May Day, Hummingbirds & Friends

May Day 2008 brought many things to different parts of our world this week. Most of all it brought strong winds blowing a cold front through the San Juan mountains and dropping some snow in the higher elevations and blowing dust from a lake bed.

It was downright chilly the first of May 2008 around these parts in the southwest Colorado valley, South of Bayfield, Colorado. BUT... the hummingbirds weren't scared off. We now have a couple of hummingbirds ... or more. One is more aggressive, protective of its feeder and chases the others away.

May Day Windy Weather...

May Day Winds blew a cold front across Colorado, eventually meeting up with a warm, wet front on the prairies and plains -- creating, keeping the local weathermen busy with tornado warnings, watches and flood warnings across parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri before it moved on to the East and Northeast.

Friends Passing...

That wasn't the only thing that May Day brought! I received an email from a Waynokanite that a dear, sweet friend and lady from the old days around Waynoka, Oklahoma had passed away.

That lady was Celinda Kelsey, wife of deceased Roscoe Kelsey and mother to Bill Dean (deceased) and Diane. Celinda died May 1, 2008. I am told that the service will be at the Methodist Church in Waynoka (Oklahoma), but I understand that the day and time have not been set.

My heart goes out to Celinda's daughter, Diane, and her family. I still look back at those special moments, visits to Waynoka and the Kelsey's home there. There are lots of memories between the Kelsey and McGill's during that time. I especially remember the picnics we had out at the East lake of my dad's ranch a few miles north of Waynoka. Also... I experienced eating my first taco at Roscoe & Celinda Kelsey's home when they still lived in Waynoka, Oklahoma. Celinda was a very special sweet lady and friend of the McGill family as was her husband, Roscoe, who preceded her in death in 2002.

I shall hold dear all the good memories of Celinda & Roscoe Kelsey and the family get togethers we had at the ranch, Waynoka and Alva Homecoming parades.

Celinda, you may be gone, BUT... you will never be forgotten! Your memories live on in our hearts with those whose path you have crossed! I can see Roscoe standing in the light waiting to take your hand and guide you to one of the family gatherings above. Say "Hello" to Mom & Dad and catch a huge fish ... watch out for the heavenly rattlesnakes, though!
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Gold In NW Oklahoma Territory

Yep! There was Gold in them "thar hills" of Northwest Oklahoma! It wasn't the sparkling gold, though. It was the Gold Brothers who settled in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory in 1898.

Herb & Frank Gold were born in Moravia, in the Austrian Empire, now Czechoslovakia. They came to the United States with their mother and stepfather in 1887, and settled in Barton County, Kansas near Albert and Olmitz, where the stepfather engaged in farming. After the parents died, the Gold Brothers made their way to Woods County, in the Northwest Oklahoma Territory. This is where, in 1898, Frank Gold contested a claim in the Fritzlen township, NE/4, Section 22-28N-14WIM, 6 miles North of Alva on Grimes road.

Frank Gold, born February 10, 1879, was a simple man, upright, honest, gentleman. He was interested and active in community activities, politics and believed the right to vote was a privilege and duty.

Frank's true love was for the one and only woman in his life, but it was not returned. We aren't quite sure who that one and only was, but Frank never married. He was a bachelor for 40 years in his dugout he constructed at time he acquired his land in the Fritzlen township.

A longtime friend and neighbor, Merle Cunningham, went to Frank's home on Sunday, February 6, 1938, to take Frank home with him for Sunday dinner and a visit. The Sunday dinner never happened, though. Merle could not get any response by knocking on Frank's door that day. Merle sensed something wrong when he heard heavy breathing inside. Merle and his brothers found Frank on his bed unconscious. Frank died 4 days short of his 59 birthday. Since Frank never married, his land went to his older brother, Herb Gold.

Herb Gold, born the oldest son, March 22, 1874, at Langesdorf, Moravia, Austria. Herb was known as a unique and wonderful character around Northwest Oklahoma Territory. Herb was a veteran news columnist and was not only widely known, but his comments were widely read. His greatest interest was in people and his great fund of information about them was a source of wonder to his many friends.

Herb was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic church at Alva, and was a naturalized citizen of the US by order of the district court of Grant County, Oklahoma, on September 18, 1906.

