General Folktales

The Name "Plainview":

One of the most interesting folktales that has been passed down for many generations (and one of the only ones that exists, presumably), is how Plainview got its name. According to my Grandma, Irene Baker, the family of the man who founded the town stood on a mountain and looked at the land below them. The man's wife (possibly named Garner) said "Oh, what a plain view."

This name is based on the land which was found. However, other towns might have been named for similar reasons, as well as some historical events.

There's a place called Indian Head in Canada. According to their website, the town got its name because of the hills where people who died of smallbox and other diseases were buried. People knew those hills as "Many Skeletons Hills" or "Many Skulls Hills", and new people coming in knew it as "Indian Head Hills". Later, when the rail system was built through there, the settlement decided to call it by the only name they knew it by: Indian Head.
source: http://www.townofindianhead.com/our-history/how-our-town-got-its-name.html

A Little History from Grandma:

Grandma told me stories about a time when Plainview was more than just a small town. Back in the 1950's, Plainview was rather large. Before it was large and bustling, there were 4 or 5 stores, 2 cafes and beer joints (back when the county was wet). Later, Plainview had a movie theater, which she worked at and dated the man who ran the reels.

My Grandmother says that back then, everyone took care of their own. Merchants and the clergy took watched after the city children. The Schoolhouse was small, but nice, she says. Mr. Houser, possibly what was like a superintendent, was "a bear at times, very strict", but brought some kids from a school in Concord, Arkansas to Plainview and encouraged the two groups to interact and date. My Grandma was too young for that at the time, but she remembers that many of them dated.

For the most part, the only information they got from neighboring towns was from a small town about 5 minutes away called Ola. She said that many Ola boys were interested in dating Plainview girls. I find it interesting that when I went to high school, it was the exact same way.