Oakie's Heart to Heart, Vol. 4, Iss. 24

	The Okie Legacy Inspiration... Light the Fire Within! Learn the Past! Live the Present!..... Like the Eagle... Be not afraid of the storm! Be as strong! Be smart enough to soar above it!

The Okie Legacy - http://okielegacy.org

June 15, 2002, Vol. IV, Iss. 24

Oakie's NW Corner...

Wednesday evening "Gustnadoes" were blowing through Northwestern Oklahoma up around Alva. Besides the strong winds, they got from 5 inches to 4.5 inches of rain in my neck of the woods. I am told that the alfalfa farmers did get their second crop of alfalfa cut, raked, baled and moved to the barns before the rains hit in there Wednesday. Thank God for that.

The Liberty Bell School Dist. #9... No doubt that you have notice the 1905 Liberty School Souvenir to the right. I got out my Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County history book to view an Old Woods County map with the townships and school districts located on it. Liberty Bell School was located in the southern part of Liberty township -- the school was located 6 miles south of Alva , Oklahoma and 1 mile or so west of hwy. 281.

My Great-grandparents... John Robert & Signora Belle (Guinn) Warwick, settled on 3/4 land (480 Acres), 5 miles south of Alva along hay 281. That is where they raised their children, Constance Estelle and Robert Lee Warwick in the Liberty Township (between Avard township and Valley township). This Souvenir 1905 Liberty Public School booklet belonged to my Great-uncle Robert Lee Warwick. His name was spelled Lee Warick in the booklet. The "Warwick" is pronounced with the second "w" silent.

My Great-uncle Robert Lee Warwick was born 5 November 1887. In 1905 he would have been around 18 years of age. Graduating from Grade A at Liberty Bell School Dist. #9. I was wondering if Grade A would have been the oldest Class? Does anyone out there know anything about how the grades in the early one room schools were distinguished. Someone mentioned that they did not have kindergarten back then and that the Primary Class might have been the younger class.

Happy Fathers Day to all those Fathers out there this weekend! If you are traveling in the vicinity of the Colorado Rockies, please be careful and do NOT be careless with your matches, camp fires and cigar butts. They have enough forest fires to deal with right now. My thoughts and prayers go out to those caught in the path of the Colorado fires. Have a safe one and I will see you next weekend -- around the same time.

~~ Linda "oaKie" ~~

NW Mystery Corner...

Some more clues to how the downtown businesses were setup and arranged around a government square in Alva (Oklahoma) -- Also, we hope this helps give a perspective of the downtown area where the Old Opera House Murder of 9 November 1910 occurred.

Description of Downtown square - Defense Attorney's Opening Statement... "The city of Alva is built around the government square. We will let this side here represent the rows of buildings, and this inside here represent the street. Now here are two blocks on the north separated by a street eighty feet wide. In each of these blocks there are sixteen lots twenty-five feet lots, making four hundred feet as the length of each of these blocks, and here is another block of the same dimensions: sixteen lots each block four hundred feet. Then here is a street on the west that is eighty feet wide, this being the west end of the square there is a block consisting of thirteen lots twenty-five feet each and here is the street coming up here. It does not pass through the square, however. Then here again is a block of sixteen lots twenty-five feet wide and an eighty foot street, and here is the east side of the square consisting of thirteen lots of twenty-five feet each. Now the Office of this defendant, as I recollect, it is on the east block, south side, and next to the corner lot. One lot west of the corner lot."

I was looking through Glimpse of the Past (an early postcard view of Alva) and found a copy of a May 27, 1911 postcard, street scene between 4th & Barnes showing flooding after a hard rain. During 1910 thru 1911 they were paving College Avenue -- the streets around the downtown square -- constructing City Hall.

There was a frame building on the west corner of 4th & Barnes Avenue, southside and SE corner of the square. That frame building was the Ketchen's Veterinary Hospital. It also shows a barn like building to the left (catty-corner from veterinary hospital) that said it was the Nicholson-Noel Livery Stable.

It was in Ketchen's testimony of the 1911 Old Opera Murder Trial that Ketchen mentioned that Miller’s Old Opera House and office was east of the veterinary hospital with four feet open space between the two buildings. The Old Opera House was just east and Miller's office was west of that.

