[6] Heber-Overgaard's early economy was founded on dry farming and ranching while tourism, retirement and timbering are the basis for present day industry.

[7] In Allen's Camp, a dam had been built on the Little Colorado River in April, but high waters in July washed it out.

At this time, John Bushman, of Allen's Camp, was sent by Lot Smith, then president of the Little Colorado Stake, to scout the forests to the south in anticipation of relocation.

Dry farming in the forested mountains was thought to be easier due to higher rain fall, lush grasses, and plentiful timber.

By April 13, 1883, two cabins had been built and grain planted, but only four families remained (Lehi Heward, John Scarlet, Hans Nielson, and James Shelley).

In 1898, Hans Nielson abandoned his estate on the west bank of the Black Canyon where today's SR 260 enters town.

John Nelson and partner, Nicholas Valentine, were in the sheep business, and the Porters hauled their wool to the Holbrook railroad.

Cornfields and large gardens could be found where the present day High School ball fields and "Tenney's Trailer Park" are located.

In addition to farming, Samuel Porter was often called upon to administer to the residents of Heber to alleviate pain and suffering by using prayer and petitions.

In January 1897, Wickliff Bushman, while delivering mail to Heber from Holbrook during a snow storm, contracted the measles and died at 23 years old.

[8] In 1891 John Hoyle, Johann Frederick Heil, an immigrant from Baden, Germany, and former cook for the Hashknife Outfit, opened the first Heber store.

Alva Porter's Farm eventually became the rodeo grounds, where present day Mogollon High School sits.

During celebrations, the community roped calves, rode bucking horses, held pistol shooting contests, foot races, and dances.

In late June, James Shelly and 2 sons desperately drove their cattle to "Blue Lake", found on the Apache reservation.

Logging and ranching were the predominant industries until the mid-90s, at which time the Mexican spotted owl injunction was put on the Sitgreaves National Forest.

[12] He then moved with his wife, Lillian and there son Chris Lee born in april 1939, to Ripley Ohio, and he lived to the age of 85.

[15] On February 1, 1971, the local Sheriff's Posse formed a committee to promote the construction of a Fire Department for the Heber-Overgaard area.

[10] Since its inaugural year, the parade has become one of Heber's most popular ways to celebrate independence day, drawing crowds upwards of 20,000.

The injunction was placed after a lawsuit was filed by Robin Silver, conservation chairman of the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity.

[22] Environmentalists argued that "jobs would vanish no matter what, for if cutting continued at its current rate, the old-growth forests would be gone within thirty years and the mills forced to close anyhow".

[21] Heber-Overgaard is located in the southwestern United States, in the central-eastern portion of Arizona; about halfway between Payson to the southwest and Show Low to the southeast.

The town is located in the White Mountains on the southern border of the Colorado Plateau and is surrounded by forest service land.

Heber-Overgaard has an atypical version of a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb) with a dry period in early summer followed by heavy monsoonal thunderstorms and rain from frontal cloudbands in the cooler months.

[28] There are many species of native birds, including the acorn woodpecker, crow, bald eagle, broad-tailed hummingbird, cooper's hawk, flammulated owl, gambel's quail, golden eagle, greater roadrunner, great horned owl, hairy woodpecker, hooded oriole, pinon jay, red-tailed hawk, kestrel, northern cardinal, robin, steller's jay, raven, turkey vulture, wild turkey, and western bluebird as well as a variety of songbirds.

Other flora include the Arizona thistle, birdbill dayflower, blue grama, camphorweed, cardinal catchfly, Colorado four o'clock, Cooley's bundleflower, desert portulaca, dwarf stickpea, fragrant sumac, hairy grama, horsetail milkweed, narrowleaf yucca, pinewoods geranium, pygmy bluet, ragleaf bahia, redroot buckwheat, sideoats grama, southwestern cosmos, southwestern prickly poppy, starvation prickly-pear, threadleaf groundsel, thyme-leafed spurge, twist spine prickly pear, upright prairie coneflower, virgate scorpionweed, viviparous foxtail cactus, western spiderwort, wholeleaf Indian paintbrush, wild potato, winged buckwheat, woolly locoweed, and Wyoming Indian paintbrush.

[28] Local noxious and invasive weeds include morning-glory, mullein, oxeye daisy, tansy ragwort, whitetop, and various thistles.

The industry was made of 10.7% (Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting), 12.3% construction, 24.4% retail, 4.4% (transport, warehousing, utilities), 4.7% information, 3.4% (finance and insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing), 4.4% (professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management), 9.4% (arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services), 4.3% other services, and 1.5% public administration.

The school enrolled population was 86.9% consisting of 0% preschool, 86.9% kindergarten to 12th grade, 13% college or undergraduate, and 0% graduate or professional degree.

Proximity to the Sitgreaves National Forest provides recreational opportunities, and timber is harvested for Precision Pine Sawmill and Stone Container Paper Mill.

[31] Immediately south of Heber-Overgaard is the Mogollon Rim, a steep escarpment ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 feet from the base to the highest plateau.