Duchess Corner

Y'all probably think that we have gone off into the wild blue yonder and have abandoned some of you out there. Duchess & Sadie, that isn't the case at all! We really do miss your bright and shiny Pug faces; tending our garden and playing with our horses.

We've been on the road since August 3rd through the hot, muggy climate of New Mexico; down to the western plains of Odessa, Texas; eastward along I20 towards Dallas and on into Shreveport, Louisiana. Combining a short sightseeing vacation with moving one of our sons to his new job and home in Shreveport, Louisiana.

No! We forgot to take photographs of the Horseshoe Hotel & Casino and it's "Million Dollar Wall" of $100 bills. That is something else you need to see while in Shreveport! Across the Red River that divides Bossier City from Shreveport -- down the road are a few more hotel & casinos, such as Sams Town Hotel & Casino, where we stayed the few days we were in Shreveport. Really great accomodations, but their Wi-Fi internet connection wasn't that great!
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OkieLegacy - A Passion

Yes! We are still doing The OkieLegacy Ezine. It is just a couple of days late this week. Our OkieLegacy ezine can NOW be viewed, read at two different links in different formats. See which one of the following sites that you prefer and then let us know by either leaving a comment or emailing the NW Okie - OkieLegacy Ezine & OkieLegacy Tabloid.

Like we told someone earlier this week last week, "This is not a business, but a passion of ours for learning and preserving our heritage, history and genealogy. The NW Okie was born and raised in NW Oklahoma, the third daughter of Gene M. & Vada (Paris) McGill. So... our roots run deep through our Warwick/McGill/Hurt/Paris genealogies through the Oklahoma Territory. Although, NW Okie is semi-retired and living part-time in southwest Colorado, she continues her quest for learning, preserving our northwest Oklahoma history, heritage and family legacies."
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NW Oklahoma & Rodeos

We understand that Waynoka, Oklahoma might be getting ready for their annual Stampede and Rodeo this coming weekend, August 10, 11, 12, 2006. We hope we got that right. Then next weekend Freedom, Oklahoma's Biggest Open Rodeo & Old Cowhand Reunion takes place August 17 thru 19, 2006. We hear that "Smiley" Olson is this years "Old Cowhand." Congratulations to Waynoka, Freedom and "Smiley" Olson from the OkieLegacy and McGill Sisters family.

We really need to get out of here and get some rest for our long drive tomorrow through Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. See you next weekend!
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The Rest of the Story

OKIE Genealogy... "I have information about John B. Okie who lived in Lost Cabin, Wyoming. I would like to share with his descendants." -- Comment: Jan Makemson - EMAIL: jmakemson@juno.com

Greenbrier College for Women... "'Dorothy' may sound like a flapper and I'm sure she would have been had she been born in a timely manner, but, alas, she went to Greenbrier almost 40 years past the era. 'Dorthy' was too young to be a beatnik, too old to be a hippie, but was a nonconformist rebel, just what Greenbrier College for Women needed in its mix in 1960-61. She would have liked Bake had she known her. I think it's great that, yet again, your site has evoked a memory for someone and linked another connection."
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Rain In Perry, Oklahoma

"I blame ME for the 1-1/4-inch of rain we got (along with the lightning and thunder) because it was a little cooler yesterday evening (August 3, 2006) and I decided to finally mow my front yard. I even mowed the weeds in the neighbor's front yard. I had no knowledge of any prediction of moisture (they've not been right half the time anyway recently). That's possibly enough moisture to make all those ugly weeds start growing again and I may have to mow again before the summer's over. Ah well, such is life. Gas prices are about the same all over town now, I think. Everywhere I look (for the past two days), the stations have posted $2.98.9 as the price for unleaded regular."
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History of Perry, Oklahoma

"At one minute of 12 o'clock noon on September 16, 1893, a tense silence broken only by the occasional nervous whinny of a horse or braying of a mule, fell along the line of the entry of the Cherokee Outlet (Strip). Then, a single pistol shot rang out and one of the most exciting runs' in the history of the United States began. The silence of the treeless plains were suddenly filled with screaming men, thundering wagons, cracking whips, plunging animals and yapping dogs, and the tidal wave of humanity, surrounded by a cloud of dust, swept towards Perry and its adjoining countryside. They came from all classes, from all directions; afoot, horseback, on lumber wagons, carriages and by railroad. They were honest men and thieves, bankers and paupers, adventurers and homesteaders, all wanting some of the virgin land that made the "outlet" famous....." -- History of Perry, OK View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Ivan Painton - Orion, Okla.

"Glad to hear you (OkieLegacy Ezine) is still in business. I was looking for some information on Ivan Painton. I found his name in an old book and thought he would be good for our television program, Discover Oklahoma, but I learned from your website that he is deceased. Too bad. Anyway, I found your site fascinating. I hope you have as much fun writing it as I did reading it. There is a book called Oklahoma Travel Handbook, published by University of Oklahoma Press in 1977, by Kent Ruth, that talks about Ivan Painton's store & gallery in Orion (Oklahoma) and calls him an "internationally recognized painter" and rock artist. I thought he would be a great television story... but, alas, as I discovered, he is no longer with us and the store apparently does not exist anymore. I think the book is also out of print. You may be able to find a copy on the internet somewhere or in some musty Oklahoma used book store." -- Ron S. View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Welcome To Perry, Oklahoma

"Most of the story mentioned in that Welcome to Perry, Oklahoma has been committed to my memory and I'm known to quote much of it to folks who come into my antique mall. I'm sure that you heard at least part of it to you. I probably pointed to where 'Hell's Half Acre' was (across the street from my shop). There are some updates that you may not know about though.
      Henry Bellmon's wife Shirley died several years ago and he has since remarried. Also the railroad station at Wharton was originally called Mendota (I don't know why the name was changed). Another bit of history not mentioned in that article was the fact that because the railroad wanted their station at Wharton to be recognized as the county seat, they refused for a long time to stop any trains at Perry so two of the country's first telephones (in the early 1890's) were installed between Howendobler's Drug Store on "C" street and the railroad station at Wharton so they could ring up the station to see if any freight or mail had come in, and then they could send a wagon down to bring it into town. A few months later they extended the phone lines to the new agricultural and mechanical school (Oklahoma A & M now known as OSU) building and also to a drug store in Pawnee. Then to make it more complete they ran lines to Enid and to the territorial capitol at Guthrie. Originally they called the company the Arkansas Valley Telephone Company but later changed it to the Pioneer Telephone and Telegraph Company and finally called it the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (the original headquarters of SWBell was on the north side of the Perry Courthouse square but was later moved to offices above the First National Bank). Later the company headquarters was moved to St. Louis, Mo. and then to OKC before moving to Texas where it is located now.
      You probably don't remember our neighbors there in Britton, Oklahoma (the Howard Johnston family lived next door west of Kendrick Grocery). Howard Johnston had created the Britton Telephone Exchange and later merged it into SWBell and went to work for them as a line chief. Those crank-type phones that we kids had strung all over the neighborhood (from Steve and Stan Johnston's room to Sandra Sherman at Sherman Funeral Home down the street, and across Britton Road to Larry Owens (at his mom's beauty shop) and Vernon Banks house (his dad was co-owner of City Spring Works down by the Mummer's Theatre in OKC) and of course the switchboard was operated by Steve Johnston in his and Stanley's bedroom. Those phones and that switchboard were from the original Britton Telephone Exchange but I didn't know that until many years later. I did remember however that Howard Johnston had one of the very first transistorized hearing aids in existence. The Bell Telephone laboratories had invented the transistor and were experimenting with "how to use the it". Mr. Johnston had become quite hard-of-hearing and that hearing aid was a marvel of the age (and a forerunner of things to come). I too can remember some history, as I've lived some of it!" -- Roy
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Red River Valley Tourism Association

"The Red River Valley is your gateway to the history, people and places that make Texas and Oklahoma legendary. A visit through the Red River Valley reveals a history of American Indians, cowboys, railheads, oil booms and national statesmen.

