The Okie Legacy

Oakie's NW Corner...

Last weekend Old Man Winter stopped by in the Northern parts of the state to let us heartlanders know that Winter was still with us for awhile at least. This is one of the pictures taken at my backdoor with the snow drifts piling up in the early morning hours of Sunday, 23 Feb. 2003.

We do get snow once in awhile here on the heartland plains of Northwest Oklahoma. Here's another photo that finds swirling snow drifts decorating the southeast corner of my back porch. Last Sunday morning (23 Feb. 2003) I was greeted with blowing, drifting snow blowing in from the northwest. This Winter deep-freeze had set it sights on Northern Oklahoma, but by 4:00 p.m. that Sunday afternoon, the sky was clear, sunny, but windy -- the streets were worn with slushy, worn tire tracks. By Monday the clouds were still there, highways were ice-packed and temperatures were in the 10 degree range.

Also... in the early Sunday morning hours the OkieLegacy.org reached it's milestone of 100,000 visitors. When I turned on my computer around 9:00 o'clock a.m., Sunday morning, the visitor counter read 100,049. During the morning of Feb. 25th, 2003, the visitor counter had reached the 100,790 milestone.

As To Alva Pioneer Tidbits of 1904... F. C. Langley of Alva was the Second man to register at Kiowa, September 1893, as a candidate to enter the promised land, for better or worse -- K. H. Kendal, 1904 postmaster and merchant at Galena, 25 miles south of Alva, opened the first bakery in Alva -- April 1, 1894, Alva postoffice was made a money order office -- 1st Post office and Postmaster in Woods county... The first postoffice ever opened in what is now Woods county was at Waynoka in 1892, and B. F. Spalding, the Santa Fe station agent there, was the postmaster. The office was established to accommodate the cattlemen who had possession of the country at that time. W. A. Childress was the fist station agent, and he was put in charge of the Waynoka station in, was one of the greatest cattle shipping points in the world.

Reminiscence of an Oklahoma Run... This little pioneer story came from the Medicine Lodge Index, dated Oct. 4, 1903 -- "It was on a Saturday evening in the early 1900s that the course of a conversation between Tip McCracken of Elwood and Sam Stewart of this northwest township, recalled a run into the Strip, in the fall of 1893. They each made a run of forty-five miles and covered the entire distance in two hours and thirty minutes. They started from Kiowa and each landed on a quarter on what was then the T-5 Ranch. The horse Mr. Stewart rode was still living and was in 1904 owned by D. C. Funk. The presence of the horse on the street at that time reminded Stewart and McCracken of the incident. Mr. McCracken's horse died only a short time before 1904. If there was such a thing as horse heaven he was certainly wearing a crown. Tip thought so much of the horse that he had saved the hoofs and polished them to keep them as a relic of his famous ride of 1893. The long ride and fast time did not injure the horses in the least and they were on duty the following day. There are few records equal to this one and the owners of those two horses have license to be just a little proud."

Map of Cherokee Strip, Indian Territory - Leased by Cherokee Strip Live Stock Assoc. from the Cherokee Nation. This unique map of the Cherokee Strip had been reproduced to preserve its historical data for the archives of Oklahoma and Kansas and to be presented to the friends in the Old Cattle country. We are not sure the exact date of this reproduction. CLICK the photo for a larger, whole view of map. For a smaller view of the map for your computer screen - CLICK the West side and the East side of the Cherokee Strip map. Over on the western part of the map near the Cimarron River you will see a wild cat creek... That Wild Cat Creek runs through our Fairvalley land.

Ranches, Ranges, Cattle Trails & Cattle Co.... The Cherokee Strip was bordered on the west by public lands (No Mans Land) and the NE corner of the Texas panhandle. On the southern border was the Cheyenne & Araphoes and Creek country. On the north it was bordered by Kansas. The Arkansas River cutting a boundary line on the east side.

Here are some of the Ranches, Ranges and Trails that made up the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Assoc....

This map was compiled from surveys of ranges made for the Association in 1888 by S. T. Wood, Fred Eckert, T. W. Walton and C. H. Burgess, and is believed to contain the best information accessible concerning the location of ranches, camps, range lines, etc., on this lease. The trails, corrals, branding pens, camps and springs are also shown in the Legend of the 1888 map. The map shows it was drawn on a scale of 4-miles to the inch by Hosea Paul, Cleveland, Ohio. The publishers were: Burgess & Walton - Publishers, 1884 - C. H. Burgess, 18 Pub. Sq., Cleveland, Ohio; T. W. Walton, Caldwell, Kansas.

It's that time of year almost when the March winds blow and the citizens of communities around the Heartland get out their kites, strings and keys to experience and take advantage of the mighty winds that blow across our state. Will March come in like a Lion or Lamb?

Either way... Let's Go Fly a Kite! See Y'all next weekend around the same time. Do NOT let the March winds blow you away!

~~ Linda "oaKie" ~~

NW OK Marrigage 1943...

Leatherman-Terbush - Sunday, 1943 - Miss Leatherman Becomes Bride of Don Terbush - Miss Melva Leatherman, daughter of Mrs. D. L. Leatherman, Alva, became the bride of Don Terbush, Alva, Sunday afternoon in the Christian church parsonage. The Rev. G. R. Vaughan read the nuptial vows.

