Spring View of Rockies

Last weekend we took a few snapshots of the view off to the West and North of our place South of Bayfield, Colorado.

We used our Photosmart studio to stitch those images together for the panorama view you see here. This is a special view for all those mothers out there this weekend celebrating Mother's Day.

The rest of the week we were dry, sunny, windy and daytime temperatures in the 70's and 80's in the valley of southwest Colorado. We did get our veggies staked outside this week and the hummingbirds are enjoying the feeders put out for them.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to ALL Mothers out there! Have a Great weekend!
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Tribute To Mother

We are in the process of taking down Kenneth Updike's stories and ramblings of "Growing Up In Oklahoma" because Kenneth asked us, "To remove all of my previous writings to you about my Ramblins. Personal stories that I told you and your readers. My Son has had all of my writings, and notes copyrighted so that we can put them in a book or booklet. His idea. I really have no objections to this, but he insists we can be viewed by more people. I leave it up to him. Thanks for your help in the past, and I still read your Okie Legacy nearly every week."

If you find some of Kenneth's Ramblings that I have missed, Please email me the link with Vol. and Iss. numbers so that this NW Okie can remove them. Thanks for your help!
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An OkieLegacy Centennial Moment

All was not "peaches & cream" for Oklahoma & Indian Territories in the early 1900's as they were choosing sides for statehood. Would it be two states or one? Oklahoma? Sequoyah? What If... The symbolic "marriage" of Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory on the steps of the old Carnegie Library had NOT taken place November 16, 1907?

While we were doing a Google search online for information concerning Sequoyah constitution, we came across one of our first volumes for "Oakie's Heart To Heart" where we mentioned the merger of Indian & Oklahoma Territories of 1907.

In 1907 the marriage of the two territories was of considerable emotional significance when one state was created from what had been considered a candidate for two states (Sequoyah & Oklahoma).

When the Five Civilized Tribes thought they had found a place they could call home in Oklahoma & Indian Territory, the U.S. Congress reneged over and over again using such things as the Manifest Destiny, Enabling Act (June 16, 1906), Curtis Act of 1889, Oklahoma Organic Act, etc...

There were those in Indian Territory that wanted their own statehood with Sequoyah and the capital at Muskogee.

BUT... The US Government made up of Republicans, along with President Teddy Roosevelt were NOT going to let that happen. There would be only one state admitted to statehood, November 16, 1907... Oklahoma!

Indian Territory, former territory, U.S. West, included most of modern Oklahoma. The Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, and Chickasaw tribes were forcibly moved to this area between 1830 and 1843. An 1834 Act set aside the land as Indian country. In 1866 its western half was ceded to the U.S. This portion was opened to white settlers in 1889 and became the Territory of Oklahoma in 1890.

It was August 21, 1905 when the Sequoyah Convention convened at Muskogee to draw up their own Sequoyah Constitution and committee. On March 4, 1906 the US Government attempts to abolish the government of the five civilized tribes through the Curtis Act. The Sequoyah constitution was published October 14, 1905. The most important provisions of the Oklahoma Constitution were derived from the inspiration of the Sequoyah Constitution, notably... Article 9 on Corporations, the method of Legislative apportionment; the Great Seal; less than a unanimous verdict of Jurors in trials of civil causes; compulsory teaching of Agriculture and Domestic Arts in the public schools; the names of many Counties in old Indian Territory; etc... Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 9, No. 2, June, 1931, THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, By William H. Murray.

The Indian Territory counties formed were: Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coal, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Garvin, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Latimer, LeFlore, Love, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pushmataha, Rogers, Seminole, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner, and Washington.

The Oklahoma Territory counties formed were: Alfalfa, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Lincoln, Logan, Major, Noble, Oklahoma, Osage, Pawnee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Roger Mills, Washita, Woods, and Woodward.

The counties formed out of both territories (mostly the Indian Territory) were Grady, Jefferson, and Stephens. AND... of course we have the No Man Lands of the Oklahoma Panhandle counties that consisted of Beaver, Cimarron, and Texas.

Did you know that Rogers County was named for Clement Vann Rogers, who was a member of the Sequoyah statehood convention in August 21, 1905 and the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention two years later?

AND... The two territories were merged, November 16, 1907, into one state, OKLAHOMA! Let us always remember the culturals, sacrifices the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, Choctaw and Seminole) had a role in the formation of Oklahoma. In fact, not many know the five tribes were for the creation of a separate state known as the State of Sequoyah.
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Waynoka Depot (Oklahoma)

"The restoration of the Waynoka Depot is progressing, with work on the open-air passenger or viewing area underway. The former Santa Fe Depot was the company's county-seat style depot. The windows will be replaced with windows like the original ones. The 1910 depot and adjacent Harvey House are on the National Register of Historic Places. Both buildings are owned by the Waynoka Historical Society whose web site is http://waynoka.org." - Sandie Olson, Waynoka, OK
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1905 - Playing At State Making In Muskogee

[The following article appeared in The Oklahoman, Aug. 23, 1905, Front page, The Headlines read: "Playing At State Making In Muskogee - Kangaroo Convention Is Solemnly Entertaining An Amused Public - Will Make A Contitution - A Mud Pie Factory May be Started Up As A Side Enterprise - Chief Porter Fixes a Committee the Way He Wants It and Expects a Grandstand Finish - Pipe Dreams Furnished at Reduced Rates."]

Special to The Oklahoman, Muskogee, I.T., Aug. 22 (1905) -- "The men who will make the play constitution for Indian Territory have been named. They constitute a committee of fifty-one men. They will draft the constitution and submit it to the delegates to vote upon section by section. A finance committee of 26 members has been appointed and this committee will finance the convention and the subsequent election. A campaign committee of 26 has been appointed and will conduct the campaign when it comes to votging on the constitution. The constitutional committee follows: District No. 1, Miama, delegation not in; District No. 2, Vinita, J. S. Davenport; District No. 3, Nowata, R. I. Owens; District No. 4, Claremore, Jno. Bullett; District No. 5, W. T. Tilley; District No. 6, Tahlequah, W. W. Hastings; District No. 7, Wagoner, Theodore (?), whose politics are not known. A candidate of delegates shows that out of 111 who have been interviewed, there are 60 Indians, 49 whites and two colord.

If one were asked to pick out the predominating spirits in this convention tonight, it could be done by naming four men. They are C. N. Haskell and Morton Rutherford, of Muskogee, W. W. Hastings of Tahlequah, and W. H. Murray of Tishomingo. These four men are already considered leaders. They are men who have heretofore taken little part in politics but have given out the ultimatum that business methods must apply to politics and are proceeding to demonstrate what Mark Hanna proved -- that business methods make politics win.

The prohibitionists scored a victory today when hey elected Captain A. B. McKennon, of South McAlester, an honorary delegate to the convention. He is the recognized leader of the prohibition movement. He is an ex-member of the Dawes commission and present attorney for the Seminole nation.

The work of writing the constitution will be largely done in committee, and the greater work of passing the convention by a popular vote of the people is even now under consideration. A committee will be appointed to draw the constitution. This committee will be sub-divided to handle the work. A committee of 26, one from each recording district will be selected to finance the movement, and a committee of five, one from each nation, will draft resolutions."
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1905 - A State Named Sequoyah

[This article appeared in The Oklahoman, dated Aug. 27, 1905, page 2, headlines read: "Sequoyah Great Cherokee Chief - Proposed That His Name Be Adopted For That of the New State."]

Special to The Oklahoman, Muskogee, I. T., Aug. 24 (1905), -- "Unless something occurs to rapidly change the present sentiment of the members of the constitutional convention, the name of the new state will be 'Sequoyah.' To the uninformed this name may seem rather remarkable. It is that of the greatest Cherokee that ever lived. The following is a brief sketch of this remarkable character.

Sequoyah, a half-blood Cherokee, inventor of the Indian alphabet and justly styled the "American Cadmus,' was born in the old Cherokee nation in Georgia in 1763 and died in New Mexico in 1844, while in search of a lost band of Cherokees, his grave being unknown. In 1821 he invented the Cherokee alphabet, and since 1829 books and newspapers have been published in the Cherokee language, using the Cherokee characters.

In 1832 he moved to what is now the Cherokee nation and lived at Muldrow, where he ran a trading post for years. The Cherokee alphabet contains eighty-six characters and is one of the most wonderful inventions of the world, considering the fact that its inventor was an illiterate Indian.

