Oakie's & Duchess' NW Corner...
Mid-week found the temperatures dropping down into the 60s degree
weather here in Oklahoma. Beautiful Fall weather with another chance
of that wet stuff falling from the sky again. Farmers are readying
their fields for planting wheat and other crops around the NW Oklahoma
Territory.
BUT.... On with some NW Okie memory jogging... Sandie Olson
with the Waynoka Historical Society is searching for some history
of a small NW Oklahoma town called Edith, in western Woods County,
near the Cimarron River and on the Buffalo & Northwestern Railroad
that ran from Waynoka to Buffalo. If any of you NW Oklahomans or
former NW Oklahomans have any information concerning Edith, Oklahoma,
please Contact Sandie at her E-mail: sandieo@pldi.net.
Have you ever taken for granted the automobile... How quickly it
gets you where you want to go even if the gas prices keep rising
lately and getting deeper into our purses and pockets? What would
take us one hour or so today by automobile in Oklahoma (70 to 80
miles) was over a four day trip to Alva and back home again by horse
and wagon to shop and trade for the pioneer staples of that time
period. Pioneers of earlier days would probably say, "A 70
mile trip in those days was a real 'outing' experience." --
Check this Link for a view of a partial Old
Map of Woods County, Oklahoma.
I found this in the Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County
(page 596) history book of NW Oklahoma this week looking for some
clues of pioneers lifestyles back in the days of horse and wagon
days. The Schroeder Family settled in Woods County during
the opening of the Cherokee Strip, in Township 27N- Range 19W. This
was in the same township & range that the small community of
Edith, Oklahoma (Sec. 23-27-19WIM) was located. This interesting
tidbit that was written by C. E. Schroeder.
C. E. Schroeder wrote in the 1980s the following memories, ".....
Trips from the claim were made to Alva to shop for staples. The
procedure generally started early the first morning by readying
the wagon, loading the camping gear and gathering the surplus farm
produce to be traded at the stores in town. By the time they arrived
at Camp Houston it would be time to prepare camp for the night.
After supper there would be time for visiting with other campers
on their way to town, or on their way back home. An early start
the next morning would put them in Alva by mid-afternoon for early
evening. After preparing for the night again, feeding the horses,
eating supper, etc. If time remained, some trading might be done
before bedtime. The next morning trading and shopping would be completed
as early as possible so that they could make it back to Camp Houston
by nightfall. The next morning would find them starting the final
leg of the four day trip to Alva and return, a total distance of
70 to 80 miles....."
Schroeder also wrote a little bit about the "Devil's Elbow"
that was a "circuitous" route through the gypsum (gyp)
hills located approximately 16 miles west of Alva... ".....In
going through the Devil's Elbow one had to skirt the hillsides,
first on one side and then on the other, as he descended over rough
and crooked wagon tracks to the creek at the bottom where a narrow
wooden bridge had been built for crossing. From there it was up
the other side to the rolling, but always rising plains, so characteristic
of western Woods County. It was always a relief to get through the
Devil's Elbow, especially if the weather was wet and the wagon tracks
deep with mud."
Let us Venture over to the Eastern part of the State...
in Leflore County where the small community of Pine Valley is/was
located. Another reader sent me his 1927-1933
memories of Pine Valley, Oklahoma and what it was like back
then growing up in eastern Oklahoma.
".....Pine Valley was oriented fairly close to East/West,
North/South, with the Kiamichi River to the South paralleling
the Kiamichi mountain that made a very scenic setting for the
town.
Town center was at the cross road
intersection with the road coming south from Muse and the 'main
street' running east and west.. On one corner of the intersection
was a 75-room, two-story hotel where many of the single mill workers
lived, the movie theater on another, the company general store
on another and the post office and barbershop on the other. Just
east of the general store was the 'Big Office' where all the mill
business affairs were conducted. The last time I visited the site,
about 1998, the 'Big Office' was still there and used as a residence.....
A rail line connected Pine
Valley to the Kansas City Southern railroad at Page, Oklahoma,
16 miles away. Our railroad was named the Oklahoma and Rich Mountain
Railroad with one steam locomotive that hauled logs on spur lines
to the mill from the forests and freight to and from Page, OK.
The engineer was Mr. Gatlin, whom I envied very much. A "jitney"---small
truck-car vehicle with rail wheels---made a daily run to Page
for mail and passenger service. The operator was Audie Hill our
neighbor....."
Keep those Okie Memories coming this way and we will see you next
weekend. Hope you all paid a few minutes of silence this Thursday,
September 11, 2003 for those who lost their lives in the September
11, 2001 Terrorist attack.... September
11, 2001 - The Day the World Changed!
~~ Linda "oaKie" &
Duchess ~~
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Edith, Oklahoma
Sec. 23-Twp 27-Range 19 WIM
The Waynoka Historical Society has
been given the old railroad section foreman's house from Edith,
OK. It is to be moved to Waynoka complex in Waynoka. Sandie Olson
is hoping that some of you readers can tell us what they know about
Edith, and maybe even provide some photos. Edith, Oklahoma was on
the Buffalo and Northwestern railroad which ran between Waynoka
and Buffalo.
