Ed Overholser (June 20, 1869 - April 21, 1931) was the 16th mayor of
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
and a president of Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce."Necrology"Chronicles of Oklahoma , Volume 9, p. 212. (accessed May 21, 2010).
Early life and career
Overholser was born in
Sullivan, Indiana
Sullivan is a city in Hamilton Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,249 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is the county seat of Sullivan County.
History
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to
Henry Overholser
Henry Overholser (April 14, 1846 – August 25, 1915) was an American businessman, county commissioner, and important contributor to the development of Oklahoma City. He was the first to erect two-story buildings in the city, both of which were ...
and Emma Hanna Overholser.
Henry Overholser
Henry Overholser (April 14, 1846 – August 25, 1915) was an American businessman, county commissioner, and important contributor to the development of Oklahoma City. He was the first to erect two-story buildings in the city, both of which were ...
He was educated in public schools and attended a preparatory school for boys in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
on April 2, 1890, and took over the management of the Overholser Opera House.
In the late 1890s, Overholser helped organized the townsites of Stroud, Wellston, Luther and Jones. He entered public service and worked as the manager of the Oklahoma City waterworks department and was the first Secretary of the State Fair Association. He also served as a school board member and as Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. He was responsible for the large lake that was named in his honor,
Lake Overholser
Lake Overholser is a reservoir within the city limits of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Lake Overholser is formed by Overholser Dam on the North Canadian River in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. The lake is west of Bethany. Overholser married Allie Garrison on May 26, 1903, and had two children, one of whom survived.
Mayor
Overholser won the race for mayor despite being a Republican in a strongly Democratic city. He served from April 13, 1915 to December 24, 1918.
Later life
Overholser became the President of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce from 1922 to 1927. He was responsible for erasing the chamber's debt and increasing the membership to 5,000, an impressive feat at a time when only five cities in the U.S. claimed large memberships. He was a member of a Masonic lodge, the Lutheran Church, and numerous clubs. Illness took his life on April 21, 1931, in Oklahoma City.