The Okie Legacy

- Theme from "Forest Gump"

Life Is Like A Box of Chocolates
(Small Town Nicknames)

"Life is like a box of chocolates... You never know what you're goin' get." You have to make the best of what is dealt and move forward in Life. You could... Get a flat tire in Montezuma, Kansas; Run out of gas at highway 64 & 412; Miss being pounded by 2-inch hailstones; Snap a fan belt while you're going down the road; and Get lucky and get your favorite chocolates in Life.

You are in control of your own destiny. You are the one who determines how you will act or react. Life is what you make of it. Make it the best.

I've been reaching into those box of chocolates... I have come across a town nickname that I have been wondering about. Maybe some of you out there could help me. Does anyone know how and when Chester, Oklahoma got the nickname 'Tailholt'?

For those of you who don't know Chester, it is a small, crossroads town in NW Oklahoma, Major County. It has a gas station on the NE corner. My Aunt and Uncle used to run the old gas station on the SE corner. On the NW corner is an overgrown City Park. The SW corner has some other vacant buildings. Slow down while traveling through this little town and "don't blink" as you drive through. You might miss some important piece of our heritage.

I slowed down to stop at my cousin's farm. My gg-grandparent on my mother's side resided just northeast of "Tailholt" in the Orion Community. They came from Bohemia around 1876 through Ellis Island and traveled the straight northern route through Minnesota to Nebraska. When the drought was hitting the Nebraska farmers in the 1890s, my ancestors packed up and headed for Oklahoma Territory to begin a new life.

On the Hurt Homestead there is a family burial plot where my ancestors are buried with some of their grandchildren. That is where my g-grandfather's first wife (Anna) is buried. Anna died around 1902 during a thunderstorm while she was outside gathering up her chicks in the storm. Suddenly, a strike of lightening hit the stovepipe running down the backside of the house and Anna got the jolt of it while she was standing nearby.

Another chocolate out of that box is... Early in the mornings you can catch the farmers gathering early for coffee at the coffee shops discussing the harvest weather. The rains have been keeping the farmers out of the wheat fields these last few days.

According to the Daily Oklahoman, June 10, 1999, "Several areas of the state spent the bulk of the day under flood warnings as rainfall amounts of 8 to 10 inches made the way to rivers and creeks in areas of northwest Oklahoma. Rainfall totals of 5 to 6 inches were common in many areas through mid-morning Thursday."

Life is NOT boring around these Oklahoma communities. There is always something to spark your interest. This week the farmers have barely started cutting their wheat in NW Oklahoma. The humidity is causing the quality of wheat to be docked because it is coming in at 13% when 11 or 12% is the ideal weight.

Also, the farmers are just starting their second cutting of their alfalfa fields in this hot, humid weather. Let's just hope Mother Nature decides to cooperate and lets up some on her rains that are flooding the plains, creeks and rivers. The country roads all over Oklahoma are beginning to fill up with wheat trucks, tractors, combine outfits and farmers going back and forth between alfalfa and wheat fields and even prairie skyscrapers.

So... If you are out traveling country roads, STOP at ALL rural intersections - Look both ways -- Give a friendly wave and smile at the farmers and harvesters as they drive by. Also watch for low area flooding around creeks and rivers!

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