Menu:
Linda K McGill Wagner
c/o WWW Publishing Co
PO Box 619, Bayfield, CO 81122
Thanks! You can also view The OkieLegacy online. Copyrighted © 2008 by WWWPubCo & OkieLegacy.
All Rights Reserved.
|
Mailbag & Links Corner....
Question About Edith, Oklahoma...
"Linda, The Waynoka Historical Society has been given the old
railroad
section foreman's house from Edith, OK. It is to be moved to our complex
in Waynoka. I'm hoping some of your readers can tell us what they
know about Edith, and maybe even provide some photos. It was on the
Buffalo & Northwestern Railroad which ran between Waynoka and
Buffalo. You do so well at finding information that is useful for
the Waynoka Historical Society. Thanks so very much. Thanks.' -- Sandie
Olson - E-mail: sandieo@pldi.net
Searching for HURT Family... "Can you possibly help us
please? We are searching for heirs of Antonin Hurt. Antonin Hurt was
born 24 May 1879. He had a wife Anna, nee Zajicova, born 16 Juni 1882.
They had two sons, Antonin Hurt, born 24 may 1904 and Milos Hurt,
born 27 July 1905. It is believed that Milos emigrated from Czechoslovakia
to Canada - but that is not certain. Does any of this mean anything
to you please? Do you know anyone else whom we could contact to ask
about this? We would be most grateful for any information or guidance
you may have. Thanks, and be well. Search & Unite attempts to
help locate people who, despite the passage of so many years since
World War II, may still exist "out there." We also assist
in the process of re-possession of property in the Czech Republic."
-- David Lewin, 156 Totteridge Lane, London N20 8JJ England -- The
Search & Unite Team People searchers - E-mail: davidlewin@btinternet.com
Woods
County Pioneers - Nilson Family... "It is so interesting
to see a part of your family history and even more exciting when you
stumble upon it online... including pictures. Thank you so much my
mom and I happend upon this. Thank you." -- Ruth Nilson - E-mail:
rnilson1984@hotmail.com
Pine Valley
Memories - 1927-1933... ".....During summer months
we kids (boys) roamed the valley almost without restraint. We swam
in the river, wandered the hills, picked berries and gathered Indian
artifacts in a cultivated field near the river where obviously there
had been an Indian settlement many years before. I had about 200 various
flint points at one time from tiny to about 4 inches long. It must
have been a large Indian village from the wealth of artifacts and
ideally situated by the river. In the fall, we gathered nuts.
The theater showed mostly Wild West
movies with such actors as Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, Hoot Gibson---all
silent. Tickets were 10 cents-unless my friend, Howard Johnson whose
mother sold tickets could get me a free pass. My 10 cents then bought
two Milky Way candy bars from the drug store across the street. I
saw my first sound movie in Talihina about 1930-31 when my family
drove over just for the miracle of "talking pictures." The
theater at Pine Valley didn't get sound while I lived there. It stopped
showing movies for a while when the Depression hit in 1930 and few
had 10 cents for a movie.
Our school was on the small hill behind
the theater and across from the 'super's' house. At first it served
12 grades in four rooms, three grades to each room. My earliest memories
there are in the fourth grade (I skipped third grade). Mr. Compere
was the principle, later replaced by Mr. Breedlove whose wife also
taught. I attended first grade through seventh grade there although
I only remember from about the 4th-5th grades..... The nearly 6 years
I lived there were some of the most memorable of my life. I can recall
in great detail many of the events too numerous to name...... I have
visited the site of the town several times since where little is left
to indicate that a thriving community of 1000-12000 once lived here.
A few concrete foundations---and the two-cell town jail---are about
all that remain. The sloping slab that was the theater floor is visible---with
rusty spots where the screws held the seats down. A lot of memories
lie among the rubble.
Pine Valley was to me an ideal place
for a boy my age to spend his early years. I doubt such freedom and
exciting adventures existed many places in the whole world. We enjoyed
a Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn storybook life. And at 82 now, I value
those years near the top among my many experiences since.
I have written this to help later generations
understand the 'sawmill' life of that era. To realize that where those
few concrete reminders now stand a generation of happy kids got their
start in life. Ours was the generation that later endured the Great
Depression and World War II, and maybe some of the values we learned
in Pine Valley helped us through those difficult years. The 'ghosts'
of this forgotten town are the memories that still live in the few
surviving former residents." -- Francis L. (Frank) Powell --
August, 2002
Searching for Legacy of Fred Underwood... "Fred Underwood,
my grandfather was the engineer of the MKT Katy Flyer steam engine
that rolled through Wagoner & Muskogee heading south, circa 1913
to 1916. His train collided head on with another train in 1916, caused
by the switchman's failure to switch the tracks over. He died several
months later in Wagoner. His injuries caused his legs to not be able
to drive the train anymore and at the time he died he worked and lived
in Wagoner. He was working for the Wagoner Power and Light Co. then.
