from the Heber/Overgaard Chamber of Commerce (2004)
[FROM THE EDITORS] The communities of Heber and Overgaard are located on the Mogollon Rim in Northeastern Arizona with elevations ranging from 6435 ft. in Heber to 6620 ft. in Overgaard. They are surrounded by the beautiful Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest known for tall, whispering pines, wildflower meadows and an abundance of wild game. The area can be reached by using State Route 260. (52 miles East of Payson and 30 miles West of Show Low)
Mormon pioneers first settled the area and in 1883 James E. Shelley and Sanford Porter, Jr. founded Heber. The community was named after Heber J. Grant, a prominent member of the Mormon Church. Overgaard, adjoining Heber to the East, was originally called Oklahoma Flats. It was later named after the first sawmill owner in the area, Chris Overgaard.
The Mogollon Rim was named for the Mogollon (Muggy- own) Indians, the earliest inhabitants of the area. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area was a stop-over for sheep and cattle herders from the deserts below the Rim. The area was used for summer grazing as they joureyed to the railhead in Holbrook.
Zane Grey was also a resident of Overgaard in the early 1900s enjoying one of his favorite pastimes, fishing. His books make numerous references to the Mogollon Rim.
For further information visit www.heberovergaard.org and www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf