Spring Snow of March 2009 - NW Oklahoma

The digital photo on the left was taken by one of my sons, Michael E. Wagner, living in the Alva, Oklahoma area during this weeks Spring Snow, March 28, 2009.

I imagine some woke up that day and the day before and asked, "Is it Spring Yet!"

Alva's Spring Snow dumped 12 inches of snow around Alva, Oklahoma, March 28, 2009 with snow drifts measuring in some places at 4 to 5 feet. Ft. Supply and Woodward Co., Oklahoma received around 2 feet of snow.

If you follow the next links you will find Spring Snow photos taken by my sons, Robert L. Wagner and Michael. Here is Robert's photo put together using iMovie on my MacBookPro.

NW Oklahoma Spring Snow (March 28, 2009)

MORE Spring Snow In NW Oklahoma

More Spring Snow photos from Alva, Oklahoma, March 28, 2009 as the Sun came out and the city & neighbors started digging out from 12 inches of snow and 5 foot drifts. Photos by Michael E. Wagner, Alva, OK.

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Fargo OK Spring Snow (March 28, 2009)

Ellis Raymer submitted these Spring Snow (March 28, 2009) of Northwest Oklahoma. The photos were taken by Khristina Benson near Fargo, Oklahoma. Her husband, Brock, is a deputy sheriff in Ellis County.

Ellis says, "I called him and he said it would great if you wanted to use the photos of the snow taken at their place in Fargo. His wife Khristina took the photos. Brock and I worked on the Woodward County Sheriffs Dept. before I retired from there in 2003."

The Benson's state, "The Woodward and Fargo area had around 18 to 20" of snow. Ft Supply, Buffalo, Freedom an Alva area had 2 feet or more. All the pictures was taken at Fargo." - Fargo Oklahoma Spring Snow (March 28, 2009) (movie on OkieLegacy YouTube site) - OR - Fargo OK Spring Snow Blizzard (March 28, 2009) in a PDF Slideshow (18mb file).
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March Madness In Kansas

March 22, 2009, James says, On"Our forsythia is just now beginning to get yellow and we are having some fine spring-like Weather. The weatherman has been around with the Storm Spotter Training class and all are cocked to spot and report bad weather. We need rain. Subsoil moisture is good, but the top few inches are dry and sort of powdery. Most wheat here is very green and seems to be enjoying the warm weather. Some corn is in the ground and more is being planted. Boy, are we ready for Spring! With the March Madness ongoing we see that OU got a win in Round 2, as did KU. I am hoping for Big 12 to survive to the Final game."
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1918 Fire In Alva OK - Antlers Cafe

Kirt T. says, "There was a fireman in Alva from 1919 to 1923 that kept a scrap book that recently sold on ebay. Dr. Meyer bought it and brought it by the the Fire Station for me to copy. The attachments are from the scrap book. The picture is a fire that occured in 1918 and just happens to be Antlers Cafe where the murder of Joe Riles took place March 5, 1917, a year earlier."

If you look close at this 1918 photograph, it appears that the two-story building on the right is the Monfort Drugs building that stood on the NW corner of Barnes & College Avenue, in Alva, Oklahoma. I have an old photo that another reader sent me quite awhile back of the Monfort Drugs fire in the 1950s. You can see similar characteristics of that same building in each photo.

Also ... it was interesting to see how close the towns people and onlookers were allowed to view the burned remains of the Antlers Cafe and wooden buildings on either side.

In 1918, was Share Bros Store still on the westside of the square? If so, was it the brick building on the right?

Notice the horse drawn wagon with the word "PHONE" printed on the side of wagon. Then there is Norris Jewelry. It looks like Antlers Cafe and the building between Monfort Drugs and the cafe got the most fire damage, but the three wood-framed businesses looked to be beyond repair.

Thanks, Kirt, for sharing the photo and information!
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Alva Murder of 1917 (March 5)

Kirt Trekell says, "I Came across a clipping from a Wichita news paper about a murder that occured in Alva at Antlers Cafe in 1917. A 20-year-old Harrison Eller, Killed a 20-year-old Joe Files. It was reported as a very violent homicide. The paper said Files was nearly decapitated. Have you heard of this before?"

