One story traces the name back to Ike Sablosky, a peddler who came to Mineral Wells in 1906. While working in the hide and fur business, Sablosky bought possum and other animal hides from cedar choppers and hunters in northwest Palo Pinto County. He began referring to his best suppliers as “the boys from Possum Kingdom.” Over time, the nickname caught on and the surrounding area became known as Possum Kingdom.