Texas Historical Marker #07747
Omen (Canton) Community. Promoters Alexander Douglas, Thomas Weatherby, and Mitus White platted the townsite of Canton in 1850 near the junction of two main roads, one leading to the county seat at Tyler. Although the post office was renamed Clopton in 1852 and the name was changed to Troup in 1854, the village continued to be known as Canton for many years. The first store opened in 1852 and soon the community had a tanyard, blacksmith shop, cabinet and wagon shop, hotel, school, several doctors, churches, and a Masonic Lodge. The 1860 census showed 34 households in the town. When the International & Great Northern Railroad bypassed Canton in the 1870s, many businesses moved away. In 1880 the town and post office adopted the name Omen. For 30 years, Omen was the location of the Summer Hill Select School, a coeducational boarding school directed by A. W. Orr (1849-1924) of Georgia. This highly-regarded institution drew students from all parts of Texas as well as from out of state. The closing of the post office in 1906 and the school hastened Omen's decline. Oil discoveries during the 1930s revived the community briefly, but with the depression the population dwindled further and Omen became a rural village. #7747
?, Omen, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #07748
John Franklin Overton. (May 24, 1816 - July 29, 1879) Born in Maury County, Tenn., came to Texas in 1845 with his wife, Jane Jameson Overton, and mother, Susan Alexander Overton. He received land grants totaling 1600 acres. His wife died in 1849, and he married Mary D. Walker in 1852. They had 11 children. During the Civil War he sold supplies to the Confederacy and was addressed as "Colonel." In 1871, he donated land to the International Railroad Company, and the town of Overton (8 miles NE) was named in his honor. #7748
?, Omen, TX, United States