He was active in county and state politics for many years and his column carried comments on trends of the times from a local to international level. He was exceedingly well informed of European affairs and conditions and was also a diligent student of American history, current events and affairs, by reading magazines and periodicals from several countries.

Herb Gold knew more people personally than anyone else at that time, including present and former residents in Woods County. From reading the bio's in the Northwest Oklahoma history book, Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County, we find out that Herb Gold took part in many debates and was one of many northwest Oklahoma debaters from the Fritzlen township. Among those he debated with were: Dave Harrington, William Knox, Fred Gallon and Pete Lawson. Herb's friends would often coax Herb to sing, Who Put the Overalls In Mrs. Murphy's Chowder, after one of their debates at Fritzlen.

Herb Gold died Feb. 14, 1953 in Alva leaving no immediate relatives, never marrying and no one surviving him in either the US or Europe. At Herb's death Frank and Herb's land went back to the State of Oklahoma and was sold. [Information concerning Frank & Herb Gold was found in Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County, pages 247-248, 64, 187.]
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Herb Gold's Street Pickups - 1937

While I was thumbing through the Pioneer Footprints 1886-1986 history of Northwest Oklahoma, I came upon an interesting bio for Benjamin Berry that had a comment taken from one of Herb Gold's columns, entitled "Street Pickups," dated December, 1937, after Benjamin Berry's death.

This was also shortly after our Great-Grandfather, John R. Warwick, had passed away. That's why this Gold comment was of interest to this NW Okie.

Gold's Street Pickups comment went like this: "Jacob Achenbach, John Warwick and Milt Berry, three good friends gone in three days; I have known each of them 35 years or more. I'll have to make new acquaintances else at this rate I'll soon be a stranger here. In the Spring of 1901 I helped Trustee Harry Hall, make up the assessment list of Fritzlen Township. Harry read off the names: Ben Berry, Joe Berry and Milt Berry. I remarked to Harry that with so many Berries there should be a bush about. Sure enough the next name was James M. Bush. Milt's passing removed the last member of the family on the Fritzlen tax roll. Ben Berry was Milt's father, a crippled Union veteran and was one of the best 'Old Time Fiddlers' I ever heard play."

So... from that piece of Gold's column I learned that he was a friend of my Great-Grandfather John R. Warwick. Maybe there are some other descendants out there who have heard more stories and read other comments from Herb Gold's Street Pickups Columns in the early Woods County News of Northwest Oklahoma. We would love to share them here in our OkieLegacy ezine/tabloid.
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Fall 1947, W. B. Hull vs. State of OK

When David was going through stuff in our Maple street house, he found this interesting old Subpoena in Criminal Case No. 1091 -- District Court of Woods County, Oklahoma, State of Oklahoma vs. W. B. Hull.

The Subpoena commanded the following individuals to appear before the district court, 12 November 1947, 10:00 o'clock a.m., to give testimony, and the truth in the W. B. Hull case. Those mentioned in the subpoena were Gene McGill, Marion Gardner, Dewey Randall, Nels Nelson and G. B. Brown.

This was a few months before my time, so I no recollecion and not even a clue as to what this Fall 1947 case was about. Nor why my dad, Gene McGill, had to testify in the W. B. Hull case.

I was hoping this 1947 subpoena might jog some memories of some old timers out there -- causing them to remember back to the Fall of 1947 so we could fill in the "Rest of the Story." Thanks for any help or information that you might give to shed some light on the W. B. Hull Saga vs State of Oklahoma.
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Memories of Downtown Alva, OK

"There was a grocery store on Barnes Avenue on the south side and it was owned by the Magnuson family. It was right cross the street from our Lynn's Restaurant and a bit west of Monforts. There were two other grocers, both on Flynn Street, I believe, Safeway and a tiny individual owned store not too far up - down the street. May have been in the building that became the Golden Krust Pastry Shop.

I went to see The Thing at the Ritz Theatre and had to walk home on that dark night. I lived on Davis Street south of the college. I stayed for all the movie. Probably A.J. Wood accompanied me to the showing as we went mostly everywhere together. Walking across that campus and athletic field was pretty frightening, so I whistled all the way and of course nothing can get you if you are whistling. I did increase my footspeed by increments all the way from the Ritz to 1421 Davis Street.

