Duchess Corner

Everyone needs a Rainbow shining in their lives now and then! So -- let us share this southwest Colorado rainbow that we captured the other evening after a light thundershower. We don't know if the picture does it justice, but hope we captured the beautiful full colors that we saw with the naked eye.

This week we have come across some information concerning the 1910 Woods county attorney, Claud McCrory, that resigned from that possession around January, 1911. It seems McCrory's health and the stress of prosecuting the "Old Opera House Murder Trial" had taken its toll on McCrory -- that being one of the reasons that he resigned in 1911 (according to the McCrory family legacy).

Another thing we are in search of is Northwestern's song that was titled "Old Northwestern" or "Castle On the Hill." We found a "Castle On the Hill" poem written by Thelma Meyers that appeared in the 1938 Ranger Yearbook. Could this be the lyrics to the "Old Northwestern" song?

Happy 37th Anniversary to David & Linda (McGill) Wagner, July 30, 2006!
View/Write Comments (count 4)   |   Receive updates (2 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Castle On the Hill Poem...

We would like to share a poem entitled - Castle On the Hill. Is this the "Old Northwestern" song that NWOSU & Valarie Case are in search of? See if this poem jogs any memories out there.

The Castle On the Hill
"You have written your name in history.
Oh! Northwestern!
You've engraved it deep upon the scrolls of fame.
We have linked our lives with yours --
Oh! Norhtwestern!
Our achievements add a luster to your name.

We'll write your name upon the archives of distinction.
Ambition and achievement e'er will be our aim.
We will write your name with reverence,
Oh! Northwestern!
Our achievements will but glorify the same.

So -- then stand ye sons and daughters of Old Northwestern!
Take off your hats to the men upon the field!
They will fight tonight for Old Northwestern
And for the honor of the Castle on the Hill!
So -- then stand all ye sons of Old Northwestern!
Paying tribute to the men who never yield.
They will win tonight for Old Northwestern.
And for the glory of the Castle on the Hill!"
--- Thelma Meyers --- View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

SW Colorado Garden Updates - Tomatoes...

We picked our first ripened Better Boy tomato earlier this week. AND... three other big tomatoes. They were sure a meaty tomato and delicious.

Our little yellow squash are beginning to show themselves. They are about an inch in length and plentiful. We also have some jalepeno, poblano and bell peppers gracing our garden along with the tiniest, miniature cherry tomatoes that we have ever seen. AND... those little cherry tomatoes sure have a huge, real tomato flavor for being so tiny.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

McKinney, TX IOOF Lodge Brothers...

Who are these "IOOF Lodge" brothers of McKinney, Texas? A lady in St. Louis, Missouri sent us a copy of this old photograph showing a group portrait of Lodge brothers of some kind. We suspect IOOF, because looking at the tent with the crossing shafts behind them you can make out the letters: F, H and C (Faith, Hope and Charity). This picture was left to Rosemary Benson (Email: rosemarybenson@sbcglobal.net) in an estate/trust from Jimmy Ray McCluskey from McKinney, Texas. He was a Cherokee Indian and his mother's maiden name was REED. We have Rosemary's snail-mail address and phone, if needed. If you have or need any more information concerning the old IOOF photo, then email Rosemary Benson at the rosemarybenson@sbcglobal.net. Thanks. We did some searching on the internet for IOOF lodges in McKinney, Texas and found where their three-story IOOF lodge tumbled down around 1913. So -- This photo may have been taken before 1913. If anyone out there has any more clues to the identity of this group lodge brothers, please send an email to Linda View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Nowhere, Oklahoma...

"I know this is 1-1/2 years after you asked the question, 'Does Nowhere, Oklahoma, really exist?' ... but I just stumbled across your site today. The answer is 'Yes, Virginia (haha) there is a Nowhere, Oklahoma.' It is located just south of Fort Cobb Lake. You will not find it on any map because it never had a post office but any local person can tell you how to get there. Three people currently live there and run a store and bait shop." -- Linda - Email: ll@hotmail.com
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Requesting NWOSU Info...

