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The Okie Legacy

January - 2001

Millennium Edition,
13 January 2001, Vol. III, Iss. 2

This week's epistle, as some would say, concerns some history of "No Mans Land", tidbits and pictures of Slapout (aka Nye), southeast corner of Beaver County, easterly part of the Oklahoma Panhandle, along highway 270. OkieLegacy/image/slapoutOK1.jpg OkieLegacy/image/slapoutOK3.jpg

BUT... Before we get to Slapout in nowhere, let us explore some history of this place they call "No Mans Land." Where Buffalo used to roam, before squatters, cattlemen, farmers, and homesteaders seeked this area for new adventures. Speaking of buffalo, I just had to throw in a picture of a white buffalo that I captured in Colorado and brought back to Oklahoma. Of course it is NOT a real buffalo, but what a beautiful rendition of this famous white rarity of good luck that now graces my fireplace mantle with honors. OkieLegacy/image/whtbuffalo1.jpg OkieLegacy/image/whtbuffalo2.jpg

According to "The Panhandle History - Northwest Flats Heritage, 1890-1990", published in 1990, the panhandle is a little more than 34 miles wide and a fraction longer than 168 miles. It contains 5738 square miles and is larger than Connecticut and 4-1/2 times the size of Rhode Island.

The Panhandle is bordered on the east by Oklahoma; the north by Kansas and Colorado; the west by New Mexico and the south by Texas. It was a part of the Texas territory until 1850, when Texas gave it up because everything north of the 36th parallel went with the Union and Texas permitted slavery.

The south boundary line of the Kansas territory was established around 1854... The east and west lines established previously by land grants. The Act establishing the Kansas southline completely legislated the panhandle strip of land out of the Union and left "No Mans Land" to fend for itself.

By 1885... The Supreme Court decision come out stating that this strip of land was NOT part of the Cherokee Outlet. The Secretary of Interior at that time stated it was "Public Domain" and subject to "Squatters Rights."

Until 1891... The six-shooter was law of the land and the strip became a "No Mans Land" haven for criminals and outlaws. May 2, 1890 and the Enabling Act signed by President Benjamin Harrison attached the strip to Oklahoma Territory. Then the farmers and the ranchers were at it because of the fence the farmers were building around their crops.

Finally, "No Mans Land" found it's permanent home and was the last territory to be given final claims and ownership in Oklahoma. It was divided into three (3) counties -- Cimarron, Texas and Beaver.

Cimarron County... Is on the westerly side of the strip with Boise City as the county seat. Cimarron County is known for good farm lands and rough rugged grassland. There are only 3070 counties in the USA, but only one called Cimarron County. It touches four (4) states and in 1990 there was NOT a stop light in the county. Also thirty (30) miles northwest of Boise City you will find the "Black Mesa State Park"; Dinosaur bones that have been dug up and tracks still visible in the creek beds. Did you know that Boise City is the only city in the continental USA that was bombed during WWII? Sounds like another mystery to unravel, huh? I am NOT sure why it was bombed, but maybe someone out there reading this could enlighten us with their own little "epistle of knowledge."

Texas County... After traveling through Cimarron County, we come to Texas County. It is the middle county and one of the most prosperous counties in the midwest. It is the center of the largest sweet gas field in the USA. They do cattle feeding, irrigation and dryland farming. The main line of the Rock Island RR from Chicago to Los Angles runs through Guymon, which is the county seat. Highways 54 and 64 also intersect this panhandle metropolis in the middle of nowhere. Texas County was the geographical center of the 1930s Dust Bowl. Parts of "Grapes of Wrath" were filmed north of Guymon.

Beaver County... If you keep headed east on the highway in No Mans Land, you will reach the easterly county named Beaver. The town of Beaver is a small agricultural community with it's share of oil & gas production and is also famous for it's "World's Champion Cowchip Throwing Contest." It is also the county seat of Beaver County. If you head east along highway 270 in the southeastern part of Beaver County, you will come to our next stop... Slapout (a.k.a. Nye).

As the story goes... According to a written family history of one of the pioneers (Joseph L. Johnston), written by his son and namesake, Joseph L., for the "History of Beaver County Pioneer Families," Vol. I & II, published in 1970 by the Beaver County Historical Society... Joseph L. Johnston came to Beaver County in 1902 and filed on a quarter section now known as the Slapout community. He brought is bride, Edith, to the claim in 1904. They raised wheat, dairy cattle and six sons and one daughter... Sidney N., Maxwell L., Jessie M. (daughter who married Grover Mettler, 1st male child born after statehood), Joseph L., James F., Arlie W., Donald E.

Slapout was built on part of Joe and Edith's claim. Joe was one of the early store owners of the General Store and Gas Station. Joe and Edith were well known throughout the country for helping travelers, friends and neighbors in need during WWII. Joe died in 1950 in an untimely auto accident and Edith died in 1965.