We had open lunch at Alva High and the school cafeteria was at Washington school. Some of us would rush through lunch at the cafeteria and head off to Brands Sporting Goods for a game of snooker before going back to classes. Our favorite treat at Brands was a Pepsi with a sack of Planters peanuts poured in on top.

Things change. One fine Spring day Austin Traverse and I decided at lunch that we would like to go fishing. Mr. Geis, the superintendent, was taking Mr. Korn's place for the day and occupied the principal's office. Austin and I dropped in on the Superinendent and told him that we would like to skip classes and go fishing. He said, "Sounds like a good idea to me. You have my permission to go." We did! I don't remember if we caught fish, but we surely loved the superintendent after that." -- Jerry Crenshaw
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1944 - Lt. Craig Barker Missing Over France

"Linda, last week in the Woods County News items that you reprinted, there was a note about my cousin, Craig Barker, who was reported missing over France. I sent the item to his widow, Ann. (Craig died several years ago.) Craig was captured and became a POW in Germany. Ann sent the following additional information:

Craig was shot down on the 19th of June of 1944. He had participated in the D-Day raids over Normandy —- and that was the 6th of June. He was on his 11th raid over Germany when he was shot down.

We have a new coffee table sized book that was just published last year about the 8th Air Force—which was the division that did all the bombing in Europe. It has a list of all the planes that were shot down in that division and the names of the crews.

He was a prisoner until May of 1945 —- but because the final camp where they were held -- was down close to Munich — it was a while before they could fly the prisoners out of that lower part of Germany. General Patton came through their camp and liberated it. Craig actually saw him and his pearl handle pistols.

They finally took the released prisoners to a port on the north shore of France — They called this base — Lucky Strike — and they kept them there for a couple of weeks to feed them up — and check to see that they were able to travel.

He was put on a cargo type ship — that was supposed to go right to New York — but it got diverted and sent clear to Trinidad in the Caribbean. It was sometime in the first part of June before he finally got home — I remember - because we were having Vacation Bible School at the time." Sandie Olson
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Herb Gold Memories

"Linda, Interesting to note that you would come up with something on Herb Gold. In at least partial answer to your question "Who was Herb Gold?", I offer the following columns that I wroter fairly recently. This is about all I know about him, but I have seen his picture.

Article One...
"Herb Gold, whom I never knew, has been described to me as a man who almost daily walked about the square with a small notebook and the stub of a pencil in hand gleaning information from what he observed and who he talked to. One never knew what he would come up with, as he was quite secretive about his business. But his ramblings ranged from the mundane to the interesting, as he reported on who was in town shopping, making comments on construction projects, the government and politics, and almost anything else that came to mind. In the mid-‘30s and the heart of the depression, you can imagine that he had plenty of food for comment.

But considering today’s political climate, here’s a little paragraph that perhaps we should all keep in mind. After making a comment or two regarding the dangers of voting party politics regardless of whether their platform items were good or bad, he wrote the following paragraph:

“I let the Republican caucus get plumb by me this time. Hope the Lincoln democrats were not as sleepy as I, but that they turned out in full force and chose the best they have on the Board of Directors. It behooves the citizenship to be alert. To achieve success we must be wide awake. Political success in its final analysis means the welfare and well-being of community, state and nation. Unselfish devotion to the country’s interest is the criterion of party service.”

Article Two...
When I first began writing this column, several old-timers around town mentioned that they thought it was similar in some respects to those of Herb Gold. Gold lived a few miles north of Alva, but came to town and went about the square talking to people, visiting city and county offices, and checking in various businesses, gathering information for a column entitled Street Pickups. I never knew Mr. Gold, but he has been described to me as somewhat small in stature and always handy with a notepad and a stub of a pencil. Some of his columns were in the material given to me by Eleanor Ring some time ago, and I offer some of his gleanings here. All of the writings are from the early to mid-thirties. Come in, Herb:

--0--

“Waynoka was left plumb ‘lawless’ yesterday. Among the visitors from that town were Mayor Walter Cope, Marshalls Billy Patton and Frank Clemons, Lawyer Everett Wellborn, Editor Gene Hilton, Dan Bolar and Elmer Bixler.