"I was visiting your web site today and just wondered if you knew of words to a song titled "Old Northwestern." We have a committee here working a celebration for Northwestern's 110th anniversary, which coincides with the State of Oklahoma's 100th anniversary. We're seeking info, memorabilia and old photos that we can place into an archive to keep here, as well as many other events being planned.

Someone just mentioned to me that the song "Old Northwestern" might also have been called "Castle on the Hill" just in case anything like that pops up.

If you'd like, you could also make a mention that if anyone has any old photos from the Northwestern campus that they would like to donate to the university, they could send them to me and/or the alumni association. They would need to know that once they have been donated, they become the property of Northwestern. We're going to possibly draw up some type of plan/guidelines for photos and memorabilia donations so that we can put them in an archive. We'll also probably provide a permission document that gives us the permission needed to digitize their photo. That might allow us to have a copy of their photo and they keep one, too. I guess with technology today they could send us a high quality scanned photo or have it copied at a photo processing location like Walmart, etc. Thanks for your help." -- Valarie Case, Public Relations Specialist, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, 709 Oklahoma Blvd., Alva, OK 73717. EMAIL: vcase@nwosu.edu - Phone: Office -- 580-327-8486; FAX-- 580-327-8660; Website: www.nwosu.edu/pubrel/
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Mrkvicka Family Connection...

"I am a descendant of Matej and Mary(K-vicki) Mrkvicka. Son Joe was my Grandfather. I would like to know if Matej and Mary Anna Mrkvicka Hurt are from the same family. Thank you!" -- Margene Fassnacht - EMAIL: mfassnac@tampabay.rr.com
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Oklahoma Information...

"Here's a site that Pug Hawkins (former manager of the Ritz Theatre at Britton, Ok.) sent me. Lots of good information here. Oklahoma at a Glance" -- Roy
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Oklahoma At A Glance...

Innovative Initiatives and Services Research Office - Oklahoma At A Glance -- "Sooner State." Admitted to the Union: November 16, l907, 46th state. State Capitol: Oklahoma City. Location: West South Central U.S. Bordered by six states - Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri and Arkansas.

Area: 69,956 square miles (181,186 sq km) (U.S. Rank - 18) divided into 77 counties. This includes 68,656 square miles of land, 1,137 square miles of water. Oklahoma offers a variety of features, from grassland plains in the west to forests and mountains in the east. The above sea level elevation of Oklahoma's countryside slopes from a high of 4,973 feet at Black Mesa in Cimarron County (northwest) to a low of 287 feet near Idabel in McCurtain County (southeast). Check out this website Oklahoma At A Glance for more tidbits, such as the following: The name "Oklahoma" comes from the Choctaw words: "okla" meaning people and "humma" meaning red, so the state's name literally means "red people." On November 16, 1907, the Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory joined and became the 46th State. Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state, with over one million surface acres of water. There are 2,000 more miles of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined. Oklahoma is the third largest natural gas-producing state in the nation. Oklahoma has more astronauts than any other state. Oklahoma ranks second in the nation in the production of all wheat; fourth in cattle and calf production; fourth in the production of pecans; sixth in peanuts and eighth in peaches. Oklahoma had the world's first flowing commercial oil well. Oklahoma has the only capitol building in the world with an oil well under it. A gold rush existed in Oklahoma for nine years prior to statehood.....
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Oklahoma Prairier Country Link...

"LK, thanks so much for including this little snippet/link - what beautiful photos of our wild flowers of Oklahoma. Now, I can identify them all much much easier. And the Bison also - great work on the Professor's part also; yes, Van Vives - I agree also: "I feel truly blessed that I can do this at this stage in my life." I especially enjoyed the butterfly photos in the wild, my favorite thing. I also copied & pasted the info on Tarantulas for my son, he is 23 & has started collecting Tarantulas & also has a Wolf Spider. We/he used to do this when he was a small child/boy - so now I see that men never do grow up, still just little boys exploring & conquering the wild outdoors (how God made them I suppose). Thanks again, we are never to old to learn & enjoy God's creation - the never ending beauty of it all." -- Ms. Jan
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Old Opera House Murder...