The Cherokee Advocate was established at Tahlequah shortly after this alphabet was invented and has been published there since that time, using the Cherokee characters. This is the only newspaper many of the full-blood Cherokees can read. The translation of the Bible into Cherokee and the printed copies where the Cherokee characters are used has helped largely in the conversion of the Indians within the past half century to the Christian faith. It is in memory of this great Indian that it is proposed to name the new state. J. S. Holden has written the following, which is being freely circulated among the members of the convention:

1905 - Double Statehood Fraud

[This article appeared in The Oklahoman, dated August 22, 1905, frontpage headlines read: "Double Statehood Fraud Has Very Little Sympathy."]

Special to The Oklahoman, Ardmore, I.T., Aug. 2, (1905) -- "The Indian Territory press is almost a unit in condemning the constitutional convention that is being held at Muskogee. The only papers that have expressed sympathy with the movement are the Antlers American, the Muskogee Democrat and the South McAlester Capital.

It is asserted by those favorable to single statehood that the separate movement is designed for the purpose of attempting to defeat statehood altogether, and that the delegates are not sincere in what they are doing. Governor Johnson, of the Chickasaw nation, is opposed to statehood in any manner, and it is believed that others friendly to the movement hold similar views."
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McGill Photos & History

"I have grand niece (a History Major) who is so interested to learn anything about the McGill's. So I am gathering info and e-mailing as I find it (It is nice to have a young person interested in family history). I thought I'd share a few with you. We were in Arkansas last to visit with my brother Gene and his family.

I found a picture of my dad's brothers Ted and Marvin standing next a Model-T. Ted is the with the hat. The next picture is of my Dad (1902) a year old. The next is my family around 1954 (sister Illa Mae, Mom, I am the little guy, Dad and Gene. The bottom one taken in 1978 is of my Dad, brother Gene and me.

I found an obituary on my grandpa Frank McGill Click Here View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

HURT Genealogy

"Here are my facts about a family HURT in Bohemia. They came from Hetschan and then went to Steben. This is a little village near Jechnitz (Czech. Jesenice) in West Bohemia, district Podersam,. Perhaps it is your family? Also, I have got another family HURT from Sedletz, district Kralowitz (Czech: Kralovice). In 1904 a Franz HURT married Barbara Doma in Jechnitz. My HURT Lineage" -- Mathias Pittner, Germany - Email: mathias-pittner@web.de
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The Real Truth

"The Pearl Harbor photograph story, is a HOAX that has been making the rounds for some time now! Click Here for the real truth from snopes.com." -- Wayne G.
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Oklahoma Rising U-Tubes

"There are several U-Tube videos here that are delightful:
Oklahoma Rising
Oklahoma videos
Rose Parade 2007 Another Okla Rising video
Okla City Bombing
Okla Hills by Johnny Cash and Flip Wilson
OK Tornadoes
Miss OK 2007
Little Sahara
A sensational performance by Billy Gilman singing 'Oklahoma'
The Reason God Made Oklahoma, Carrie Underwood Montage" -- Lois G.
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1991 Music Man Play

"I was sorting through some papers stacked on my computer desk at my shop yesterday (papers that have been there for a long time) and found this newspaper that I'd probably taken there to show someone a part of my own history. I hadn't realized that it's been 16 years since I did this play but have mentioned to several people how much the role and the singing in this quartet has expanded my vocal range and has helped considerably in my singing in our church choir (I still sing in it). I now sing tenor in the choir but for years sang bass/baritone." -- Roy K.
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The State of Sequoyah

J.A. Norman wrote, "Oklahoma has already thrown down the gauntlet of statehood by holding this summer a convention to form a constitution for Oklahoma and Indian Territories as one state. We, as Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Osage Indians, together with the whites and blacks in our midst, have the same right to call a constitutional convention, to adopt a constitution for the Indian Territory's new state, called "Sequoyah," and submit it to the next congress to ratify as it is already duly bound to do so by sacred and solemn treaties. American citizens, the loyal patriotic matter is now us to you."

It was said that Norman's letter "Lighted a match and set the prairies on fire." Norman later joined with Cherokee Chief Rogers, and Choctaw Chief McCurtain, and called for a constitutional convention. They were soon joined by Muscogee (Creek) Chief Porter and Seminole Chief Brown. However, Chickasaw Chief Johnston was in favor of joint statehood with Oklahoma and refused to participate. However, he later sent William Murray who was his private secretary.

The convention convened on August 22, 1905 and was held at the Hinton Theater in downtown Muskogee, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Indian Territory. The hall was decorated with pictures of the Cherokee inventor Sequoyah, pictures of the Five Civilized Tribes' Chiefs, as well as American flags and a picture of Theodore Roosevelt. The festivities were embelished by the Muskogee Merchant's Band. The Muskogee Phoenix reported that ". . . hardshelled single staters figuratively wept bitter tears." -- The State of Sequoyah "Indian Territory Proposed as Sequoyah" Information provided by the Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center - The People's Paths View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Perry, OK Gas Prices

"Friday, May 11, 2007, I dumped 3.6-inch of water from the rain gauge at my shop today and 4.5-inch from an identical gauge at home. I think it was a 2 or 3 day accumulation because I couldn't remember when I last checked. I noticed one newspapers' headlines asking if the storms were over, and another papers' headline that said 'Rain, Rain, Go Away.' You've probably heard about the flood waters in several Oklahoma towns including OKC, too. Perry didn't flood (probably can't because of a deep 'canyon like creek' that takes the water away very quickly), and we also have an excellent storm sewer system that was created in the early days of the town. It has rained again tonight.

Our gasoline prices have again been raised twice this week and the lowest prices in town (to my knowledge) are $2.99.9 for unleaded regular. Yep! They did it again. Raised the minimum price to $3.099 on unleaded regular today and Perry had some more rain. My gauge shows another 2/10-inch (and I dumped it again. I may never catch up on the lawn mowing this year but I mowed grass and weeds that were about 14-inches tall today before the rain hit again. I still have more to mow but it's too wet." -- Roy K.
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Gas In ALVA, OK

"Today, Friday, May 11, 2007 - "3.139 for regular at Garnett's Conoco at the junction of highways 64 and 281 just north of NWOSU's campus. Here's a link to a photo" Click this for Rod Murrow's Flickr photos.

Have you heard that Carolyn and I are moving to Jet in early June? She has been assigned to the Jet and Prairie Valley United Methodist Churches. Our last Sunday in Freedom and Buffalo UMCs will be June 3rd and we'll be in the new appointment the following week. We've lived in Freedom ten years and the Buffalo UMC has been associated with this appointment for the past seven years (it was previously Freedom and Quinlan). The new pastor in this appointment is Woody Hamon from Woodward; he and his wife will live in the UMC parsonage in Buffalo. Here's a photo of the Jet United Methodist Church.

Here's a photo of the Prairie Valley United Methodist Church (I'd never heard of this church before; from 'Cozy Curve' south of Cherokee where highway 64 turns east toward Jet, continue south along a county road almost another three miles to the church)." -- Rod Murrow
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1907 - Insane Farmer Assaults Wife

"Slashes Wife's Throat and Attempts Suicide With 22-calibre Rifle" - Perry, Okla., Nov. 15, 1907 -- "While in a fit of insanity, Frank Doorak, a farmer living near the place, slashed his wife's throat with a razor, and then attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself through the roof of the mouth with a 22-calibre rifle last night. Not being successful in this, he went to a pond a half mile away and attempted to drown himself, but the water not being of sufficient depth, he returned to the house and went to bed, where he was found by a physician who had been summoned to give attention to the wife. Both parties will live. Difficulty with a neighbor and worry over business matters are said to be the cause of the attempted tragedy."
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Fairvalley Storms

Fairvalley, Okla. -- "We have had at least 6 inches or more at Fairvalley, Oklahoma. Everette was hoping for 2-inches before he planted his feed so he got it and more. It looks nice and green everywhere." -- Louise
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Sequoyah Statehood Movement

The Sequoyah Movement in Oklahoma, would lead to a convention to draft a second constitution for the proposed state of Sequoyah on August 21, 1905, considered Haskell ready and able. He served as one of five vice-presidents representing the Five Civilized Tribes. While publicly working for a separate state for Indian Territory, Haskell privately believed that defeat of this proposition would ultimately drive Indian leaders to join in statehood with Oklahoma Territory. Although the people of Indian Territory approved the Sequoyah Constitution in a referendum, United States President Theodore Roosevelt declared there could only be one state of Oklahoma. With passage of the Enabling Act in June 1906, a constitution was all that stood between Oklahoma Territory and statehood....." -- Biographical Note Governor Charles Haskell
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Sequoyah Constitution of 1905

ARTICLE II: DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS -- The powers of the government shall be divided into three distinct departments: The Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial.

ARTICLE III: LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT -- Section l. The legislative powers of this State shall be vested in a General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Section 2. The Senate shall consist of twenty-one members, one to be chosen from each senatorial district, whose term of office shall be four years.
Section 3. The House of Representatives shall consist of not less than forty-eight, nor more seventy-five members, to be chosen biennially, whose term of office shall be two years.
Section 4. No person shall be a senator or representative, who, at the time of election, is not a citizen of the United States, and of this State.
Section 9. No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being, nor any person who has been, or may hereafter be, convicted of embezzlement, of the public funds of the United States, or of any state, country or municipality therein, or who has been convicted of a felony shall ever be eligible to any office of trust.
Section 11. Each house shall elect or appoint its own officers and employees.
Section 12. Each house shall have the power to determine the rules of its proceedings.
Section 13. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time, publish the same.
Section 14. The sessions of each house shall be open.
Section 19. No law shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall be so altered or amended on its passage through either house as to change its original purpose.
Section 29. No state tax shall be provided for, or appropriation of money made, except by a two-thirds vote of both houses.
Section 34. The General Assembly shall provide by suitable laws for the opening and maintaining of roads and highways, bridges, toll roads, and may, create a bureau which shall embrace mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and forestry.
Section 36. No money or property belonging to the public school funds, shall ever be used for any other than for the respective purposes to which it belongs.
Section 42. All wild game, fish, animals, birds and fowls in this State are declared to be the property of the State; and the General Assembly shall provide by law for their protection and preservation, and for the regulation of the use thereof.
Section 49. The General Assembly shall provide for the location and erection of the following public buildings: Normal School Buildings; Asylum Buildings for deaf and dumb, blind and orphans; Agricultural and Mechanical College Buildings; State Penitentiary Building; State University Buildings and such other public buildings, as may be provided for by law.

ARTICLE IV: EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT -- Section 1. The executive Department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, and superintendent of Public Instruction and hold their offices for a term of four years.
Section 2. The supreme executive power of this State shall be vested in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled 'Governor'.
Section 3. The Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, and Superintendent of Public Instruction, shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State.
Section 5. No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor except a citizen of the United Sates, and of this State, who shall have attained the age of thirty years.
Section 6. The Governor shall be commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces of this State.
Section 8. He shall give to the General Assembly, from time to time, information by message, concerning the condition and government of the State.
Section 15. Every bill which shall have passed both houses of the General Assembly shall be presented to the Governor; if he approve it, he shall sign it; but if he shall not approve it, he shall return it with his objections, to the House in which it originated. If approved by two-thirds of the whole number of members elected to that House, it shall be a law.
Section 18. In all criminal and penal cases, excepting in those of treason, the Governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations of sentence, and pardons.

ARTICLE V: JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT -- Section 1. The Judicial powers of this State shall be vested in the Senate sitting as a Court of Impeachment; in a Supreme Court; County Courts; Justices of the Peace; Police Magistrates, and in such other Courts as may be created by law.

Supreme Court. Section 2. The Supreme Court shall be composed of three judges, and they shall choose from among their number a presiding judge who shall be styled Chief Justice.

Section 3. No person shall be eligible to the office of Judge of the Supreme Court unless he shall be at least thirty years of age, shall have practiced law at least eight years, be of good moral character, a citizen of the State and of the United States.

Section 10. From and after the election and qualification of the judges of the Supreme Court, their salaries shall not be increased or diminished during the term for which said judges were elected.
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Stormy Night In Southern Oklahoma

"It's was another wet and stormy night in Southern Oklahoma. We have been fortunate enough to dodge the really severe weather so far. Our prayers are with those who have lost so much during these stormy days and nights. I am sending along a tribute to my Mother for Mothers' Day." -- Kenneth Updike, Wilson, Okla.
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