Jones-Cooper - Sunday, 1943, Alva, Okla. - Jones-Cooper Wedding Vows Read Sunday in First Christian Church- Miss Edna Faye Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Jones, southwest of Alva, became the bride of Ralph Cooper, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Cooper, Wichita, Kansas, at 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon in the First Christian church here. The Rev. G. R. Vaughan performed the single ring ceremony.

Hyde-Kirk - Friday, 1943 - Miss Ella Louise Hyde, Neil Kirk Exchange Vows in Home Ceremony - Miss Ella Louise Hyde, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hyde, southwest of Alva, became the bride of Neil Kirk, son of Mrs. W. T. Peters of Alva, at 12 noon, Friday.

Hartman-McKee - Friday, 15 January 1943, Alva, Okla. - Mildred Hartman Becomes Bride of dick McKee January 15 - Announcement has been made of the marriage of Miss Mildred Hartman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Hartman, Hillsdale, to Duane McKee, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dick McKee, Waldron, Kansas. The single ring ceremony was read at four o'clock Friday, January 15, in the Methodist church parsonage with Rev. G. A. Parkhurst, pastor, officiating.

Veselka-Eggstein - 28 January 1943, Taylor, Tex. - Veselka-Eggstein Vows Read In Catholic Church at Taylor, Tex. - The marriage of Miss Elsie Anne Veselka of Taylor, Texas, to Sgt. Francis J. Eggstein, son of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Eggstein, Capron, was solemnized January 28 in the St. Mary's Catholic church, Taylor. Father L. F. O'Sullivan performed the double-ring ceremony.

Hutton-Gruber - Saturday, 13 February 1943, Frederick, Okla. - June Hutton Becomes Bride of Phil Gruber - Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Hutton of Frederick announce the marriage of their daughter, Miss June Marie Hutton, to Mr. Phillip F. Gruber, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. M. Gruber of Alva, Saturday, February 13, at Frederick, Rev. Jacob C. Foster read the nuptial vows.

Yarbrough-Saville - 21 February 1943, Boise City - Kay Yarbrough Married To Sgt. Saville - Miss Kathrine Yarbrough, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Theo Yarbrough of Boise City, was married to Sgt. Kenneth Saville in the home of her parents at noon February 21.

Rodkey-Hall - Saturday, February 27, 1943 - Rodkey-Hall Double-Ring Ceremony Solemnized in Oklahoma City - Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Rodkey of Alva announce the marriage of their daughter, Miss Alice Joyce Rodkey, to Jack Lee Hall, Norman, at 4 p.m. Saturday, February 27, in the First Christian church in Oklahoma City. The Rev. Roy Alexander performed the double-ring ceremony before the fireplace in the pastor's study.

Nevitt-Nordlund - Saturday, 6 March 1943, Wichita, Kans. - Gayle Nevitt Married To Carl Nordlund - Miss Gayle Nevitt, daughter of Mrs. O. D. Nevitt, Seattle, Wash., was married to Mr. Howard E. Nordlund, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl B. Nordlund, Boston, Mass., Saturday, March 6, at 7 p.m. in the vesper chapel of the St. James Episcopal church, Wichita. R. M. West read the nuptial vows.

Koenig-Callison - Saturday, 20 March 1943, Sacramento, Calif. -
Koenig-Callison Wedding Vows Read March 20 - Miss Alice Naoma Koenig, daughter of MR. and Mrs. Irwin Koenig, Sacramento, Calif., became the bride of Pvt. Hadley Spurgeon Callison, son of Mr. and Mrs. V.R. Callison, Alva, Saturday evening, March 20. The simple ceremony was performed by the Rev. Rolly E. Griffith, Richmond, Va., in the Nazarene church, Sacramento.

Thomas-Snedegar - Tuesday, March 23, 1943, Los (sic) Vegas, NV - F/O Snedegar Weds California Girl - Flight Officer John E. Snedegar, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Phoenix, Capron, was married to Miss Virginia Pearl Thomas, Bakersfield, Calif., Tuesday, March 23, in the Wee Kirk of the Heather in Los (sic) Vegas, Nevada. The Rev. Albert C. Melton performed the wedding ceremony.

Schwab-Meuschke - Monday, December 21, 1943, Silver Springs, Maryland - Miss Verda Jean Schwab Becomes Bride of Sgt. Jack L. Meuschke - Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schwab, Cherokee, announce the marriage of their daughter, Verda Jean, to Sgt. Jack L. Meuschke, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Meuschke, Vauglia (sic), New Mexico. The marriage took place Monday December 21, in the Methodist parsonage at Silver Springs, Maryland, with Dr. Ralph Smith officiating the single ring ceremony.

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Linda K McGill Wagner
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PO Box 619, Bayfield, CO 81122

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"Dear Mr. Murrow, I found your wonderful website when I was searching for information on Hopeton, OK. Your website is very good! My question is in reference to a 'plate' that I purchased at an estate sale in Enid, OK. I am visiting with my sister's family in Enid, but my home is in Louisiana. The plate has a picture of 'Rounding Hell Gate' on the Colorado Midland Railroad line on the front. The back has a mark for Harker pottery that dates to circa 1896. I found information on the picture that put it in the 1900's. The other information, on the back, is Made especially for L. F. Wilson, Hopeton, Okla. I have searched and searched for information on L. F. Wilson, or any business that he was connected with, but I haven't been able to find anything. I wondered if you knew anything about him, or a business that he would have been associated with at that time during the 1900's. Thanking you in advance for any help you might be able to give.