The 1917 Wichita Beacon article, headlines read, March 5, 1917 -- "Threaten To Lynch Murderer -- To Prevent Mob Violence, Alva Sheriff Places Six Armed Deputies On Guard In Jail."

"Harrison Eller Makes Full confession -- Alva, Okla., March 5 (1917) - Harrison Eller, self-confessed slayer of his friend Joe Files, is sleeping in the county jail here tonight while six armed deputy sheriffs stand guard, ready to resist any attempt at mob violence.

"Rumors that a mob was forming with the intension of lynching, Eller reached Sheriff William Strothers tonight. Shortly before midnight he told a reporter of the Eagle that he was prepared to stand off any number of would-be lynchers. He stated he had placed six armed guards in the jail and should trouble occur, he would be able to increase his force within a few minutes.

"Despite the whispered threats sheriff Strothers, however, doubts that any attempt will be made to lynch Eller.

"Eller in his confession told how he went to a deserted house a mile and a half northeast of Alva and burned his bloody clothes. He says he killed Files over a dice game.

"Sheriff Strothers does not believe this part of Ellers confession. It is his theory that while Files was asleep behind the stove, Eller entered the cafe and attempted to rob the cash register. Files was awakened and he was slain in the fight that followed."

Another article from the Wichita Eagle -- Alva, Okla., March 5 (1917) - "Joe Files, 20 years old, night clerk at the Antlers Cafe was found murdered at the cafe about 6:30 a.m. today by W. D. Keith, day cook, when he went on duty. Harrison Eller, a former employee of the cafe, was arrested at 10:30 a.m. at the home of his sister, Mrs. Capitola Davis and held for the murder.

"It is believed Files was slain about 4:30 a.m., when the streets were deserted. A stone mason's hammer, a meat clever and several knives, all of which had apparently been used by the murderer, were found near the body. The murdered man had been horribly beaten about the head, fourteen wounds being inflected. The head was nearly severed from the body, which was found near the back door, where Files had evidently had been overtaken while trying to escape.

"It was evident that the struggle commenced near the front of the cafe, as blood was found on the walls, counter, chairs and floor. There were also bloody finger prints on the cigar case, the cash register had been opened and $16.75 taken from it.

"Suspicion at once was fixed on Eller when the crime was discovered and Sheriff Strothers at once went in search of him. Blood was found between the cafe and Ellers room, and in the room was found a bloody wash bowl in which Eller had evidently washed blood from his hands.

"Eller was not and it was at first believed he had escaped on the morning Santa Fe train to Wellington or Wichita. About nine o'clock someone reported having seen him in the northwest part of the city, and a little later he was found at his sisters home. he was hurried to the jail. Eller told the authorities he had tried to burn a suit of clothes which he was wearing early today.

"Eller is about 20 years old. He had worked at the cafe for some time, being discharged recently. He had been mentally unbalanced at times for the past year, wince a younger brother fell beneath the wheels of a water wagon Eller was driving and was killed. because of this he had been considered dangerous at times.

"Files parents live in Illinois. His father will come for the body."
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Classic & Antique Road, Rail & Highway Crossings of Oklahoma

David has spotted online a link to Bridges of Oklahoma. Is a bridge near your Oklahoma roots listed at the link?

This URL on another website will show a "Collection of Photos" from all over Oklahoma of Classic and Antique Road, Rail and Highway Crossings. Bridge listings in Adair, Okmulgee, Seminole, Tulsa, Grady, Garvin, and Sequoyah Counties. New listings are coming for Beckham, Carter, Comanche, Cotton, Greer, Haskell, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Love, Marshall, and Stephens Counties.
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Old Planes & Gene McGill

Back in the 1930s Gene McGill took to flying. To get from the Ranch; hunting coyotes; fishing; and wheat harvesting. Gene had a dirt landing strip out at his ranch north of Waynoka, about 10 miles. Alva was 30 minutes away by automobile. To Gene flying was faster transportation.

Old Airplanes - Gene & Bob McGill and Friends.
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Missourians On Eagle Chief - 1914

This is a July 19, 1914 view of a bunch of Missourians at the Eagle Chief in Northwest Oklahoma. I am not quite sure what part of the Eagle Chief this was taken. Was it around Hopeton's Eagle Chief or North of Waynoka, about 10 miles, along the Eagle Chief creek?
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Bataan Memorial Death March

Marvin says, "Sunday, over 5000 individuals from all 50 states, as solo and team marchers, will take part in the 20th annual Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range Headquarters.

