Oakie's NW Corner...
This last week has this writer's head stopped up with a head cold
due to the on again off again winter-spring like weather that hits
through the heartland of America this time of year. That is my excuse
for being slow and late this weekend. BUT... the ezine/newsletter
goes out anyway, huh?
I have had lots of interesting email this week. One email concerned
a McGill-Vinson relative of mine... AUGUSTUS GRANT VINSON, born
Abt. 1866, and died April 27, 1940 in Alva, Oklahoma. He married
MARY MCKELVEY MCGILL Abt. 1890, daughter of WILLIAM
MCGILL & ISABELLE JOHNSON. Mary McKelvey McGill was the
older sister of my grandfather William
J. "Bill" McGill (Major/Minor
baseball player).
Remember the Spring of 1900... and the history of Northwestern
- the first graduating class of four women and two men was produced.
Augustus Grant Vinson was one of the men. Each of the 6 graduates
gave an oration, then they received their diplomas. Thursday evening
, June 28, 1900.
Records in the historical files of the Northwestern museum tell
of the formation of the school's 1st Alumni Association in 1905.
The first president was Dudley Nash, a member of the Class of 1901.
In succeeding years as the association continued to hold regular
annual meetings, others elected to the alumni presidency include
A.G. Vinson, etc...
In aligning the faculty for the new year, the Board of Regents
elected A.G. Vinson to the Chair of Agriculture. Vinson was a member
of the first graduating class in 1900 and had joined the Northwestern
faculty in 1905, first to teach geography, geology and later mathematics.
His salary in 1908 was $1,400.
The heavy role played by politics in the election of not only the
president by also members of the faculty was a fact not everyone
could accept. So it was in May, 1910, the Board of Regents in electing
the faculty for the new year retained President Ross and voted to
remove two-thirds of the faculty. A total of 21 individuals, including
A.G. Vinson. Hundreds of telegrams poured out from Alva residents
to the board. Four of the professors previously dropped from the
faculty, including Vinson, were reinstated in a June, 1910 meeting
of the Board of Regents. Ross submitted his resignation
Dedication of the new buildings was another grand occasion for
the Alva area, attracting thousands into town for the main ceremonies
on March 12, 1937. Alumni President Phil Noah served as general
chairman for the program, which also recognized the 40th anniversary
of the founding of the school, an historic development which was
spotlighted in a program on March 11. At that event, presided over
by Professor A.G. Vinson, a half-dozen individuals who had figured
in the institution's history reminisced about their experiences.
Two new dormitories were finally ready for occupancy in September
1939. Dedicating the Men's dorm to A.G. Vinson and called "A.G.
Vinson Hall" also as asked by the alumni.
Did you also know that the Science Hall was renamed Vinson Hall
in honor of A.G. Vinson. The Class of 1938 presented the school
with a portrait of the beloved professor to be displayed in the
building. That name remained there little more than a year, then
the new dormitory for men became Vinson Hall and the older building
resumed its former name, Science Hall.
Enough to Northwestern and Vinson Hall... Let us move onto
Bill Barker's
Memoirs of the Alva downtown square around the 1940s. That is
sure to jog some memory cells out there. Speaking of the downtown
square, does anyone out there remember whatever happened to the
gazebo and the fountain that used to reside on the westside of the
downtown square? Do those things still exist or were they demolished?
Before I head out of here and send you on your way to explore the
Okie Legacies this weekend, stop by the the Garfield
County pages. A friend in the Tulsa area sent me a special gift
of two Vol. (I & II) of the Garfield County history books. I
have added some Placenames
of Garfield County (also known as "O" County before
statehood).
I hope this hasn't sounded too disjointed this week. Strange things
happen on paper when the mind is clogged with a head cold. Have
a great Super-Bowl weekend. See you next weekend - hopefully, with
a clearer head!
The Fairvalley Eagle still soars above it all!
~~ Linda "oaKie" ~~
NW OK Marriages 1942...
Smith-Hubbert -
Sunday, 1942 - Jeanette Smith and Ford Hubbert Wed In Quiet
Ceremony - In a quiet ceremony at 5:30 Sunday afternoon, Miss Jeannette
smith, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. A. A. Smith, 621 Fifth Street became
the bride of Ford Hubbert, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Hubbert, Fargo,
Okla. The wedding was held in the home of the bridegroom's parents.
Morefield-Nicola
- Friday, 1942 - Morefield- Nicola Vows Are Taken Here Friday
- Enid Girl Weds Alva Man in Quiet Ceremony - Simply solemnized
on Friday night was the marriage of Miss Lorene Morefield, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Glen C. Morefield, 2104 West Randolph, to Stanley
Nicola, son of Mrs. Lorena Nicola, Alva.
Pugh-Hagen - Saturday,
1942, Beaver, Oklahoma - Announcement has been made of the marriage
of Miss Mada Pugh, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Pugh, of Balko,
to Mr. Ray Hagen, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Hagen, of Carmen. The
ceremony was performed at the Church of God in Beaver on Saturday
evening, with Rev. B. D. Brown reading the vows. Mr. and Mrs. Clyde
Pugh attended the couple.
