Shadows cast by tall pine trees overshadowing the mill owned by the postmaster, who had filed for a posts office but had not thought of a name, created Evening Shade in the year 1847.

Until 1963, Evening Shade was one of the two county seats, along with Hardy, for Sharp County.

Evening Shade achieved additional fame in the 90's with a hit TV sitcom of the same name. Stars of the show supported the town's efforts in marketing a cookbook. Marketed by the Evening Shade School, sales generated sufficient funds to build a gymnasium and an auditorium named after the show's star and creators, Burt Reynolds and Linda and Harry Thomason.