11 Facts About Henry Overholser

Henry Overholser was an American businessman, county commissioner, and important contributor to the development of Oklahoma City.

Henry Overholser was the first to erect two-story buildings in the city, both of which were torn down in 1907.

Henry Overholser was born April 14,1846, on a farm in Montgomery County, Ohio, the son of John and Elizabeth Henry Overholser.

Henry Overholser married Emma Hannah and, on June 20,1869, she gave birth to a son, Edward in Sullivan, Indiana The couple had a second child, Elizabeth, who married George Pirtle and she used the name "Queen".

Henry Overholser worked in the mercantile business in Sullivan for 13 years.

Henry Overholser started various real estate and building enterprises in Colorado and Ashland, Wisconsin before moving to Oklahoma Territory.

Henry Overholser had already made a fortune when he arrived in Oklahoma Territory in 1889.

Henry Overholser quickly began buying lots, developing business buildings, and making capital improvements using his own money to what would become Oklahoma City Overholser married Anna Ione Murphy on October 23,1889.

Henry Overholser built the Overholser Opera House on Grand Avenue for $108,000 in 1903 and the Overholser Theater.

Just before statehood in 1906, Henry Overholser helped the local chamber of commerce purchase land for the State Fair of Oklahoma, giving it a permanent home.

Henry Overholser served on the fair's board for numerous years.