The Okie Legacy

Saturday, 25 September 1999, Vol., No. 25
by LK Wagner (Oakie)

Have I Told You Lately
(Letter To Friends)

Have I told you lately, "How much I Love You? - How much you have enriched my life? Well! I'm telling you again right Now! Who knows! Maybe someday this too could be a great song! [hahaha ]"

To merely mention, "You have brought sensational sweet memories into my life. Every moment of every second, minute, hour, day, week, month, and year that is put before me has enriched my life in so many ways. To list all the friends that have enriched my life I would need to write a book. To be brief I say to you, "Thank you for the wonderful memories and moments that you have so unconditionally shared with me each morning/evening of our lives."

To tell you the truth, I miss Y'all when I haven't seen or heard from you. Sometimes I wake early before the dawn with thoughts of Y'all on my mind.

Lately I have missed my sister, Joan (Wagner-Hodgden)! I attribute her & my cousin Mary and other 'Special Friends' (You included) as those who have intersected my life in more ways than you can possibly count. Each encounter fills and enriches my life in it's own unique way. Just to name one (and NOT to write a book) is the interest in genealogy & history that you have passed on to me that I now pass on to mine. I thank Y'all for enlightening my life with the history and love for our World Family.

Lately, I was asked an interesting question, "...What is out there beyond our own time?" Each new day of the present brings us a step closer to finding out and discovering what is out there. Who knows what it will be like. It is like connecting puzzles pieces together a piece at a time and savoring each piece for it's own beautiful connection to the whole picture. Whatever the whole picture will be, it will be something fantastic to experience, grow, and evolve from/with. (Engaging knowledge & experience) It will be extraordinarily exciting and sensuously stimulating, don't you think?

I guess that is how I look at each day of my life now that is ahead of me. Is that dreaming too much? I think NOT! Some might believe it to be naive and dreaming. That is OK!

Some of my friends talk of radios and how they have affected us in the past - How we have survived and evolved into the present - AND pondered the question, "What is waiting out there for us."

This talk of past, present and future brings back pleasant memories & family stories of my Grandpa and his older brother when they would set up a radio in the back room of their furniture store in Alva during the World Series in the early 1900s. They would keep track of the scoring and plays on a scoreboard they had specifically set up as a visual aid while the participants listened intently to the broadcasts. Everyone crowded into that little narrow backroom and business would come to a virtual standstill (NO INTERRUPTIONS). Today - I guess you might call it a "sports club" or maybe even a bit of ingenious PR work for the Store's business to keep the customer happy and coming back for more and more.

The information concerning family radio days was handed down and accumulated from various stories of many that came before me. Those seemed like great days back then even through the hard times. Just another proof that we all are resilient, strong and can take any kind of experiences and turn them to our advantage in a positive sort of way. Isn't that how we have survived with monumental memories from our ancestors to guide and teach us on our path into the next Millennium! (Counting down to the year 2000 - 97 days!)

Things have been hectic around here lately. David and I are preparing for a trip 'upnorth' through Canada and the New England area for their "Fall Foliage Tour." ...Making a stop in DC and other ancestral homesteads along the way. Right now I'm like a little kid gazing at all the goodies in the candy store with excitement and wonderment. We will be leaving this Saturday (25th) after work. I will be taking my portable pentium and digital camera to do "Tales On the Road" for the next few days. I would love to add you to my "postcard list."

This cool, Fall weather is just one of my favorite times of the year. "So Energizing," as one of my Canadian friends might say. It lets you open up the windows of your mind, soul and body to feel the rejuvenating freshness consuming and energizing you with the sights, sounds and smells that float through the air. Farmers are busily preparing their fields for their Winter wheat crops around our area this time of year. Some are having to wait until the ground isn't so muddy, though. Take care and I'm really sorry this got so long.

Thanks again for sparking my imagination into the future of things. You are as always a special friend.

Thanks for Enriching My Life,
Linda (Oakie)

P.S. Request for all you Oklahoman's out there....I have a request from someone that is looking for some ancestors that were originally from Germany - moved to Oklahoma in the latter part of the 1800s. His INFO is as follows -- "There was a link that you had concerning a George R. Eden. I am currently researching the Eden tree on my mothers side of the family and do know I did have relatives move to Oklahoma in the latter part of 1800 or early 1900's. My Eden line extends into Germany." -- Timothy John Bidleman, EMAIL mailto:e.bidleman@worldnet.att.net.
Genealogy Homepage:

P.P.S. Special Ray of Hope & Sunshine for all my North Carolina & East Coast friends affected by the storms . . . I hope you are able to survive the wrath of the hurricanes and floods that have passed your way. Your "Oakie" friend in Oklahoma is sending you a bit of energizing sunshine, sweetness and Hope into your life. I will be thinking and praying for/with you always.

ODDS & ENDS of NW OKLAHOMA TOWNS
[Info from Oklahoma Historical Library]

WAYNOKA -- If you travel twenty-five (25) miles southwest of Alva you will run into the quaint Santa Fe railroad town of Waynoka (Indian origin is "Winneoka" meaning good water). This townsite was offered by John Keifer who had filed on land he had homesteaded. Keifer, George Nickerson, Charles Cecil and W. H. Olmstead joined together in platting the town of Waynoka. Nickerson put in the first Store while Olmstead established the lumber yard and carried farm implements. The Santa Fe was built seven (7) years before opening of the "Strip" as a shipping station and section house and freight Division point. The Santa Fe employed 100 employees and a Harvey Eating House was established next door to the Depot. Operating in connection of the Railroad was the Guggenheim Transcontinental Air Service that was established in Waynoka. Passengers would travel by air during the day and by fast train at night.

