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Odell, Texas
Post Office 79247
Photo
courtesy Billy Gilbert, November 2012 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Odell came into
being with the arrival of the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad
in 1908. J. T. Odell is the town's namesake and although there had
been a town named Haulk just two miles away, the population
was drawn off of Haulk, lured by the opportunities the railroad offered.
A post office was opened in April of 1909 and ten years later the
town was thriving with 30 businesses, including a newspaper. In time,
Odell could boast 5 different churches. In the prosperous 20s, Odell
had over 800 citizens but The Great Depression took its toll and several
fires caused a lot of damage to Odell's main street. By the end of
WWII only eight
businesses were left and the population was a mere 301. It declined
to just 130 - nearly the same figure given today. |
Odell, Texas
Landmarks
Photo Gallery
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The closed Odell
Post Office
Photo courtesy Billy Gilbert, November 2012 |
Odell Post
Office Ghost Sign
"Included
is an updated photo(s) of the Odell, Texas Post Office building that
is now closed. After years of weathering the painted signage for the
Post Office building has faded away to reveal a former purpose for
the tiny building. Looking closely at the top banner - on either side
of the zip code designation - you should be able to make out the block
letters of "MARKET CAFE"... This small building is the last remaining
"original" business building in the town still in its original location.
According to the publication "Wilbarger County, Texas 1858 - 1986";
Wilbarger County Historical Commission (1986), a hand-drawn map of
Odell between 1925 - 1935 shows two cafes in this general area. As
cafes would commonly also serve as a meat market in this era it would
explain the building's "ice house" designation. I also learned from
the current owner that the walls insulated with cork are found only
in the rear portion of the building. In this same publication I have
been able to verify that the current Primitive
Baptist Church was the first public school building for Odell.
A larger, brick school building was erected in another part of town
in 1912.
Again, I very much enjoy your website and check it almost daily for
new material. Please keep up your good work in preserving Texas history."
- Billy Gilbert, Denton,
Texas, November 07, 2012 |
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The 1890 Odell
Baptist Church
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2007 |
Odell Primitive
Baptist Church, the first public school building for Odell.
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2007
More Texas Churches |
Odell School's
gymnasium built by the WPA in the 1930’s
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2007 |
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Odell, Texas
Forum
Subject: Odell Texas
My Grand parents raised my two aunts and my daddy in Odell. All
of the images on your site are deep in my memory. My aunt was the
post master of the post office, I spent many summers at coopers
store. My grandparents raised their children in the baptist church.
I might have a picture of the jail in my photos. So many wonderful
memories of ODELL Texas. Thank you for sharing the pictures. - Allison
Vassey, January 7, 2024
Subject:
Odell, Texas
I lived in Odell in the 70's. I attended Chillicothe Elem from 2nd-5th
grade. I went to Odell Jr High School my 6th & 7th. The principal
was Coach Spears. He reminded me of Marshall Dillion. There was
Texaco gas station for a few years. There were 2 stores Leoda Cooper
and the store across the street for tobacco, oil, guy stuff. One
post office and about 4 churches. Mama Neel and Papa Neel, Joe Neel
family, & my Aunt Loretta Turner also lived in Odell. There was
also a beauty shop. I lived on the Shallowater farm with my parents
Clayton & Frances Neel and sibling Kimberly Neel. - Angel Neel,
June 2, 2021
Subject:
Odell, Texas
This is in response to your Odell page in your [magazine]. I reside
in Odell with my grandparents in the old Tallent-Starr House on
CR 102 West. The old post office is now a recording studio for the
bands around the area and there is a now a stage for them to perform
on during Odell Days. I thought that it was so cool to see my hometown
on a website and be able to say that I have lived in an actual "ghost
town." My house is one of the originals built in 1908 for the Starr's
daughter who was getting married. It has since been added on to
although we don't know the exact date of these additions. The old
train tracks went right across our driveway and the old cotton gin,
which is now a private residence, is not too far. The [railroad
trestle] across the river is still standing, although time has taken
its toll on it. Although I have and continue to [walk] on it, I'm
still kind of cautious because it's starting to collapse in some
places. Other than a few rotten boards it's in relatively good condition.
- Hannah Clark, Odell, Texas, September 03, 2007
Subject:
Buildings in Odell Texas, and Odell Cay
Thank you for the inclusion of Odell (Wilbarger
County) in your features. I was born there and my Dad worked
for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. We lived in the
concrete “bunk houses” built for railroad employees that lie just
west of the 3-way cross roads. Dad moved with the railroad jobs
but we returned there in the mid-fifties and re-built the house
that lies [near] between the Primitive Baptist Church.
I can attest to the existence of the five churches and report that
my youthful employment included mowing the lawns of all of them
and the small patch beside the old post office; a task that netted
me 50 cents. The much larger church grounds could bring me as much
as $5 for several hours labor. All five churches remained active
until the early 1970’s with only the 1890 Baptist and the Primitive
Baptist holding services today.
Your photo of the Odell School is primarily the gymnasium built
by the WPA in the 1930’s. The flagstone staircase banisters at the
entry once held a brass plaque reporting this fact. The plaque has
since been scavenged by a souvenir hunter. The main school building
was even older and sat to the north of the gym. In the 1950’s the
single-story structure was added between the two and while the north
face of the gym building was opened for construction there came
a heavy rain that caused the hardwood flooring of the basketball
court on that end to warp severely. This became an important strategy
in our game plan during my school years.
The post office building was once an ice house and the walls are
lined with cork for insulation. Today it is used as a sound recording
studio by a local resident. Mrs. Cooper ran the small grocery from
my earliest memory until just a few years ago. The walls of the
store were filled with collections of wallet size “School Days”
photos of the children who frequented her store from the community
and the school. I personally achieved a priceless baseball card
collection by trading her empty pop bottles found along the roadside.
A reunion called Odell Days is held each year on the last
Saturday in April. It features live bands, barbeque, arts & crafts,
a car show, and lots of fellowship while serving as a fundraiser
for the town’s volunteer fire department. I invite you to check
www.odell.coyotedream.com for photos of this event and a pencil
drawing depicting Odell (circa 1914).
If by chance you photographed a small concrete cubicle structure
about 200 yards east of Cooper Grocery but did not use it for lack
of identification; that is the ancient jail. In the mid-1960’s it
was the abode of an eccentric and transient man known only as “Andy”
who did odd jobs around the town. - Billy Gilbert, Denton,
Texas, June 12, 2007
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