W.S. Wishard, attorney for Watonga, wrote a letter to the Department of Interior in 
regard to a patent, and also must have inquired as to the lot reservation to the Judge 
(Amos S. Ewing).  This is the letter written back to Mr. Wishard….

Mr. W. S. Wishard, Att'y
Watonga, Oklahoma

Sir:
By your letter of December 15, 1905, you state that, under the Organic Act you find that 
the townsite of Watonga, Oklahoma, is entitled to a patent for all of the land dedicated for 
public use when it becomes incorporated, which has been done, and you ask, on behalf of 
the city of Watonga, that the patent be issued and sent to you.

With your letter you transmit a copy of an Act passed by the Legislative Assembly of the 
Territory of Oklahoma, March 16, 1903, incorporating the town of Watonga, and you 
further transmit a certificate showing that you are the attorney for said town, and also a 
certified copy of the action of the Board of County Commissioners in 1901, relative to 
incorporating said town.

You are advised that, on May 28, 1892, Amos A. Ewing, as probate judge of "C" County, 
now Blaine County, made townsite entry of the SE ¼, lots 3 and 4, and the E ½ of SW ¼, 
Sec. 19, T16N, R11 WIM, for the townsite of Watonga, O.T. October 22, 1895, patent 
was issued on said entry to the judge.  Several other tracts in said townsite were reserved 
for public purposes, but the entire land, including the reservations and said Lots 1, 2, and 
3 in Block 66, was patented to Amos A. Ewing, probate judge, October 22, 1895, in trust 
for the occupants of said land under the provisions of Section 22, Act of May 2, 1890 (26 
Stat., 81) and Sections 2387 to 2389 U.S.R.S., as amended by the Act of March 3, 1891 
(26 Stat., 1026).

It appears that under date of Fegruary 8, 1906, the Commissioner of the General land 
Office advised Mr. W. S. Wishard, attorney for the said townsite of Watonga, as to the 
status of the said reservation patented to the said probate judge, as above stated, that…

"Under the present holding of this office, the patenting of the whole of said land to the 
judge without reserving the lands set apart for public purposes, was an error, but 
inasmuch as the lands have been patented to him, this office has no further jurisdiction 
over the public reservations, but it would seem that it would be his duty or the duty of his 
successors in office to carry out the provisions of said Section 22 so far as to dispose of 
said reservations to the municipality for public purposes."