November 1, 1997, http://www.kwtv.com with Randy Renner reporting, aired a segment on "Oklahoma's Strangely Named Towns" concerning Slapout (a.k.a. Nye). Follow the link to see how Joe "Slapout" Johnston and Tom "Nye" Lemmons were both stubborn enough that neither of them would give in. How in 1949, a tornado blew through the town... All of Tom's "Nye" signs were blown down and Joe's "Slapout" signs survived through a divine intervention which settled the issue once and for all in Slapout, Oklahoma.

o OAKIE'S MAILBAG & LINKS

"Greetings from Minnesota, I was enjoying reading about the snow in Atlanta, I have a niece there and she said they were iced in for three days. I thought that just happened in our north country. We had 36 inches of snow in December and three weeks of deep freeze. Last week the temperature finally went up above zero. We have had - 50 wind chills. The people with snowmobiles are very happy and all of the children that got ice skates, sleds, snowbroards and skies are happy. At night if it is quiet one can hear the low growl of the snowmobiles as they pass through the fields. The deer, pheasants, and wild turkey are back. The depth of the snow makes it hard for them to find food. Enjoyed your comments on Colorado. We have been there." -- Jeanine

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Gas Prices... "Linda, Couldn't find this site address when I sent the other, finally found it. Have you ever visited this site?" Marvin Henry, figment1@htg.net, lcfigment@uswestmail.net

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"Hi, Just a short note to let you know that the cheapest gas prices I have seen around Sacramento, CA is around 1.55. On the way back up... The long time sheriff of my home county in Kansas (Meade) was from Slapout... Sent a copy of your newsletter to my son-in-law (son of sheriff Arlie Johnston.) He was a real legacy around SW Kansas." -- Marv, marv@mind4.mindsync.com

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Black-eyed Peas Tradition... "Linda, I've heard the tradition of black-eye peas for New Years came from after the Civil War. Southerners didn't have a lot left after the war. Lots of foodstuffs used up or wasted, besides what the Yanks took. The black-eye pea crops were usually fed to livestock, but wasn't a lot of livestock left. (Drove away or stole away) So they cooked what they had. black-eye peas, smoked hams (hidden away), cornbread and greens and were glad of it." Susan Bradford, smcb@email.com
SW Oklahoma -- Greer Co OKGenWeb -- Coordinator Dewey Co OKGenWeb -- Coordinator OKGenWeb Marriages -- OKGenWeb Land Openings --

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No Mans Land.... "I have a book checked out 'Fifty years on the owl hoot trail' about the life of Jim Herron, the first sheriff of that area. There is a lot of early history about 1880 - 1910. I enjoy your web page." -- wc osborn, xtexbill@tanet.net

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Lost Trails of the Cimarron, by Harry E. Chrisman... "Harry Chrisman was a newspaper reporter from Liberal, Kansas, and the author of Fifty Years on the Owl Hoot Trail, Ladder of Rivers, Tales of the Western Heartland, and 1,001 Most Asked Questions about the American West. Jim Hoy is Professor of English at Emporia State University, Kansas, and co-author of Plains Folk: A Commonplace of the Great Plains and Plains Folk II: The Romance of the Landscape, both published by the University of Oklahoma Press." www.ou.edu/oupress/chri3017.htm

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New Year Traditions... "Linda, We started the year with our black-eyed peas, ham and posole. The peas and ham are required as tradition of my mother-in-law. Was required in Alabama, where she was born, so at least in our household, it is an old southern tradition. The posole and menudo is more traditional of New Mexico, but we forgo the menudo!"

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"Would not swear there were not other Monfort apartments, but there used to be apartments upstairs of most of the two-storied buildings around the square. Above the old Monfort Drug Store, located on the southwest corner of the square, in addition to apartments there were doctor and dentist offices. As I recall, Dr Simon, Dr Shephard, and Dr Ritchey had offices there. Above the Schumacher Drug Store, Hadwiger Law Offices were located. Above the Beegle Drug Store, located on the north side of the square, there was a Dr Kepford, and I believe Dr Stephenson. It was awful when you were sick to have to 'climb the stairs' to the doctor's office. Other buildings which had apartments were the Johnson Insurance, Old Surety Insurance. In the late '40's and early '50's, I delivered the Alva Review Courier to a number of apartments around the square."

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"Well, you've done it again. Your latest epistle has jogged the old memory cells again. First, was pleased to be able to see the picture of Alvin and Naomi Paris. Boy, did that take me back. As I have mentioned before, we lived next door to them when I was very young, and played with Stan and Lynn around the old Armory... Another memory, Naomi 'Warren' Paris's parents lived across the street west of Alvin's, and Mr Warren was the Alva Fire Chief for many years. She also had brother's, I believe named Stan and Galen. After the war, I believe, it was Galen who had a business called 'The Little Red Wagon'. This was one of the old panel type trucks with a bell on the front, in which he carried 'basic groceries.' We had a card that we would put in the window to signal a stop, or we would go out and flag him down to make purchases. This beat a trip 'all the way to town' to buy one or two items. Enough of my rambling reminiscences for now. You are possibly aware of much of this information, but you jogged my old memories. Thanks again, for the memories." -- Marvin, figment1@htg.net

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"Hi, Linda! Thanks for a wonderful year of fun and old times!! I enjoy your newsletter very much. I, too indulge in black-eyed peas for New Year's. Somewhere I had heard that if you eat Corned beef, cabbage, black-eyed peas and cornbread on New Year's Eve, you will be prosperous the rest of the year. I don't remember indulging in Black eyed peas specifically on New Year's Day as a youngster, so I was surprised this year when my mom told me she had eaten her traditional black eyed peas. Even though we are 700 miles apart, it made me feel like I had shared dinner with her. Thanks for the memories, Linda." -- Sharon

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Thanks, Lou, for so promptly sending my OU / FSU winnings. I may frame it for the heck of it, instead of spend it on one-cent stamps. AND... Hey! Where is the FSU flag you owe me? . :-)

Linda "Oakie"
ICQ ID: 1142261 -- Yahoo! ID: paristimes