SW Colorado Updates

Things are beginning to warm up here in the valley of Southwest Colorado -- I planted a couple of patio tomatoes plants and some herbs in ceramic pots set on my patio so we can take them with us when we move from our valley adobe retreat towards the end of June 2008.

We have been looking for a mountain retreat around here and think we have found the perfect spot. NOW... to make it happen! You know when you have seen that perfect place and can't get it out of your mind? That is how this new place has enchanted this NW Okie!

Meanwhile... here are some more (short) movie clips of our SW Colorado Hummers feeding outside our front window.

SW Colorado Valley Hummingbirds
OkieLegacy - YouTube
Colorado Hummingbirds
Young Rascals - People Just Want TO Be Free

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$50 Reward

We found this reward sign amongst our family treasures, but do not know what year it was offered. Evidently... it was offered when $50 was a lot of money in those days. Whatever days that was!

Do any descendants of the following Ranchers listed below from Northwest Oklahoma remember anything about this $50 Reward ... Or recognize any of the old ranchers? One of those "Old Time" Cattle Ranchers was "McGill & McGill" (my relatives).

The reward reads: "$50 Reward will be paid, until further notice, by each signer for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons stealing cattle from this place or places of any of the signers hereof.

SIGNERS: O. F. Eversole; W. C. Wynn; E. D. Drake: W. R. Lahr; M. B. Graves; Cedardale, Inc.; Willis and Pugh; G. F. Roark; M. J. Cook; McGill & McGill; E. F. Moore; C. O. Parker; R. B. Converse.

If you know or remember any of these "Old Time" ranchers and have any information concerning this $50 Reward for Cattle Rustlers in Northwest Oklahoma, please contact Linda at mcwagner.lk@gmail.com. Thanks!
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1944 Coyote Hunters

My dad (Gene McGill) use to hunt coyotes in northwest Oklahoma with his buddies in his earlier years. Perhaps you heard of some of coyote hunting stories or knew of someone who hunted with Gene a long time ago.

The picture to the left was taken around 1944 on one of those prosperous flying hunting trips. We are not quite sure who the young man was in this photo. Gene is on the right and the coyote (Wiley) is hanging in the middle. Can you help us identify the young coyote hunter on the left?
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Aunt Gwen Paris Black's Obit

Gwendolyn G. (Fuqua) Paris Black, daughter of Raymond and Rosa (Hand) Fuqua, was born June 21, 1927 in Dewey County, Oklahoma. She departed this life on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at the Seiling Nursing Center. She was 80 years of age.

She was known to her family and friends as Gwen and she was raised near Seiling and she attended Seiling School. She was united in marriage to Vernon Paris, September 26, 1944 and they had one daughter, Dixie Lee. They made their home southwest of Seiling until 1964 when they moved into town. Vernon preceded her in death Nov. 17, 1972. She married Carl Black July 26, 1974 at Canton. They made their home southeast of Seiling where they farmed and ranched. Carl preceded her in death Jan. 16, 2008. Gwen worked as office manager for Dr. R. A. Bush in Seiling and she worked nine years as a cashier for England Grocery. For several years, she worked for Fuqua Liquor Store in Canton. Gwen was an excellent cook and was known for many of her dishes at family dinners and at the VFW Ladies Auxiliary which she was an active member.

She is survived by three daughters: Dixie Howerton and husband Mike of Enid, Janet Keith and husband Tommy of Oakwood and Susan Kegin and husband Kirt of Crescent; one son: Mitch Black of Canton; ten grandchildren and nineteen great grandchildren; one sister: Joan Calkins of Taloga and six brothers: Doyle Fuqua and wife Willadean of Elgin, KS, Norman Fuqua of Taloga, Keith Fuqua and wife Virginia of Canton, Gary Fuqua and wife Ann of Wichita, KS, Lael Fuqua and wife Karen of Bethany and Russell Fuqua and wife Sherry of Seiling. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews and many other relatives and friends. Besides both husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents.

The funeral service were held Friday, May 16, 2008 at the Seiling Gospel Lighthouse Church, interment at Brumfield Cemetery.
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Alva & Woods Co., OK Memories

Linda, each week is a visit to Alva and surrounding areas, but this week you had info on Mrs. Wiesig.

I think she is the one that did sewing and her husband repaired shoes. Anyway it was great to read about her.

I went to a country school to the North and maybe a little West of Alva with Donald Rudy and Karen Eubank. We were the only first graders. The teacher picked me up in town and we went out to the school.

As far as the "Square" was concerned there was ALWAYS activity on Saturday afternoon and nite as the farmers came to town and everyone got in a good visit and gossip.

Monforts had the best soft ice cream around and was a treat - if the allowance went far enough! Also in the fall when the school books came in and the whole store had that smell. During the time of the prison camp a lot of the men would come into town and lounge against the store fronts and visit.

Also... Jetts when the fall material came in along with school shoes - again that special smell.

Shoemacher Drug would make up a liquid cinnamon and IF the teachers did not catch a child with the small bottle, everyone shared by having their own tooth picks in the oil.

Saturday was always movie day and I suspect a blessed quiet for moms as the local kids headed to the theater with their quarter. IF one was careful there would be enough left over to stop at the bakery on the way home for a "crispie" which with the size would last all the way to Barnes and Home. The theater was the one just down from the bakery and a grocery store. Believe they were all Jones Theater except the one that was next to the Jett Department Store. At that time, early 1950s.

The old Court House was still in the Center with the large park and the big trees. Have not been back for probably 10 years but do recognize a lot of the information that you provide. Summers were spent with Emery and Hazel Quinn on a farm outside of Waynoka. Now I wonder how Hazel had all the grandchildren -- kept tract of us -- tended her garden -- kept us from trouble -- OH! The treats of the homemade ice cream and each family bringing a cake. Pure pleasure.

The other thing about Waynoka was being allowed to ride to town to get a block of ice and go into the storage areas of the ice and getting to have a small piece of ice. Sounds funny now with refrigerators, air conditioning and such.

Anyway I hope that people continue to provide memories of those days and names of the different families of Woods and other surrounding counties." -- Carrol (Quinn) Harris
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Waynoka Cousins

"Ira Fox was mentioned in one of the okielegacy.org/journal articles. His wife, Erma was a distant relation of mine on my father's side of the family. Erma passed away on Thursday, January 10, 2008 in Clearwater, Kansas at the age of 103. She was born in Severance, KS and she met her "fly boy" husband when he was doing some "barnstorming" near Leona, Kansas back around 1929. My aunt said they lived on a large farm outside of Waynoka. I think they had three children, Rita May, Jimmy and Juanita. Erma was a very good friend of my aunt who lived outside of Waynoka. It sounds like she had an interesting life and I wish I had known her." -- Dennis Rittenhouse - Email: dritt2@hotmail.com
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Clouds Over Durango CO

Hey Linda, the clouds over Durango pictured in the last newsletter are called cap clouds. Cap clouds form when warm moist air is quickly pushed up by being blown against an obstruction such as a mountain. The moisture condenses into a cloud which seems to hang just to the leeward of the mountain.

The clouds look stable, but they mark the spot where the air starts down the lee slope of the mountain, and airplanes need to avoid the turbulence associated with cap clouds. The clouds usually form over mountains, but can form over any elevated land mass if conditions are right.

As an aside to the UFO angle, my mother always believed in them. She would regularly ask me if I had seen any when I was flying. When I would tell her truthfully that I never had, she would just smile wisely, and say that she knew I could not tell her because the AF made me keep it secret.

The West Coast flu finally made it to Florida, and we are all down sick or just recovering." -- Lou
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Book: Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County

The history book, Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County, by Joan Hodgden and others, is available for sale and in "Very Good" condition at the following link. $187.50 Buy now at: www.alibris.com.
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SW Colorado Gas & Rain

"Thursday, 15 May 08, gas at the Peerless on Main in Durango, CO was $3.70.9. I paid $3.80.9 for the medium octane grade. The gas prices near and along Highway 160 were at 3.84.9 for the lowest octane.

I came through heavy rain and small graupel pounding down past Cool Water Ranch, but ran out of the rain coming around the lake My pluviometer has recorded .04 inches so far today. The high here was 53.4 degrees." -- SBW
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Perry, OK Gas Prices

Our gas price did go up another 2 cents on Sunday (Mother's Day) and has been raised even higher since then.

Yesterday (Friday, May 16th) the price of unleaded regular at the Conoco/Phillips stations was $3.46.9. Also this week we had an additional 6/10 inches of rain (overnight on Thursday) here in downtown Perry.

May 17, 2008... I guess it really WAS a bargain because today they went up to $3.60.9 and I wonder what it'll be tomorrow?" -- Roy
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Growing Up In Oklahoma

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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Pearl of the Prairies

In Dewey County, Sec. 13-18N-18WIM, 5-1/2 miles West of Taloga, sets a town that was known as the Pearl of the Prairies. It's name was Lenora, Oklahoma. The post office began March 24, 1896-June 30, 1955. The newspaper was the Lenora Leader; Lenora News; Lenora LaPearl.

Lenora, Oklahoma started shortly after the opening of the Cheyenne-Arapho lands in 1892. By 1896, when the post office was established, it had become a full-fledged and very active frontier town.

By 1900 Lenora had a population of approximately 400 persons, probably the largest town in D County. It was certainly one of the most prosperous and progressive.

It was located in a relatively sparsely settled area within the great bend of the Canadian River as it crossed "D" (present day Dewey county). Lenora became a trade and cultural center. The businessmen published the Lenora Business Directory, which was widely distributed. Three general stores, meat market, confectionery, drugstore, hardware store, harness shop, and lumberyard were the chief retail establishments.

Before statehood two saloons were operated. The town was noted for its hotel and restaurant. The bank was considered "solid," and two doctors served the area by making house calls day or night. Churches and a school system were developed. Several fraternal orders -- Woodsmen of the World, Masons, Odd Fellows, Eastern Star, and Royal Neighbors -- thrived. Industries included a well driller, cotton gin and gristmill.

The weekly paper was a dedicated booster of the town and area. At one time there was talk about moving the county seat from Taloga to Lenora.

Lenora became noted as a place where "men were men," but it was also always noted that a woman was cashier of the bank.

Stories are still told about one old-time lawman who threatened to throw all his guns away because he failed to hit a dime pitched into the air on his eighty-sixth birthday.

Another old-timer, said to be a very hard worker, was noted for the amount of food he could eat during one meal -- at one time an entire big roast goose, and another time a huge ham. Two brothers who had a store are remembered for the candy they gave all the children at Christmas.

Lenora became a victim of technological progress just like many other places. The one large remaining store building was used for the storage of hay and farm equipment. A small garage-filling station remained open. The school was closed, but the church was still used regularly. Only a few people lived in what was once the "Pearly of the Prairies," a good town.
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Knowles (Sands City), Beaver Co., OK

Knowles (Sands City), was located in Beaver County, Sec. 25-5N-26E, Cimarron Meridian, 4 miles north, 17-1/2 miles east of Beaver, Oklahoma. The post office began March 16, 1907. The Newspaper was the Farmers News and the railroad was the Wichita Falls & Northwestern railway (Katy), abandoned 1972.

Knowles moved its location and changed its name, like many other towns in Oklahoma. It incorporated as Sands City in 1906, it moved about a half mile eastward in 1912 at the time the Wichita Falls & Northwestern Railroad laid its tracks through eastern Beaver County. The post office, Knowles, was established in Sands City before the founding of Knowles.

The new city of Knowles soon became a trading, marketing, and shipping center for eastern Beaver and western Harper counties.

In 1909 Sands City had nine business establishments. In 1913 Knowles had thirty businesses. In the four-year period the population increased from 25 to 254 persons. In addition to the various stores, the town had a good bank, an excellent grade school and high school system. active churches, and the widely read Farmers News.

Around the town was some of the best farming land in the state. Between September 1, 1928, and September 1, 1929, some 273 train cars of wheat, 43 cars of kafir corn and milo, 18 cars of broomcorn, 49 cars of cattle, 5 cars of hogs, and 14,480 gallons of milk were shipped. Turkeys, chickens, and eggs were sent to market by trucks. Most farms had small orchards, and all had gardens. Knowles was a growing agricultural center.

The 1930s changed all that. The depression ruined many farmers economically, and during the Dust Bowl period many saw their farms blown away. A long period of below average rainfall, dry topsoil, and strong winds dominated the weather of the mid-1930s just as it did other small farm towns in Oklahoma.

The most severe dust storm in the area started on sunday, April 14, 1935. On that date a reddish brown cloud moved over Knowles from the northwest. It was a large dust cloud carried eastward by a slowly advancing cold front. Light from the sun was blotted out, and visibility was reduced to a few feet. Even though houses were shut as tight as possible, and wet cloths were wedged around windows and doors, the fine silt covered furniture and floors. The storm continued the following day. Stores were closed, school was canceled, driving ceased, and meetings were postponed. Those who had to go outside wore masks to protect their mouth and nose and goggles to protect their eyes.

When the wind was not strong, such a storm could last two or three days. If the wind was strong the storm would move on quickly but often would have the effect of a sand blaster on a painted building or car. In the mid-1950s such dust storms again developed.

The town of Knowles struggled for existnece, bgut that struggle appeared to be a losing cause. So many people had moved from teh community that the schools were closed, railroad had been abandoned and the tracks removed, and only on grocery store and the post office continued to operate. US Highway 64 borders the eastern edge of the town, and cars sped by to larger towns and cities. Knowles was a victim of farm consolidation and the return to ranching, advancing agricultural technology, improved highway transportation, and the weather. The town was almost surrounded by a single ranch.
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Okie Treasure Hunter

Okie Treasure Hunter "..... A ghost town in Oklahoma ..... known as Lenora and it was located in Dewey County, in Section 13, Township 18 North, Range 18 West, to be exact. Lenora was known by its residents as the “pearl of the prairies”. ..... The town had several businesses including three general stores, a meat market, a drugstore, a hardware store and a lumber yard to name a few. Oh, and I might also mention the two saloons, one known as the North Star Saloon. There was also a hotel, known as the Hotel Daisy."
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Lenora (Pearl of the Prairies) OK Map

Lenora (Pearl of the Prairies), Dewey County, Oklahoma as seen on Google Maps
Pearl of the Prairies, OK
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Knowles, Beaver Co., OK Map

Knowles, Beaver County, OK, as seen on Google Maps:
Google Maps - Knowles, OK
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Bayfield, LaPlatta Co., CO Map

Bayfield, La Platta Co., CO as seen on Google Maps:
Google Maps - Bayfield, CO
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