“B. H. Bicknell has a letter from his old home town in Vermont, telling of the terrible winter they’ve had back there. The ground is frozen to a depth of six feet and all the water pipes in town are frozen solid. People are in constant fear of fire.” Note: (B. H. Bicknell was the father of Brooks Bicknell, former Alva Review Courier editor. Ben once owned the Bicknell Department Store on the southwest corner of the square and spent his latter years as a salesman for Tyree’s Mens’ Wear. He worked well into his eighties.)

“Looked into the sheriff’s office yesterday as Dewey Randall opened the morning mail. He got several checques to pay back taxes. I was astonished at the brevity of the delinquent list; most of the accounts were small. I believe Woods County is making a record in tax-paying. Our folks are a pretty good bunch.” (Note: The year of this publication is 1931, two years after the ‘Black Friday’ market crash of 1929.)

“Harvey McGreevey grew reminiscent on the school question. In his day teachers were glad to get $30.00 a month and rode six miles to and from school on horseback. But times have changed since. Then an eighth grader was allowed to teach. Now a teacher has at least two thousand dollars invested in his or her education. Then board only cost $2.50 per week! Now few farmers care to board the teacher. It is well for the taxpayer, who sports a limousine, to remember that the school teacher, too, is human. I am glad sensible liberality toward schools is coming into fashion again.

“One trouble with this time of the year is that the Summers are short and the Winters are too numerous. “The world do move. I recall that almost 20 years ago Dr. Osler in a speech declared that no man deserves to live beyond 40. After that he might as well be knocked in the head or chloroformed for all the good he could do. Osler was even then a hopeless back number himself. There was a time when it was deemed proper for people to grow old. When men reached the age of 50, they thought they had done enough. They then sat down and let the children and women do the work. They grew long beards, looked wise and expected others to call them Mister. Sitting around idle, like an old cultivator in a fence corner, they soon rusted out and, ere they reached the 60 mark, were carried out feet first.

“Not so now. Men nowadays are ashamed to be idle. Are ashamed to be dependent on the kids. They scorn being fawned upon, preferring to be met on even terms by their fellow men. They’ve learnt that they can keep fit by doing useful work, that rust rather than wear is the bane of mankind.

Note: (Hmmmmm,... Maybe I’ll keep working for a while.)" -- Submitted by Jim Barker
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More Herb Gold Memories

"Who is Herb Gold? Did you know that was not his real name? He was Hubert Heidenbright, Heidenbrecht or something like that. I remember when dad used to read his column and then would say his name. Is this right, or am I dreaming this up?

Thank you so much for the info on Herb Gold. Hey, maybe since he was from Austria maybe my dad just gave him that name as that is a possibility, but I know you say Herb Gold and I can hear dad calling him Hubert Hooever. Never would have thought of him had you not mentioned him but my dad loved reading what he wrote. Enjoyed reading what you had to say about him." -- A.T.
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Monterey House Hotel - Virginia

"My wife Martha has genealogical connections to Monterey, Virginia, the county seat of Highland County. We once made a stop there and researched her family’s records in the court house and library there. We had previously done the same in bordering Pendleton County, West Virginia. To the left is a photo of the Monterey House Hotel.

Monterey has the highest elevation of any town east of the Rocky Mountains, at 2894 feet. It has a population of less than 200. Actually, it was formed in 1847 from Pendleton County. The latter was formed from Augusta and other counties in 1788. Later, even though they were once part of the same county, Highland went with the Confederacy when the Civil War broke out, and Pendleton went with the Union. This resulted in the two counties being in different states after the war.

This is one of the most beautiful and charming areas we ever visited in the east. Highland is the least populated counties of the state. However, the annual Maple Festival draws 50,000 people each spring. There are also several hotels; including the Monterey House which is an Eastlake styled structure over a hundred years old.