Wares-Welsch - Sunday,
4 January 1942 - Esther Mae Wares Is the Bride of G. W. Welsch
- In an impressive ceremony Sunday, January 4, 1942, at two o'clock,
Miss Esther Mae Wares, Alva, became the bride of G. W. (Jack) Welsch,
Ponca City, Oklahoma. The marriage vows were read in the Methodist
church parsonage by Rev. G. A. Parkhurst.
Beekman-McBrinn
- February 8, 1942, Oklahoma City - Miss Martha Beekman Will
Become The Bride of Robert John McBrinn - The engagement and approaching
marriage of Miss Martha Beekman, daughter of Mrs. Everett Agnew,
Arkansas City, Kansas, and Robert John McBrinn, Alva, son of Mrs.
Bonnie Nance McBrinn, Oklahoma City, has been announced.
Fry-Poorbaugh -
Thursday, February 12, 1942 - A very beautiful but quiet wedding
took place Thursday, February 12, 1942, at ten o'clock in the morning
when Miss Irene Fry, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Fry, became
the bride of Mr. Carl A. Poorbaugh, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Poorbough
(sic), of Knowles, at the Methodist parsonage at Buffalo.
Norris-Kilmer -
Thursday, February 19, 1942, Cherokee, Okla. -
Vows Are Read for Miss Virginia Norris and Russell Kilmer Thursday
in Quiet Ceremony - In a quiet ceremony at two o'clock Miss Virginia
Norris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Norris, Alva, became the
bride of Russell L. Kilmer, son of Melvin Kilmer, Alva. The marriage
vows were read in the Friends Church parsonage at Cherokee, Okla.,
Thursday, February 19, with Rev. Elmer M. Ditch, officiating. Only
attendants at the wedding were Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Hensley, Jr.
Huddle-Wolgamott
- March 14, 1942, Wichita Kansas - Clarice Huddle-Don Wolgamott
Nuptials Are Announced Here - The marriage of Miss Clarice Jean
Huddle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. O. Huddle, Cherokee to Mr. Donald
Dean Wolgamott, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Wolgamott, Hardtner, Kansas
was solemnized in the chapel auditorium of the First Methodist church,
Wichita, Kansas, March 14. Dr. Tom Williams, pastor of the church,
conducted the ceremony using the single ring service.
Barkley-Crenshaw,
Jr. - Wednesday, March 18, 1942 - Gwendolyn Barkley Becomes
Bride of Bill Crenshaw, Jr., Wednesday - Miss Gwendolyn E. Barkley,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Barkley of 1202 Locust, became the
bride of William T. Crenshaw, Jr., in a ceremony which took place
in the Methodist parsonage by Rev. Parkhurst.
Lansdowne-Bullard
- Saturday, March 26, 1942 - Stella Lansdowne-Clyde Bullard
marriage Vows Announced Sunday - Rev. and Mrs. E. Ray Lansdowne
announce the marriage of their daughter, Stella Irene, to Clyde
F. Bullard, Saturday, sister of the bridegroom.
Cleveland-Brewer
- Saturday, May 30, 1942 - Anna Cleveland, David S. Brewer Exchange
Wedding Vows In Missouri - Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Cleveland, of Alva,
announce the marriage of their daughter, Anna, to David S. Brewer,
son of Mr. and Mrs. P. S. Brewer, of Cuba, Missouri. Rev. Witt Holly,
pastor of the Cuba Methodist church, performed the nuptial ceremony,
in the home of the bridegroom's parents, Saturday, May 30.
Stagner-Hood
- Sunday, June 7, 1942 - Nuptial Vows Exchanged In Pretty Ceremony
Sunday - A pretty wedding of interest to people of this community
was solemnized Sunday, June 7 at noon, when vows were exchanged
by Miss Ester Stagner, Northwestern State college senior, and Lester
O. Hood of Aline. The double ring ceremony was used by the Rev.
S. R. Brannon of Peublo, Colo., uncle of the bride, when he read
the service before a flower banked altar at Blue Mound church at
Gray. The bride was given in marriage by her 80 year old grandfather,
Mr. Fred Clark of Baldwin Park, Calif.
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Courthouse - 1906...
1906
- The Olds
Woods County Courthouse on the Courthouse Square... Construction
of this eighty-two by fifty-two foot building was completed in
1904 at a cost of sixty-thousand dollars.
Main
Floor - housed the offices of the County Clerk, County Treasurer,
County Sheriff, County School Superintendent, and Register of
Deeds.
Second
Floor - contained the District courtroom, office of the District
Clerk, Probate Courtroom and the office of the County Attorney.
There were two jury rooms in the attic and seven jail cells in
the basement. Cement walks extended from this building outward
to the four corners of the Courthouse Square.
West
Side - in the triangular space created by these walks, there
was a large fish pond with an ornamental iron railing. In the
center of this pond was a cast iron fountain featuring cranes
whose uplifted bills sprayed water into the air. This beautiful
and unique fountain was removed in 1955 prior to the demolition
of the old Courthouse in 1956.
Menu:
Linda K McGill Wagner
c/o WWW Publishing Co
PO Box 619, Bayfield, CO 81122
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