The village of Provencal can be traced back to the Provencal Indians, which it is named after. The town originated around 1880 while the railroad was under construction. The railroad was built by Mr. Thomas Gregory, who owned a camp in the present site of the village. The village grew from a trading past and mercantile business to two hotels, three business houses, a depot, and two saloons. The village was first incorporated in the 1890′s as the Provencal Land Grant Corporation. The village was wiped out on April 13, 1913 by a tornado. What now exists as Provencal is what was built after the tornado.