The surnames we were researching were BIRD and COOK…the latter no relation to mine. We were traveling in an RV and used the parking lot of the local bank, and parked there over night. In the early days the local government and court operated in an inn owned by Martha’s ancestor. We knew what street it had been on and could not find the street. Someone in the library told us that the streets’ names had been changed. She then pointed out where the inn would have been located…where the bank’s parking lot is presently. Yes, we had spent the night where the inn had been located, without even knowing it. Genealogy is fun." -- Charles M. Cook
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Growing Up In Oklahoma

-- Mills Bros. If I had my way -- "Morning Linda, It is a beautifuly day in Southern Oklahoma. Lots of sunshine and no wind. A you know I lost my sister this week. I have received many emails of sympathy and condolences. My friend Hazel sent me this today. It is one of the best notes I have seen in a long time. I would like to share it with you and your readers. thepastwhispers.com/My_Friend.html." -- Kenneth
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Vallecito May Day

"Vallecito celebrated May Day with a rambunctious wind out of the north and a very few fine flakes of snow. The exposed bed of the lake was blowing north at a high rate of speed on Wednesday (all of La Plata county seemed to be covered in clouds of dust), but had settled down some come Thursday. The high on 1 May 08 was 43 around 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon. The low last night was down to 19.4 degrees. I took one too many blankets off my bed too early." -- Vallecito Citizen
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1929 - Public Schools of Today

[Essay written around 1929. Not sure if it was a paper that my Grandma, Constance Warwick McGill, wrote for a college class at NWSTC ... or what? Who wrote it? I am not sure! These questions have not been answered completely.]

Public schools of today have diverged a great deal from the "little red school house" of yesterday. children in our present day public schools have more activity, larger freedom, and greater responsibility. The class room made for passive listening is fast giving way to the school room made for active doing.

One of the most noticeable changes in the modern school is in the appearance of the class room. In many of the schools fixed desks have been discarded. Instead there are movable desks, so that everything in the room may be moved aside, leaving an open space, if the instructor so desires. it is not unusual in the school of today, to see children in one room, informally gathered about in groups with desks moved aside, perhaps feeding or caring for a cat, dog, or other pet. Children bring their pets to school and care for them, leaning much about their nature and habits.

The changed conditions in the modern world demand a change in the school. The narrow curriculum of earlier days is fast giving was to a program of work and play wherein the tools of learning are mastered in their relation to every day life. In some schools, for example, the children learn the science of botany from first hand experience in the school green house. They learn about cooking and planning meals in the school cafeterias -- about decoration and arrangement of furniture in the school room by actually helping decorate and arrange, and so on. Even in the upper grades the schools have become modernized and there is a flexible environment suitable for active work, whatever it may be.

There is an interesting school of the modern type in San Francisco. It is the pioneer Burk School, in a connection with the San Francisco State Teachers college, and is a school of individual instruction. The child in this school studies at his own rate of speed. In the fourth grade, for instance, a pupil may be doing third grade arithmetic, fourth grade reading, fifth grade spelling, and so on. If a child can advance faster in one study, and more slowly in another, he does so. This seems a better plan than holding an entire class of different individuals together in spite of everything.

In the Burk school the tool subjects are individualized, and by the tool subjects is meant reading, selling, phonics, arithmetic, and formal grammar. Some parts of other subjects are also individualized, such as history, geography, etc. The time saved in this type of school is said to be enormous. Most children finish their tool studies a year or two ahead of time, and no child has taken more than 8 years for his studies. Moreover, no child has failed.

In some modern schools the children organize themselves into clubs, joining those in which they are most interested, and in these clubs they are taught various things. For example, one group of students might become interested in the study of astronomy, organize a club, and pursue their studies in this way. Another group may belong to a sewing club, cooking, manual training, book lover's, and so on. Children in the lower grades are usually only allowed to belong to two or three of the clubs, but in the upper grades there may be no limit.

One can readily see the advantage of this club idea. In this way a pupil may choose the things he likes best and thus his individuality is better developed.

There is a plan of education known as the Scarsdale plan, which originated in Scarsdale residential community, 18 miles from New York City. This plan began to develop in 1923 in this residential community of 8000. Students in this school, or type of school receive individual instruction. Much of the responsibility for learning is placed upon the pupils themselves, although the instructors are responsible for careful guidance.

One step toward change in the secondary schools is that of dividing the course into 2 units of 4 years each, preceded by a six year elementary course. This includes, besides the usual four years of high school, two years in college, or the junior college. This plan promises to meet the changing needs of today, and is proving successful. It is an economy in money, as well as in time.