The event honors and remembers the events of April 1942, when 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers began what became known as the Bataan Death March, with about 54,000 completing the march. At the present time there are only 3 remaining survivors locally. I have been blessed to have come to know 2 who were survivors.

If anyone is unfamiliar with the Bataan Death March, the movie, The Great Raid which came out a couple of years ago chronicles one event of the ordeal these men and women suffered. A Google search will produce many sites with information about Bataan."
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Grandpa Baseball Legacy

Grandpa's Baseball Legacyold photos put to movie on YouTube by OkieLegacy

The old baseball photos of Grandpa Wm. J. "Bill" McGill were put together using iMovie in combination with iPhoto, on my MacBookPro for a short movie of most of Grandpa's baseball photos on OkieLegacy's YouTube site.

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Grandma 1908-09 Scrapbook Legacy

I gathered some photos that I had scanned of Grandma':s 1904-09 scrapbook showing photos of Constance and William McGill's courting days, in shade of an old Apple, in NW Oklahoma. You can read about Grandma's Legacy by clicking this link.

Grandma Scrapbook entitled "Shade of An Old Apple Tree."
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Insight Into Grandpa

This weeks letter from John C. McClure take us back to February 22, 1904, Quincy, Illinois, postmarked May 15 and 17, 1904 by the respective postoffices of Quincy, Illinois and Alva, Oklahoma, respectively.

The 1904 letter begins: Quincy, Il., Feb. 22, 1904, Miss Constance Warwick, Alva, O. T.

"Dear Connie, I received your ever welcome letter this A.M. I perhaps will receive the letter you sent to Altona but have not yet.

"Well! I have got the mumps. The town seems to be infected with them. I have not been out for a week, but will be out again soon. Three of the boys who room here have had them, one had the measles, and one has them now. I expect I will have to have them yet.

"I would like to have been to your leap year ball, but I am not much good at dancing. That town will be real nice, won't it. You can walk over every day and go around the square, like you used to at Alva.

"In one of your letters you reminded me about my hat. I ddi not consider that half as bad luck, as when I got back to town that next Sunday Eve. You said you did not meet with a single refusal at the ball, but you can say that you never sent one. The only one a certain kid ever got.

"Ikie must be getting good at finding girls. I think my chances would be slim at even finding one. I would like to be at the literary society and hear that dialogue, and also some of those debates. Bevis for instance.

"You must have a stand-in (as the saying is) over at Snyders or mebby (sic) it is the other way.

You had better come here instead of going to Salina. A lady who taught at the east school (Mrs. Adams) is here attending school, attending the G. C. B. C. How do they charge at Salina? There is a girl from home going to school.

"Say! You never told me about that Bachelor School Board and Miss Gateka. I want to know about it. I do not write to her. How did you find out I was writing to her. It was no secret at all, I think that is what made her mad. She did not treat me right about one thing any way. Did you see her during the holiday vacation at xmas?

"Yesterday was my birthday. I was 20. When is your birthday and how old will you be. You will have to take an extra sheet of paper to answer these questions on.

"Those pictures were no count, so I am going to try it alone next time. He would not finish them. Say! Connie, somebody swiped that picture that you gave me. I think it was one of the boys, who stayed here last winter. Tell me in next letter, if I had better ask for another, if I would get one if I did. Don't forget. I will close. Write soon. your Friend, J. C. McClure, 524 North 9th St., Quincy."
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Warwick / Warrick DNA Project

Family genealogists have concentrated efforts resolving relationship amongst the male Warwicks in early western Augusta County, Virginia. This area includes the current Virginia counties of Augusta and Bath, and the West Virginia counties of Pocahontas and Randolph. The only way around the roadblock would be Y-chromosome DNA tests... so we are soliciting contributors - DNA sample - money donors.

Using county records, here are the four Warwick males that can be found in this area of colonial Virginia.