"I just reread the Old Opera House Murder and you have done a MAGNIFICENT job of reworking it! Still intriguing to me and I still wonder if dear Mabel might have had some diaries or journals somewhere which might have given us clues to HER side of the story. Still wonder about all her bruises, too and wonder if maybe someone in the family might have been the culprit there? Thanks again for your great writing! I do miss reading the ezine and hope I can get back to 'routine' reviews again like I did before. Also, love the pug pics with the horses. Miss Sadie is looking very sharp there."
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Claud McCrory...

"I have a little information about Claude McCrory. It will likely be biased as it was written by his daughter, Theta McCrory Hall. She wrote: 'One more child had been born to Edith and Claude before his health broke in 1911. He had been failing for several years but the doctors had been unable to diagnose the real trouble, most of them believing it to be consumption. Claude's friends and family finally persuaded him to give up his strenuous campaigns and public life and when Governor Haskell cooperated by offering him a job as legal council (sic) for the State Institution at Granite, he accepted. In 1911 he removed to a state owned house in Granite, Oklahoma. In 1912, another girl was born to them. By then Claude's health was entirely broken. He died a year later.'

No mention of subpoenas, or of anyone trying to locate him, but as I say, this may have been only one side of the story. His wife, Edith, was a sister of my grandfather, Joseph T. Fash." -- Barbara Walters Hodges
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Cleveland Hills of Oklahoma...

"Linda, I copied this from Jim Barker's Sports Spasm in today's Alva Review Courier. I thought you might have interest in it: We live and we learn. While dining out Wednesday evening, high school classmate Lyle Arndt stopped by for a "hello" and to ask the writer a question. The question was: "Can you tell me where the Cleveland Hills are?"." -- Terry & Linda Smith
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Class Reunion Poem...

"Every five years, as summertime nears,
An announcement arrives in the mail,
A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand;
Make plans to attend without fail.

We tried so hard to impress.
We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,
And wore our most elegant dress.

It was quite an affair; the whole class was there.
It was held at a fancy hotel.
We wined, and we dined, and we acted refined,
And everyone thought it was swell.

The men all conversed about who had been first
To achieve great fortune and fame.
Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine houses
And how beautiful their children became.

The homecoming queen, who once had been lean,
Now weighed in at one-ninety-six.
The jocks who were there had all lost their hair,
And the cheerleaders could no longer do kicks.

No one had heard about the class nerd
Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;
Or poor little Jane, who's always been plain;
She married a shipping tycoon.

The boy we'd decreed "most apt to succeed"
Was serving ten years in the pen,
While the one voted "least" now was a priest;
Just shows you can be wrong now and then.

They awarded a prize to one of the guys
Who seemed to have aged the least.
Another was given to the grad who had driven
The farthest to attend the feast.

They took a class picture, a curious mixture
Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties.
Tall, short, or skinny, the style was the mini;
You never saw so many thighs.

At our next get-together, no one cared whether
They impressed their classmates or not.
The mood was informal, a whole lot more normal;
By this time we'd all gone to pot.

It was held out-of-doors, at the lake shores;
We ate hamburgers, coleslaw, and beans.
Then most of us lay around in the shade,
In our comfortable T-shirts and jeans.

By the fortieth year, it was abundantly clear,
We were definitely over the hill.
Those who weren't dead had to crawl out of bed,
And be home in time for their pill.

And now I can't wait; they've set the date;
Our fiftieth is coming, I'm told.
It should be a ball, they've rented a hall
At the Shady Rest Home for the old.

Repairs have been made on my hearing aid;
My pacemaker's been turned up on high.
My wheelchair is oiled, and my teeth have been boiled;
And I've bought a new wig and glass eye.

I'm feeling quite hearty, and I'm ready to party
I'm gonna dance 'til dawn's early light.
It'll be lots of fun; But I just hope that there's one
Other person who can make it that night. -- Author Unknown
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe