Burkburnett, Texas early 1900s.

 Burkburnett, Texas early 1900s

Pioneers and ranchers began to settle in what we now know as Burkburnett, Texas, around 1856. Back then, this humble community was informally referred to by some locals as Nesterville. By 1880, the town had grown large enough to support a modest store, and its population had reached 132 residents.

From 1882 to 1903, the town operated a post office named Gilbert, a nod to Mabel Gilbert, a prominent North Texas pioneer of the era. In 1906, Samuel Burk Burnett, a prosperous rancher in the vicinity, decided to sell more than 16,000 acres of his extensive land holdings in northern Wichita County to a group of investors keen on extending the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway into the wheat-growing regions of Western Oklahoma.

Lots from Burnett's former land were auctioned off the following year, leading to the establishment of a post office. During this period, the town received its official name, Burkburnett. Interestingly, this moniker was bestowed by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, having ventured into the area for a wolf-hunting expedition hosted by the influential rancher Samuel Burk Burnett.

In 1912, fortune smiled upon Burkburnett in the form of a significant oil discovery to the west of town. This discovery drew thousands of people to the area, and by 1918, the population had surged to around 20,000 residents. The town's dynamic history during this oil boom era was captured in the film "Boom Town," 

As with many towns nationwide, the Great Depression cast a shadow over Burkburnett, leading to a decline in its population. However, in 1941, the city experienced a revival when Sheppard Air Force Base was established nearby.