It was also testified to that the Noel Livery Stable was catty-corner from the Old Opera House. Through testimony and the Defenses Attorney's opening statement, the Old Opera House Murder site is now pinned down to the southeast corner of the downtown square in the east end of the 400 Block of Barnes Avenue., southside of the square.

As to the post office... I found a copy of a postcard street scene of Alva, Okla., Flynn Avenue, dated May 31, 1908. It was a view of Flynn Ave. in mid-block between College Avenue & 7th Street, showing a Memorial Day parade in progress. The Alva National Bank (where Central National Bank is today) is on the NW corner of the square, College & Flynn Avenue, with the Alva Townsite Company upstairs. Across a narrow alley to the left (West) of the bank building is the Post Office in one of its early locations before it was built on the North-South Government Street around the 1936.

Next to the post office to the West is the Gamet & Jones Groceries with the Old Soldiers Club Room located upstairs in the grocery store building. Just west of the Gamet & Jones Groceries was the New Opera House built in 1906 and finished in 1907 (on the corner where Higginbotham building is today).

You know where Old Surety Insurance building once occupied the NE corner of 5th & Flynn on the northside of the square. That was where the Woods County Union (Citizens) Bank was located and owned by Gottlieb Kletke. In Miller’s testimony, I believe he mentioned something about going to the Republican headquarters that was above the Woods County Bank and then to the pool hall across to the west.

Hope these visual clues to the past scenes in downtown Alva during the 1910-11 help give you a perspective of things during Alva's First Murder - 9 November 1910.

On the 9th of September 1911, 9:00 o'clock A.M., Judge L. T. Wilson, counsel for the defendant, made his opening statement to the jury. Click L. T. Wilson's Opening Statement to read more about the description of Alva's Downtown square and the check out the Cast of Characters to review some of the Defense witnesses testimonies that has been updated.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
Page 4 | Page 5 | Back Cover

1905 Liberty Public School
District No. 9, Liberty Tp.,
Woods Co., Oklahoma.

In 1905... Bertha M. Drollinger, was the teacher. The Grades were Grade A, B, III, II A, II B, I, Primary Class.

Liberty School had a list of pupils by Grade. The front cover had an oval picture of a lady on the front that I presume is the teacher. I assume the booklet was given out during the final days of school.

I am passing the information along to you just in case you connect with someone who might be related to anyone listed below:

Grade A
Bessie Ross, Blanch Corbin, Vera Corbin, Willie Percival, Lee Warick, Doler Snyder, Paul Hook, Ida Ross, Nellie Corbin, Opal Bevis, Charlie Snyder, Guy Ross, Roy Jenkins, Roy Brisendine.

Grade B
Bessie Bartmess, Stella Brisendine, Nellie Hook, Hazel Corbin, Sanford Brisendine, Lela Matthews.

Grade III
Lottie Boham, Paul Matthews, Harrison Brisendine

Grade II A
Alva Snyder, Harold Hook, Flavins Percial

Grade II B
Walter Corbin, Irvin Yohn

Grade I
Edith Corbin, Virgil Brisendine, Eugene Yohn, Lloyd Percival, Willie Ross

Primary Class
Muriel Matthews, Retta Yohn, Ada Pfleider, Anna Renaker, Roy Severe, Velma Ross, Elsa Pfleider, Bertha Brown, Laura Severe, Everett Percival

J. B. Ross – Treasurer
J. W. Hook – Director
G. S. Percival – Clerk

NEW Oklahoma History Ring

If you have visited OkieLegacy.org lately, you will notice that there is a NEW Oklahoma History Ring navigation on the front page. Our oldest son (Michael) is more into databases and asp script than this writer is. He is the one that created it for me. Thanks, Michael!

We have decided to create a NEW Oklahoma History Ring using the database capabilities with my web hosting server we are with now instead of going through Webring.org. If you are still interested in being apart of the Oklahoma History Ring, you can Submit your Oklahoma history site by filling out our form over at okielegacy.org/webring/ to Sign-up for the NEW Oklahoma History Ring.

We have two versions of the HTML code that you can choose. You may copy-n-paste the script you would like to use on your front page or ring page. If you click on the logo of the Okie history ring, it will take you to a page that lists all the Rings that have signed up and are connected thru the Okie history ring.