If anyone out there can help me find any record of my grandfather
in any capacity it will be deeply appreciated. I seem to not be able
to find any info on him. His wife's name was Elizabeth Pear, but always
called Lizzie. He had a son Buster Alfred, born in 1913, then a daughter
named Bonnie. Thank you." -- Dorothy Cauthon Underwood - E-mail:
flojo@lakewebs.net
Otto Collins & 1919 Murders... "I'm trying to find
out particulars about Otto Collins & the murder he committed.
(Otto was born 23 Nov. 1892 & died in Pittsburg Co. in November
1969. He lived in Haywood, McAlester, Richville & Scipio - all
in Pittsburg Co.) The murder happened in Pittsburg County and he was
sentence to Life at McAlester on 2/19/1919. His prison card (#9454)
reads: 'Repreive to 5/18/20.' 'L:/A from Apr. 21, 1922 to June 21,
1922.' Paroled 6/21/22.' 'Paroled 6/21/22' (Handwritten - all other
entries are typed), 'Citizenship pardon 3/28/30.' While in prison,
he was able to leave whenever he wanted and visit his house, buy cattle
for the prison and basically have the run of the place. His nephew
has run into a brick wall trying to find out about the murder - no
county seems to have any records. Does anyone out there know anything
or know where we might look? Appreciate any help!" -- Sheryl
- E-mail: tuffpete@mynewroads.com
McGill/Magill Family Info... "I have a family history
chart that shows that Elizabeth Magill (Born 1750) Married Thomas
Walker (Born 1765) in Greene County, Tennessee. Elizabeth was the
daugther of William Magill II. Does this match your records? Thomas
was my great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. Their son,
William Walker was a captain in the War of 1812 and his son Charley
somehow ended up in Aiken, South Carolina where the rest of the family
still lives (or near there)." -- Genevieve - E-mail: ecoraven@aol.com
Verna Lee HURT... "I am related to Verna Lee HURT she
is my great-great-aunt." -- Kevin CVanlandingham - E-mail: VanMan14@aol.com
Former Muskogee, Oklahoman... "I am a military wife from
Muskogee,Oklahoma. I grew up in Muskogee and left when I was 22-years-old.
I now live in Columbus, Georgia, Muscogee County. Please add me to
receive your newsletter on-line."
Re-Opening of Cain's Ballroom... "On October 1st, 2003,
the Cain's Ballroom will re-open after receiving its' first million
dollar restoration and to help us celebrate this historical event,
Dwight Yoakam will be performing... Below, I have attached our concert
schedule for the fall of 2003... (this is what we have so far, but
we are adding shows daily) Check out: www.cainsballroom.com
for more details.... Also, Tulsa and the Brady Village will be hosting
the 1st Annual Oklahoma Music Experience on Saturday, Sept.
20th, 2003.... For more information, please check out: www.okmusicexperience.com.
Remember you can get your tickets at:
Starship Records and Tapes - Any Albertson's location - www.startickets.com
- The Bag in Broken Arrow - The Wall in Bartlesville - or by calling
918-584-2306 between 10am and 4pm Monday thru Friday.
Concert Calendar: October 1, 2003 - Dwight Yoakam * Tickets
are on sale now!
October 8, 2003 - Seether * Tickets go on sale this Saturday!
October 9, 2003 - Bret Michaels (from Posion) * Tickets are on sale
now!
October 10, 2003 - moe. * Tickets are on sale now!
October 23, 2003 - Michael Martin Murphey * Tickets are on sale now!
October 30, 2003 - Jason Boland & the Stragglers
October 31, 2003 - Freakers Ball
November 1, 2003 - Leon Russell * Tickets go on sale at 10am on September
15th, 2003
November 8, 2003 - Nickel Creek * Tickets go on sale September 8,
2003
November 9, 2003 - Delbert McClinton
November 11, 2003 - Relient K * Tickets on sale now
November 13, 2003 - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones * Tickets go on
sale
November 14, 2004 - David Grisman Quintet * they are back again, with
another great show lined up
November 15, 2003 - Hank Thompson - his last tour starts at Cain's
Ballroom
November 16, 2003 - KMFDM * tickets go on sale - TBA
November 22, 2003 - Lyle Lovett
Get your tickets early!!! Also check out: www.okmusicexperience.com
WWII bombing of Boise City, Oklahoma... "I was born and
raised in Cimarron County, Oklahoma. I left there during WWII and
have only been back for an occasional visit. There was an Army Air
Corps B-17 training base at Dalhart Texas, Approximately 50 miles
South, and one night a crew on a night practice bombing mission made
a navigational error and mistook the lights around the Court House
which is in the center of Boise City, the County Seat of Cimarron
County, for the target on the Bombing Range and they dropped six practice
bombs on the town which naturally caused quiet a stir. Boise City
is the only town within the continental limits of the United to be
bombed during WWII." -- Olin W. Lambert - E-mail: ginowl2@aol.com
CNN.com
- In-Depth Special - War Against Terror... "VICTIMS
-- More than 3,000 people died in the September 11 attacks in New
York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Visit our memorial to learn who
they were and to send a tribute. SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL - • Memorial
main page - Memorial
List: • By name • By city • By crash site •
By employer • By age...." |
Thanks! You can also view The
OkieLegacy online.
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