Amarillo in Potter County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Melissa Dora Oliver-Eakle
Photographed By Allen Lowrey, May 7, 2020
1. Melissa Dora Oliver-Eakle Marker
A descendant of two prominent 17th-century families in Virginia and Georgia, Melissa Dora Callaway (1860-1931) was a graduate of Georgia Female College. In 1884, she married industrialist Capt. William Oliver. Following his death, she visited her brothers in Amarillo in 1889, purchased land in Potter and Randall Counties in 1890, and in 1895 moved to the frontier town of Amarillo.
Mrs. Oliver's personal fortune allowed her to invest in the town at a time when money was sorely needed for its growth. She developed part of her landholdings into the subdivision in which Amarillo College and Memorial Park are located.
In 1902, she married O.M. Eakle (d. 1914) and was known thereafter as Mrs. M.D. Oliver-Eakle. A lover of opera and classical literature, Mrs. Oliver-Eakle assisted in establishing the first library, helped finance the Amarillo Opera House and sponsored the local temperance movement. In 1927, she completed Amarillo's first skyscraper, a ten-story office building.
Remembered for her significant cultural contributions, business achievements, and as one of the city's largest taxpayers during a time when women experienced difficulty with involvement in the financial world. Mrs. Oliver-Eakle is buried in Amarillo's Llano Cemetery.
Erected 1985 by Texas Historical
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Women.
Location. 35° 11.014′ N, 101° 50.491′ W. Marker is in Amarillo, Texas, in Potter County. Marker is on West 28th Street, on the left when traveling west. The marker is towards the center of the park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2801 S Tyler Street, Amarillo TX 79109, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Amarillo Globe Dream House (approx. ¼ mile away); Clarence and Lorraine Eakle House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Mary (Masterson) and John Fain House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Edward L. and Margaret Seewald Roberts House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Russell Hall (approx. half a mile away); Eakle-Archer House (approx. half a mile away); Ordway Hall (approx. half a mile away); Llano Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Amarillo.
Photographed By Allen Lowrey, May 7, 2020
2. Melissa Dora Oliver-Eakle Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 9, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2020, by Allen Lowrey of Amarillo, Texas. This page has been viewed 320 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 7, 2020, by Allen Lowrey of Amarillo, Texas. 2. submitted on May 9, 2020, by Allen Lowrey of Amarillo, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