I am setting this up on my own database server for OkieLegacy.org. If at any time you have a change of Email and/or URL that needs to be updated in the NEW Oklahoma History Ring, you can Contact Linda and I will make the correction in my database.

Thanks for your support, understanding, cooperation while we make this move.

~~ Linda "oaKie" ~~

Mailbag & Links Corner....

Beegle Drugstore... "I found an interesting article at the Alva Review Courier's internet site by Yvonne Miller with the title Reynolds Shares Memories . . ., published on 07/18/01. It is rather lengthy and an interesting article and in the story Miller wrote the following statement, which gives an exact location of the Beegle Drug store.

'Then from 1958 through 1967, he owned Reynold's Pharmacy in what was formerly Beegle Drug. That location on the north side of the square now houses the tag agency.'

Below is the link to the site where I found the story. When I got to the home page I did a search for 'Beegle' in the paper's archives and up popped the article in question -- Alva Review/Courier -- I love your Okie site -- you do an excellent job. Have a great weekend." -- John Beegle

NWOSU Library Microfilm... "Linda, NWOSU has a great microfilm collection - at least they used to have. I assume they still do. We did extensive research on Waynoka's Transcontinental Air Transport history there before our own Waynoka library was able to purchase a wonderful microfilm reader/printer. We have all the Waynoka papers on microfilm from Okla. Hist. Soc., and a few other microfilms of area papers. Those old newspapers are the best show in town, aren't they!" -- Sandie

Cornish of Fairvalley & Freedom (Oklahoma)... "The Cornish family lived in Fairvalley and Freedom and I would love to have any comments or information about them." -- Contact Carol Allen

Editor's Note: In the Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County (Pg. 138) history book there is some history of Samuel Alexander Cornish being born in Lawton, Michigan, the son of Charles and Sarah Herrion Cornish. Sam moved with his parents and sisters and brothers (Emma, Rose, Bill and Bert) from Michigan to Oklahoma. They settled on a claim 8 miles east of Freedom. The Rock Island Co. moved the Cornish family to the Alva area and they moved to the Alf Updegraff ranch. Twin daughters Lila and Elizabeth were born there but died of dysentery before a year old. The Cornish family then moved to this parents’ farm east of Fairvalley, then to the Powell farm, and Thompson farm, east of Freedom. They bought the Icke place (120 acres) two miles east of Freedom. They moved to the Ray Leighton ranch, and worked for Frank Kamas. Eph Haines bought the ranch, and they worked for Mr. Haines before they moved to their farm east of Freedom. Mr. Cornish died March 25, 1938.

The above information was taken from Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County and written by Mrs. Percy Cornish in 1986 for the Woods County history book.

1910 - Alva, Okla., 600 block of Barnes Ave., downtown

About two doors west from the McGill Bros. Furniture Store on Barnes Avenue in the 600 block, south side of the street, 1910- 1911 there was a partial glimpse of the Majestic Theatre. The Majestic Theatre and McGill Bros. furniture sandwiched Renfro- Howerton Furniture and Undertaking Store.

Constance Warwick photo... "Linda, I finally found some old pictures and I made comparison with the photo in question. I believe they are Lightners that I mentioned to you. However, I can send to you sometime. In the mix I found Connie Warwick's picture taken way back. I would like for you to have it -- that is if you want it. My great grandmother is Nancy Jane Warwick Married Jacob Lightner. This is all recorded In Early Western Augusta Pioneers by George Cleek (Pretty Mixed up family) Georgre's Mother was Malcenia Lightner Daughter of Jacob and Nancy Jane Warwick. Have a Nice Day." -- Irene

Gustnadoes... "Gusnadoes are weak vortices that are not connected to the cloud base, and by definition are not tornadoes. They are relatively shallow vortices associated with intense, small-scale shear in a thunderstorm gust front. They are not directly linked with rotation in the thunderstorm itself. Because they can produce whirling dust clouds (sometimes with small debris), they are very often erroneously reported as tornadoes. It takes a very alert and experienced spotter to tell the difference sometimes. Roger Edwards, a meteorologist and mesoscale forecast specialist at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., says that, 'On several occasions, I've personally witnessed tornadoes and gustnadoes produced by the same storm; but they have no mandatory link.' "-- USA Today Weather - Different kinds of small vortexes

Colorado Rocky Mountains on Fire... Have you been keeping up on these fires out in the Colorado Rockies? Click Durango Herald News for Updates.