William Warrick arrived in the Valley of Virginia in 1743; came by way of Ireland; settled on Deer Creek now in Pocahontas County; three known sons: John (who migrated to Clark Co., Ohio and died there in 1814), William and Andrew. Some of the descendants of the latter two sons remained in the area for several generations, but very few of them were male. One branch is thought to have migrated to Oklahoma for the great land rush. William Sr. died on Deer Creek and is incorrectly identified as John by some.

Andrew Warrick was in Augusta County as of 1750; closely related to William. It is possible Andrew left for North Carolina with the mass exodus during the French and Indian War.

John Warwick was in Augusta County as of 1748; the same John who slowly made his way westward and settled at the head of the Tygart Valley River; built a fort whose attack by Indians is retold in the David Crouch interview of the Draper Manuscripts. In 1787 he pulled up stakes and moved to Clark Co., Kentucky where he died about 1801. Of his sons, Jacob was killed at the battle of Tippecanoe; because of his actions in battle the Indiana county of Warrick was named in his honor. Another son is purported to be John. There is no proof of his existence; a Warwick family in Tennessee claim a John Warwick who married Nancy Hamilton came from Virginia.

Jacob Warwick first appears in the records in 1774; after his father's disappearance, his mother married Andrew Sitlington. There is no doubt about the latter marriage, but there is evidence to suggest Jacob was born out of wedlock. From the dates of his appearance in the records, Jacob is obviously of a younger generation than the other three pioneer Warwicks. Jacob settled on the Jackson River in Bath County and at Clover Lick in Pocahontas County; amassed tracts of land that he devised to his children, grandchildren. He had only one son Andrew S. (named for Jacob's stepfather) who had three sons. Two of these remained in the Bath County area.

Warwick DNA Project Needs Donors

Warwick DNA Project would like to prove if these four are related and establish a database that other researchers may use. To do so, we need to locate living male descendants with the Warwick or Warrick surname to donate cell samples. The Y-chromosome is only passed from father to son to son to son, etc.

Ideally, it is suggested that at least two DNA donors be found per branch to weed out the possibility of infidelity or adoption. Said another way, if two males thought to be cousins do not have matching DNA, then there is a problem. It is absolutely necessary to have the pedigrees for the DNA donors traced back to one of the four individuals.

DNA testing is not free. Knowing that sample donors may not have the same degree of curiosity as family genealogist, we will also need money donors. So we are asking for your help to locate male DNA donors and/or to make a pledge to financially support this effort. When pledging, please specify an upper limit. We intend to divide the costs equally, but if the number of pledges is small, the share may exceed your expectation. Regardless, all donors will share in the results of the research.

We intend to use FamilyTreeDNA as the commercial lab. By creating a project with them, we will receive a discount for the tests. Since we are concentrating on just four individuals from the same time period, the 12-marker test will probably suffice to prove or disprove a relationship. The discounted cost of this test is $99.

We welcome participants who don't know if their Warwick ancestor is connected to these four individuals as well. In this case, the cost of the test is their responsibility, but they can join the project to receive the discount and share in the results.

Before we commit to this project, we need an indication of interest and of course the DNA donors. Please contact any of the following. W. Lynn Hutchison - lynn.hutchison@us.abb.com - OR - Paula Hampton - Pmh52847@aol.com

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The Times They Are A Changin'

The following lyrics are from an old '60s song written and sung by Bob Dylan that could be representative of today for many.

The Times They Are A-Changin'
Come gather 'round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You'll be drenched to the bone.

If your time to you

Is worth savin'

Then you better start swimmin'

Or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'.
Come writers and critics

Who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide

The chance won't come again

And don't speak too soon

For the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin' who

That it's namin'.

For the loser now

Will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin'.
Come senators, congressmen

Please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway

Don't block up the hall

For he that gets hurt

Will be he who has stalled

There's a battle outside

And it is ragin'.

It'll soon shake your windows

And rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin'.
Come mothers and fathers

Throughout the land

And don't criticize

What you can't understand

Your sons and your daughters

Are beyond your command

Your old road is

Rapidly agin'.

Please get out of the new one

If you can't lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin'.
The line it is drawn

The curse it is cast

The slow one now

Will later be fast

As the present now

Will later be past

The order is

Rapidly fadin'.

And the first one now

Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'.
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