See Fort Sill, Oklahoma, a still active Army post built during the Indian Wars. Explore communities settled in the days when Texas was its own country. Experience how the traditions of the Old West live on where the Chisholm Trail crossed the Red River. From cattle barons to oil field wildcatters - from the home of a 24-term Congressman to the birthplace of a United States president - from heritage homes to historic downtowns - you'll find it all in the Red River Valley of Texas and Oklahoma." -- Red River Valley Association
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Alva High Class of '61 List

"I'm sending you an attached copy of the list of classmates we ended up with after an 8-month search. The attachment contains 132 names. 18 are deceased. There are 7 people included that we could not find contact information for. That leaves 107 verified, living contacts the list provides. The Bio Book is printed and is being mailed out today. If you're personally interested in a copy, there are 6 extras for sale. Contact Dawn Gay Brooks at the phone number(s) on the attached list at her email. She will also be taking orders for printing more copies if the 6 extras sell out. Very hot here. Otherwise, not much else new." -- Lana View/Write Comments (count 2)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

An Oklahoma Blessing

"Note: If you are not a resident of OKLAHOMA or never have lived in the hot, humid South, you may not understand the weight of this blessing!

-Bless this house, oh Lord, we cry.
-Please keep it cool in mid-July.
-Bless the walls where termites dine,
-While ants and roaches march in time.
-Bless our yard where spiders pass
-Fire ant castles in the grass
-Bless the garage, a home to please
-Carpenter beetles, ticks and fleas.
-Bless the love bugs, two by two,
-the gnats and mosquitoes that feed on you.
-Millions of creatures that fly or crawl,
-in OKLAHOMA, LORD you've put them all!!
-But this is home, and here we'll stay,
-So thank you Lord, for insect spray.

HOLD IT.............there's more.........

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN OKLAHOMA IN JULY WHEN. . .
-The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
-The trees are whistling for the dogs.
-The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
-Hot water now comes out of both taps.
-You can make sun tea instantly.
-You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
-The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.
-You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
-You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
-You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
-You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
-Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?
-You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
-The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
-Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
-The cows are giving evaporated milk.
-Ah, what a place to call home.
-God Bless Our State of OKLAHOMA!! Amen!!"
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Meers Store & Restaurant (Meers, OK)

"The old town of Meers sprang up during the gold rush days in the Wichita Mountains at the turn of the twentieth century. Gold fever swept the Wichita's during the 1890s fueled by tales of old Spanish mines and such stories as the report of a housewife near Meers who found a gold nugget "as large as No. 8 birdshot" in the claw of a chicken she was preparing for Christmas dinner. However, "Old-timers" in the Meers area say that a mine supply company in Kansas City, found itself with a large inventory of equipment as a result of a slowdown in the mines in Colorado. They purchased a mine in the Meers area, brought in miners from Cripple Creek, Colorado and "salted" the mine with gold nuggets from Colorado. And the rush was on! On May 23, 1901, a group of miners met at the base of Mt. Sheridan, near where the present cedar grove is located, and organized a mining district. Out of respect for the first prospectors in the area, the miners named their camp Meers after Colonel Andrew Jackson Meers, who in 1989 found mineral rich quartzite outcroppings near the site...." -- Meers Store & Restaurant History
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NWOSU's Castle On the Hill Song

"I just looked in Wayne Lane's Centennial History book and found that the "Castle on the Hill" song is referred to as "Oh, Northwestern" in his book. It says the following: "On a local basis, a new college song, 'Oh, Northwestern,' was dedicated to (President O.E.) Hatcher when it was first sung at a chapel assembly in December 1933. Its words were by Thelma Myers, secretary to the president, and the music by Mrs. E.B. L. Hardy. The composition was used as the college song for several years afterward."

The "Old Northwestern" song I was referring to an earlier email is mentioned in the 1921 yearbook in some information about the Rooters Club, so I'm wondering if there is another song out there. Anyway, some people on campus think there may be the words and music around somewhere to the "Castle on the Hill" / "Oh Northwestern" song, but will still try to see if anyone knows anything about "Old Northwestern" mentioned in earlier yearbooks. Thanks for all your help on this." -- Valarie Case
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Musings of Pilgrim Bard

"Thought someone there might like to know that I have offered an autographed copy of Scott Cumming 1903 Musings of the Pilgrim Bard on eBay at: Ebay Auction: Musings of Pilgrim Bard." -- John - Email: jrdudley@swbell.net
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50 Years On Owl Hoot Trail

"I know James Herron, the writer of Fifty Years on the Owl Hoot Trail. When I was in my teens I use to sit and listen to him talk about his life and his book. His daughter Mellie Borba and her sons, Fred and Manuel, were all like family to me." -- Neva Carpenter - EMAIL: nevasc@comcast.net
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