Slapout 'Nye'
Oklahoma

Joe's favorite saying was, "Scuse me huh, we are just Slapout."

According to the "History Beaver County, Vol. II", pg 242-244, the smalltown of Nye began serving the community September 6, 1932 from a couple of old frame buildings that were moved to a plowed field beside a dusty road where the Lemmons family began selling groceries, buying cream and selling gas in five gallon cans after he acquired a fifty-five gallon barrel for a gas storage space. (Click the photo to see larger view of Slapout's westside & sign, southside of hwy 270, etc..)

Thomas L. Lemmons was founder of the town and had rented the land on the south side of the road in southeastern Beaver county (NW corner of S25-2-27) from Joseph L. Johnston.

It goes on to tell how that same year the state department contracted the road building of highway 270, which would be a sand and gravel road.

I like the story where Tom's sister, Artie Lemmons, helped in the grocery store. When an item was sold out, she'd usually say, "We're slapout of that." It wasn't too long afterwards that the highway crew began dubbing the town "Slapout" and everyone, except Tom, started calling it "Slapout."

In 1933... Tom moved his building across the road to the SE corner of S24-2-27. This was the same time that he and Joe Johnston bought the only building standing in South Ivanhoe, the Baptist Church. They demolished the building, and the two men moved the old lumber by wagon to Nye or Slapout. Tom used his half of the lumber to build a one room house for himself and a blacksmith shop that was operated by Harlan Black and John Reagan.

Joe built a grocery store with his half of the lumber on his land and moved in a chicken coop which was in use as a gas station. He named the place Slapout.

Tom didn't want Nye called Slapout, so he put a sign over his store entrance which read "Nye Mercantile." When someone stopped on his side of the road and asked for Slapout, he would point to the opposite side of the road and say "There's Slapout over there. This is Nye, can I do something for you?"

Both stores thrived despite the rivalry between Joe & Tom and Slapout & Nye. Tom & Joe were storekeepers for the community and friends of the people as well, selling on credit, and carrying accounts for long periods. This generous practice was a boon to their customers during the depression -- "The 1930s."

The history of Beaver County goes on to tell how Tom, in 1939, bought merchandise from several stores that were closing in the neighboring towns of Laverne, Speermore and Logan. How he was able to offer a larger stock for his customers to choose from.

It is told that many ladies in the community were surprised and pleased during WWII when things as nylon hose, pepper and other scarce items were sometimes available at Tom's. Tom operated an ice station in the days prior to 1949, before electricity came to the area.

In 1944 Tom sold his grocery store to Bill Nosler, but he continued to operate the gas station until the fall of 1960. Tom did not accept the name of Slapout until he sold the store. They go on to say, "Slapout was literally the people's choice."

Slapout endured the dust storms that plagued the country with the worst occurring in 1935. A tornado ripped through the little town on October 10, 1949. There was damage to most of the buildings and destroying the home of the late Elmer Brown and injuring his wife. The home was rebuilt and buildings were repaired as business continued as usual in Slapout, Oklahoma.

Slapout became a community recreation center in the depression years. Farmers received tiny prices for their products... such as 18-cents a bushel for wheat, 5-cents a dozen for eggs, 4-cents a lb. for hogs, etc. There was hardly enough money for necessities, much less for pleasure. Baseball games at Slapout provided some fun for free.

Many families gathered in later years in the town on the 4th of July to meet with their friends and enjoy the fireworks.

After Joe died in 1950, his son Max operated the store for a year before closing it. Other proprietors through the years include. Joe's favorite saying was, "Scuse me huh, we are just Slapout."

Ray Terrell - Grocery store, cafe and gas station in 1932;

Herman and Maggie Kamp - Herman ran a repair shop and Maggie bought cream;

Johanson - Barber, kept the men looking neat and trim:

Jack Nosler - Grocery store;

Elmer and Elsie Woolly - Modern grocery store;

Ralph Russell - Fed the public in his cafe;

Albert H. Hansens - Grocery store;

Tom Eades - Home housed Deanna Ondracek's Beauty Shop;

Ed and Marie Sanger - Cafe;

Max Hufstetter - Grocery store;

Elmer and Lewis Brown - service station;

Kenneth Roach - Service station;

Lyman Tiffany - Repair shop;

Dorsey Jones - Repair shop;

Cecil Carrikar - Repair shop;

Lottie Charette - Lapidary shop;

Milton Messner - Service Station;

Fred Kraft -Cafe;

Clifford and Esther Fuller - Cafe;

H. Neihart - Barber shop.

Tom's son, Frank operated the service station and there was also a trailer park.

The Druces operated a cafe at Joe's old location.

The one grocery store was run by Rex and Alice Hagan.

Emma Jean Zetterberg owned and operated a beauty shop.

The founder of Nye, Tom Lemmons, retired an enjoyed a hobby he never had tie for before... He and his wife Doris took up rock hunting and collected unusual rocks. They also operated the only lapidary in Slapout when this history was written.

Okie Legacy

Slapout 'Nye' Oklahoma

Slapout 'Nye'
Oklahoma