Everywhere in the world schools are different. In every country there are experiments in education being carried on in order to find better forms through which the spirit of the new age may express itself.

Bibliography: School Life - June 1929, National Education Association Journal, January 1929; March 1929.
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Santa Fe Moves Into One Office

- page 2 -- In this 1958 news artilce, the Santa Fe railway offices consolidated with freight offices -- moved Saturday into the east portion of old passenger depot which was recently remodeled and modernized. W. E. Byrd was the local agent backthen.

The Old Freight Depot was the central local point in Santa Fe yards. It was the first Santa Fe depot built in Alva, constructed in 1886 when the rail line was placed through Alva.

The article goes on to say, "The name of the town was selected by the Santa Fe officials. It was named after Alva Adams, an attorney for railroad company. Adams later became governor of colorado and served in the US Senate."

The Freight Depot served as both a freight and passenger station until 1909. The old depot was remodeled in 1901, according to Santa Fe records.

In 1909, the fill was constructed and a new bridge over the Salt Fork River was built. At this time, the new line of rails was constructed on the fill and over the new bridge which was still in use at the same time that the brick passenger station was constructed. Before 1909 the passenger and freight trains all came into Alva on the lower level.

The new brick depot was west of the Viaduct. It also stated: " In the new project just being finished, the Negro waiting room, baggage and express rooms in the brick structure were converted to the freight receiving area."
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Alva Review News - 02/16/1958

We have come across an old The Alva Review Courier, Sunday, Feb. 16, 1958, newspaper published in Alva, OK, at 616 Flynn for 5-cents per copy. Today, I believe it is up to 50-cents & 75-cents per copy. Brooks Bicknell was the Editor backthen and had an editorial column entitle "Off the Cuff..."

The frontpage headlines from that newspaper in northwest Oklahoma in 1958 stated:
1. Santa Fe Moves Into One Office
2. Little Theatre Sets Play Dates
3. Slate of Officers Now completed
4. Rauh Is Named GOP chairman at Huddle Here
5. Photo of Democrat Leaders
6. Alva Band Members Named to State Band

There was no story to go with the Democrat Leaders photo -- just a caption under the photo showing "Gene McGill, District Democrat chairman, Mrs. Larry Hellman, Woods County Demo Co-Chairman, and Sam Riggs, County Chairman, expect to attend a State Democrat executive meeting in Oklahoma City, Monday to assist in reorganizing the state Democrat Central Committee. The State chairman, co-chairman and secretary-treasurer will be named at the caucus." [It's no surprise that a republican newspaper would print the republican happenings and only show a photo of democrat happenings.]

As to the Alva High Band members of 1958... They were under the direction of Nile Joacim. They consisted of three Alva High coronet players: Larry Magnuson, Bill Hadwiger and Bill Joachims.
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Memories of Downtown Alva, OK

"There was a grocery store on Barnes Avenue on the south side and it was owned by the Magnuson family. It was right cross the street from our Lynn's Restaurant and a bit west of Monforts. There were two other grocers, both on Flynn Street, I believe, Safeway and a tiny individual owned store not too far up - down the street. May have been in the building that became the Golden Krust Pastry Shop.

I went to see The Thing at the Ritz Theatre and had to walk home on that dark night. I lived on Davis Street south of the college. I stayed for all the movie. Probably A.J. Wood accompanied me to the showing as we went mostly everywhere together. Walking across that campus and athletic field was pretty frightening, so I whistled all the way and of course nothing can get you if you are whistling. I did increase my footspeed by increments all the way from the Ritz to 1421 Davis Street.

We had open lunch at Alva High and the school cafeteria was at Washington school. Some of us would rush through lunch at the cafeteria and head off to Brands Sporting Goods for a game of snooker before going back to classes. Our favorite treat at Brands was a Pepsi with a sack of Planters peanuts poured in on top.

