It was known to the
Choctaws,
Chickasaws, and
Creeks who lived in the area as Tiyuk Hekia (Standing
Pine); many years later, when it was
incorporated, it became known as Overton. The town was named after Major Frank Overton, an early
settler and landowner who donated some of his land for the town site. It was
platted in 1873 and a post office was granted that year. Overton was originally intended to be a crossroads for two railroads. In 1875, the
Henderson and Overton Branch Railroad, long, was completed and was later joined by the
International-Great Northern. When the nearby communities of Bellview,
Jamestown, Rocky Mount, and
Salem were all bypassed by the railroad, Overton gained the businesses and people who wanted to benefit from the railroad lines. The town offered lots for businesses to relocate, and many took the offer. The
Masons and
Odd Fellows built the first school, and a church was constructed in 1875. By 1888 the population had increased to 500 and had all essential businesses, including a newspaper. Overton prospered as an agricultural community, and in 1904 the population had reached 568.
Oklahoman
wildcatter C. M. "Dad" Joiner was drilling his third well in 1930, and the town of Overton helped raise the funds he needed to drill. When the well came in, Overton shared in Joiner's success, as churches, schools, and a
refinery were built. Hubbard College was founded during this time as well. The town's once agrarian-based economy suddenly revolved entirely around the production of
oil. Overton's population skyrocketed from 426 in 1931 to 3,000 in 1933. By 1936 it was up to 4,500 and the town went through the
Great Depression relatively unscathed. But by the end of
World War II the population had declined by half—reaching just 2,000 in the 1950s and remaining at that level through the 1970s. In the 1980s Overton was Rusk County's "second city" with a population of 2,430 in 1983. By the 1990s Overton extended into neighboring Smith County. Overton has a historical voting base consisting primarily of older, Republican-leaning voters.
"Republic of Texas" secessionist movement In 2003, the City of Overton became home to the headquarters of only surviving faction of the Texan secessionist group, the
Republic of Texas led by
Daniel Miller. The group was founded on the belief that the United States never legally annexed the Republic of Texas and that Texas is therefore an independent nation, repudiating the
Texas State Government and the
federal government of the United States' authority over Texas. The group was considered controversial by the residents of Overton, especially with the group's checkered past, which includes a week-long hostage situation after the incarceration of two members (leading to one death after the siege) with the hostages being called "prisoners of war". Another event occurred involving the arrest and conviction of two members who planned to assassinate then President,
Bill Clinton, and other high-ranking officials. Both events are listen in the group's Terrorist Organization Profile. This led to the group leaving Overton and rebranding as the
Texas Nationalist Movement. ==Geography==