Map of Downtown Alva Square... Through the description of testimony and opening statements in the Old Opera House Murder Trial of 1910-1911, we have attempted to draw a map of some of the businesses around the square at that time. There will be a lot of blanks until we search for more clues to Alva's history back then. Until then... If you have any information that you are willing to share and help us fill in the pieces to the businesses around the square, Contact Linda. Thanks!

Remember When... The following were some comments made in the year 1957:
(1) "I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, its going to be impossible to buy a weeks groceries for $20.00."
(2) "Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long when $5000 will only buy a used one."
(3) "If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous."
(4) "Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?"
(5) "If they raise the minimum wage to $1, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store."
(6) "When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage,"
(7) "Kids today are impossible. Those ducktail hair cuts make it
impossible to stay groomed. Next thing you know, boys will be wearing their hair as long as the girls,"
(8) "I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying damn in "Gone With The Wind", it seems every new movie has either Hell or damn in it."
(9) "I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas."
(10) "Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday that they will be making more than the President."
(11) "I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now."
(12) "It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet."
(13) "It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work."
(14) "Marriage doesn't mean a thing any more, those Hollywood stars seem to be getting divorces at the drop of a hat."
(15) "I'm just afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business."
(16) "Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to Congress."
(17) "The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I
seriously doubt they will ever catch on."
(18) "There is no sense going to Lincoln or Omaha anymore for a weekend. It costs nearly $15.00 a night to stay in a hotel."
(19) "No one can afford to be sick any more, $35.00 a day in the hospital is too rich for my blood."

NEW Oklahoma History Ring... "I read the last issue where you were looking for a way to better manage your Oklahoma History Webring. Well, I decided to create a webring on your site that would store users site information in a database and automatically produce the script that they can place on their website. Take a look." -- Michael - NEW Oklahoma History Ring. To Submit your Oklahoma History Site to the NEW Oklahoma History Ring -- Click Here.

Vaccination of Horses for West Nile Virus... "In addition to the mosquito-related prevention measures outlined above, there is now one additional action that can be taken to help prevent illness in horses caused by WNV infection. On August 1, 2001, a conditional license was issued by the USDA-APHIS' Center for Veterinary Biologics for an equine WNV vaccine. The vaccine is a killed virus product that initially has a one-year license. Conditional licensing means that the product has been shown to be safe, pure, and have a reasonable expectation of efficacy in preventing illness caused by WNV. Each state veterinary authority must also approve the use of the product in their state. Because use of this vaccine is restricted to veterinarians, you need to contact your veterinarian to find out more about its availability and use in your area. If it is available for use in your area, the manufacturer of the vaccine recommends giving two intramuscular doses of 1 milliliter each, 3 to 6 weeks apart."

West Nile Virus... "Linda are you aware of the new West Nile virus of horses. Severe form of Equine Encephalitis ? I just read about it in the OK Farm Bureau Journal flyer we got today. If you can not find a copy I can scan the article for you. I also want you to know how much I enjoy your Okielegacy site." -- Lois

Guestbook Entry... "Linda..... My mother passed away in Feb. and had so many historical facts in her, and I'm hoping to reconstruct a lot of them with pics, etc. My whole family and myself love Oklahoma with a passion, and usually read everything on the subject. My husband had an uncle Warren Brown in Alva, who had quite a few children, wonder if you might have heard of him? I will keep checking back, and thanks again." -- Contact BJ (Beverly) - Homespun Hanna

Editor's Note: The Warren Brown Link is scanned from the Pioneer footprints Across Woods County history book.

Coy School... I was in the Coy School area Saturday and was going to take a picture of the school house as it is still there but a storm was brewing as we were coming from Coldwater KS. So we just came on home. It is located north and west of where Lookout used to be." -- Marty

Radio Stations... "Have you found this website?" -- www.live365.com

Thanks! You can also view The OkieLegacy online.

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