Things change. One fine Spring day Austin Traverse and I decided at lunch that we would like to go fishing. Mr. Geis, the superintendent, was taking Mr. Korn's place for the day and occupied the principal's office. Austin and I dropped in on the Superinendent and told him that we would like to skip classes and go fishing. He said, "Sounds like a good idea to me. You have my permission to go." We did! I don't remember if we caught fish, but we surely loved the superintendent after that." -- Jerry Crenshaw
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OkieLegacy Guestbook

4/24/2008 -- POW Camp at Alva, OK... "I am attempting to get information on this subject. My father was stationed at the camp at the time of his marriage to my mother. Any info would be greatly appreciated." -- Patricia Allen - Email: patricia113045@yahoo.com

4/24/2008 -- Chester, OK... "I attended the Chester Grade School and lived 1 mile West and 1/2 mile North of Chester." -- Larry D. Classen - Email: larrydclassen@yahoo.com

4/23/2008 -- Ingersol, OK... "I have been looking for this town for a long time. My father was born in Ingersoll its nice to know it acctually exited." -- LINDA TUTTLE - Email: rodlin68@myway.com

4/22/2008 -- Dixie Sherman... "Unfortunately, the Dixie Sherman hotel in Panama City, Florida was destroyed in 1970. There had been other plans for a building on that site but they were not realized and now it's a bank parking lot. The person in charge of that decision is said to have "been sick" about how things turned out.

4/20/2008 -- Oscar Weathers... "Hi! Thanks for your website. I am looking for information on my great-grandfather, Oscar Weathers. He was a barber in Ames in the early part of 20th century. Many thanks." -- Sasha Pringle, Ontario, Canada - Email: marksash@sympatico.ca

4/7/2008 -- Geneology... "My mother was Osage, Cheyenne and Arapaho." -- Lynnie Taylor - Email: lynnie@bendbroadband.com

4/4/2008 -- Outstanding Website... "Just an outstanding and adorable site. I am an Okie by birth and I love the state. Thanks." -- Nelda Gregory - Email: philnelg@aol.com
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Early NW Oklahoma Stores & Memorable People

In Walter T. Eason's bio for the northwest history book, we ran across the following mention of early stores in Alva, Oklahoma such as: "The Wagner Grocery, Eutsler Grocery, The Tea Store, Sears Bootery, Meixner Bakery, Howard Grocery, Sonderys Livery Stable, Crowell Lumber and Coal Yard, Shaefers Leather Shop, Reed's Poultry and Cream.

Eason, Jr., who wrote the bio for the pioneer footprints history book, mentioned some of the people he would never forget. Such as: "Bob Kirkbride, Cliff Ward, Herb Gold, Elisha Barker, Scott Cummins (the Pilgrim Bard), Scotty Schroff and Karl Sanderson." He also wrote, "I think people were happier and more contented in those days. I know they had more time for each other."
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Highway 281 & Main Road To Alva, OK

I was letting myself ramble through the Woods County history book published in 1986, Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County. I was gathering some information on Herb Gold, an Alva, Oklahoma pioneer. On page 432, there was a bio of Willard Marsh and what I found interesting was a description of highway 281 that lead into Alva, Oklahoma from the North. It goes something like this:

"Those who have traveled Highway 281 north from Alva know the hill about two miles north of town. When the Cherokee Strip was opened for settlement that hill was much bigger and steeper and it was very, very heavy sand from the top of the hill to the corner south, and possibly to the railraod crossing."

I know of that steep hill going north out of Alva on hwy 281, just about a mile north of the railroad overpass. At the top if you turn west, there is a blacktop road today that takes you to the country club & golf course.

Anyway... back to the pioneer footprints story and the description of highway 281 leading to Alva, Oklahoma. As you head south on highway 281 going down the steep hill you come to a railroad bridge. It was just south of this railroad bridge that the main road to Alva turned west and followed around near the track to the bridge over Salt Fork River.

Today that road leads to Rhodes Salvage, but I have never checked it out to see where or if the rest of the road still leads to another bridge over the Salt Fork River. This earlier bridge was one-half mile west and south of the bridge being used today. This was the early main road to Alva. Is that earlier bridge still standing? Or... is it a dead end at Rhodes Salvage?
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1958 - ARC Cartoon Fun For the Whole Family

Have you ever wondered what newspaper cartoons your folks were reading way back when? Well! Back in the Winter of 1958, the image to the left gives you a glimpse of what the newspaper cartoons were back then.


Let's see... There was Sparky Watts, Virgil, Regular Fellers, Pop - men or Beasts, Raising Kane and Private Buck that showed up in this February 16, 1958 Issue of the Alva Review Courier.

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