in 2000 and each had been married before, he with one son and she with two sons. Alice’s Dad was “Muggs” Chambers, the beloved janitor at Olney Elementary for years. Bill leases out Vera Taack’s property.
If you have any corrections or concerns, please contact Clifton Key at 940-564-2979.
CORRECTIONS IN THE 8/20 ISSUE: The Calvin-Morales House: CODY L. HOUSTON IS NOT EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF OLNEY AS CITY SECRETARY AND EDITH WALKER CALVIN DIED OF HEART COMPLICATIONS IN 1982.