AVARD -- Another Woods County town was the town of Avard. Through the efforts of A. F. Wolf from Fayetteville, Arkansas who anticipated the extension of the Frisco Railroad line westward from Enid, Avard was born. Avard was named from the mother of Frank Todd, whom owned the land Avard was located. Ed S. Roberts established the Bank at beginning of town with his wife as vice-president. Mrs. Roberts was also author of several books - "Genealogy of the Oklahoma Daughters of American Revolution", "Four Revolutionary Soldiers & Their Descendants" and "Some Colonial Families".

FREEDOM -- You've heard me talk of Freedom before and how it was born 1918 as a result of the Waynoka-Buffalo Railroad up the Cimarron Valley. If it hadn't been for the courageous pioneers (W. W. Vincent and A. T. Walker) that undertook construction of the Railroad with their own resources and later sold to Santa Fe Railroad when work progressed as far as Freedom - Freedom may never have been born. Did you know that Freedom was originally named "Annis" after one of the pioneers, but when submitted to the US Post Office Department it was rejected because the name was already in use by another post office in the state. The name Freedom was substituted by the postal authorities. Things happen for a reason and the name of "Freedom" seems to fit this quaint open rodeo country town and it's people. The first merchant of Freedom was Q. A. Winningham. The early ranchers, shippers, builders and boosters for the Freedom Community were Jim Brown, R. I. Eden, Robert Spencer, and Bunk Snapp. Marion Clothier in 1889, established the first post office of the county west of Alva. Other businesses of Freedom were the Farmers Co-operative Co.; Frank Kamis (Kamas) General Store; Art Hepner's Grocery; Reily and Dygert Grocery; Clifford and Parsons Hardware; Sam Updegraph Hardware; Starr Lumber Company; and Freedom State Bank (cashier and manager was Senator D. H. Powers). Sometime later, Alph Updegraph moved and located his Starr Lumber Company business to the Alva Community. It is still presently owned and operated to this today by descendants in Alva, Oklahoma.

DACOMA -- The farming town of Dacoma (located SE of Alva 11 miles) tried two other names before a group of citizens asked the US Post Office Department for the name of "Dacoma (Dakoma)". It was another little town that sprang up because of the extension of the "Frisco Railroad" westward to Avard that created a demand at it's location. The important factor affecting and developing the history of Dacoma was the fertile wheat production in the territory. Dacoma's wheat elevators were the Farmers Mill and Elevator Co. - Choctaw Grain Co. - Enid Milling Co. - and Farmers Mill, etc. Five large elevators marketed annually more than 1/2 million bushels of wheat. Dacoma and Capron (14 miles NE of Alva) are the more beautifully and richly environed by endless fields of wheat. Dacoma also had some of the best business establishments of the county. Such as A. W. Lewis Lumber - Grain and Coal Co. (G. W. Crowell, partner) - State Bank of Dacoma (J. H. Dye, cashier) - C. V. Poulson Grocery & Hardware - George Whittet Grocery - W. E. Hiatt General Store - P. E. Swan & Co. Dry Goods & Ready to Wear - and Bruner Bros Unusual Garage & Repair Shop.

SPECIAL NOTE ON DACOMA -- An Alva friend mentioned to me the other day, "The Dacoma State Bank was established by Mr. Bonner, the president and G-Grandfather of the Doctor brothers (Reitz) in Oklahoma City & Enid, OK. The Longhurst family of Alva are also related. Mr. Bonner was president of the Bank until the collapse during the 1930s. NO Depositors ever lost money during the time of the collapse, because Mr. Bonner personally paid each depositors out of his own pockets. Also, George Whittet (grandfather of Bill Whittet) still has descendants located in and around Dacoma, Oklahoma that operate the local Grocery Store. It has moved several times between then & now, but is still operating in the town of Dacoma."

CAPRON -- Capron like Dacoma is surrounded by more than 1/4 million acres of the finest wheat land in the state. It was named from Captain Capron, a personal friend of Theodore Roosevelt and distinguished officer of the "Rough Riders" regiment. Before accepting the name of Capron it tried Sterling, Kermit and Vergil. It was established 1895 by W. G. McClure (whose 1/4 Section of land it was located). [These are the same McClure's that presently have descendants in Alva, Oklahoma that operate the McClure Insurance Agency and reside in the "Old Ensor Home" on Nob Hill.] The land for Capron was purchased by Bud Mason of Kiowa for $750 (the amount was more than realized from the first sale of the town lots). The Capron Elevators operating during this time were SW Elevator Co., C. E. Heaton Green Co., Farmers Co-operative Elevator Co., E. a. Johnson Grain Co., and of course the Santa Fe Depot.

Garfield County Courthouse & Clock Tower. photo taken 22 September 1999, Enid, OK., north side of courthouse on the downtown square.

County Courthouse & Statute of Liberty, Enid, OK, East side of courthouse with a miniature Statute of Liberty that graces the east entrance of the Courthouse.

U.S. Post Office of Enid, Oklahoma, photo taken 22 September 1999, Enid, OK, downtown square

United Methodist Church, Alva, OK, located on NE corner of College Ave. & Church Street. This photo was taken September 22, 1999.

OAKIE'S MAILBAG & LINKS SECTION

We are going to try something a little different here with the MAILBAG & LINKS SECTION for the next few newsletters. I'm trying to conserve space that it might take up in your EMAILBOX. So in that fashion, I am going to put the "OAKIE'S MAILBAG" in "TXT File Links" on my web site. Listed by the date of the newsletters they were in.

The "OAKIE'S LINKS SECTION" will have it's own little pages. You should be able to CLICK on the LINK in the Newsletters if you want to Read and View them. Thanks for your understanding and patience while I try to make this as convenient as possible for us all! I would love to hear any feedback and suggestions that you might have!

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