Olden, Texas facts for kids

Olden is a small community in Eastland County, Texas, in the United States. It's not a big city with its own government, but it's a recognized place where people live. Olden has its own post office, and its special mail code is 76466.

Olden is located right on I-20, which is a major highway. You can find it between two other towns, Ranger and Eastland, in the northern part of Eastland County.

How Olden Started

Olden began as a "railroad town." This means it grew up because of the Texas and Pacific Railway, a train line that passed through the area. At first, it was called Olden Switch. People thought they might find silver there, which would have made the town very rich!

The Oil Boom and Population Changes

Even though silver wasn't found, Olden still managed to grow. It benefited from a big "oil boom" that started in Eastland County in 1919. An oil boom is when a lot of oil is discovered, and many people move to the area to work in the oil fields.

In 1945, Olden had about 500 people living there. But by 1980, the population had dropped quite a bit, to only 110 people. It stayed around that number in 1990. However, in more recent years, the number of people living in Olden started to grow again. According to the 2010 United States Census, the population increased to just over 330 people.

Images for kids

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  Olden School