Odell is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Wilbarger County Wilbarger County ( ) is a county located in the North Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,887. The county seat is Vernon. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1881. Wilbarge ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States. According to the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

, the community had an estimated population of 131 in 2000.

Geography

Odell is located at . It is situated at the junction of Farm Roads 91, 432, and 2379 in northwestern Wilbarger County, approximately 15 miles northwest of Vernon.

Wanderers Creek Wanderers Creek is a tributary of the Red River in Texas. See also *List of rivers of Texas The list of rivers of Texas is a list of all named waterways, including rivers and streams that partially pass through or are entirely located within th ...

borders the community to the west.

History

The community was founded in 1908 as a railroad station on the

Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor of the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolobamp ...

. It was named after New York civil engineer J. T. Odell. Many of Odell's early residents came from Haulk, a nearby settlement. Upon the arrival of the railroad, a number of Haulk citizens were lured to a better location on land donated by T. H. Holloway. A post office was established on April 27, 1909. By 1919, thirty businesses were operating in Odell and the community thrived throughout the 1920s. In 1928, Odell was incorporated. The population was 424 at the 1930 census. Within a short time, however, the community began to decline. Several factors, including the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and a series of fires in the mid–1930s, accelerated the level of decline. The population fell to 301 in 1940, 238 in 1950, and 131 in 1960. Soon after, Odell reverted to the status of an unincorporated community. By the mid–1980s, a few stores and churches remained active in Odell. Cotton, cattle, grain, and oil formed the base of the local economy. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century and into 2000, Odell was home to approximately 131 residents.

Education

Public education in the community of Odell is provided by the

Chillicothe Independent School District Chillicothe Independent School District is a public school district based in Chillicothe, Texas (USA). The district covers eastern Hardeman and northwestern Wilbarger counties. In addition to Chillicothe, the district also serves the uninco ...

References

External links

* * {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Wilbarger County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Former cities in Texas