Drought conditions in the early 1900s led local rancher W. Q. Richards in 1903-04 to subdivide land in this area into small farms with water wells, and a farming community known as Richards Colony or Dutch Colony developed here. In 1906 a post office named Chalk was established in a general store Richards had opened earlier that year. In 1907 Richards established a cotton gin managed by James M. Chalk, who later served as postmaster in 1908-09. A community school opened in 1914, and sanctuaries were built by the Church of Christ in 1916 and the Baptist congregation in 1922-23. By the early 1920s, 54 farms operated in the area, and Chalk's gin, stores, and other enterprises served as a mercantile and business center for southern Cottle County. A steady exodus of people began during World War II, leading to the school's closing and consolidation with the Paducah school system in 1942. Chalk's Church of Christ disbanded in 1944, and the Baptist Church ended services in 1969. Farming declined, and many residents, businesses, and institutions moved to Paducah, the county seat. The post office ceased operations in 1985, and the cotton gin closed in 1988.