Dear Duchess

Gee Whiz! It has been wet and cool since NW Okie brought us back to NW Oklahoma. Guess we brought a bit of cool Colorado with us, huh?

May Day came to NW Oklahoma bringing more cool, wet weather. It is also that time of year to mix up a batch of hummingbird nectar for your hummingbirds.

NW Okie has been focused on personal matters in Woods County, Oklahoma the first half of the week, Tuesday thru Thursday, and things are looking good on the outcome of that situation. Sadie and I finally got to spend some more cuddling time with NW Okie after Thursday. NW Okie gives good belly rubs! We missed not seeing her every hour of every day while we had to stay around the house while she conducted business.

BOW WOW! WOOF WOOF! I was watching this contraption last night on some channel referred to as "The Disney Channel." The star of the show was this big dog named Beethoven. It is kind of great to see one of your own kind on the little square moving picture once in awhile. Most times it has only human beings. I was woofing and communicating with this movin' picture dog.

She did take us out to Fairvalley to see the wildlife and cows, though. We have not had a chance to see the horses, Nugget, Maggie and Quoti, yet, but perhaps we can see them before we head back towards SW Colorado. The county, dirt roads have been on the wet side since we have been here. The native grasses in the pastures are beginning to green and are looking good. A lot of wheat fields were hurt by the late spring snow, thunderstorms and hail the past few weeks.

It is suppose to stay this way most of next week, I believe the Okie weathermen have been saying, except for Wednesday we might get a reprieve and have a quiet Wednesday. We may be in or on the road to Colorado by then, though.

NW Okie wanted me to let you know that this week's newsletter may be a bit short and sparse this week.

The sun finally came out a few mintues ago here in Alva, Oklahoma. NOW ... I need to go get in NW Okie's face and let her know it is time for lunch!

Happy May Day! Remember the May 3rd tornadoes of 1999!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Insight Into Grandma

John C. McClure continues his letters to Miss Constance Warwick in Alva, O. T. (Oklahoma Territory) while John is attending Gem City Business College in Quincy, Illinois.

As the other letters have been, this letter is postmarked, June 20, 1904, Quincy, Ill, with the notation on the letter: "Sun. Eve., Miss Constance Warwick, Alva, OKlahoma."

"Dear Friend, I received your letter a few days ago, which was pleased to receive.

It has been awful hot today. It rained hard last night. I went to church twice today, and slept all afternoon. It is getting nearly too hot to go to school. I will be the happiest kid on earth if I ever get through here.

The Literary Society had a banquet last Wednesday evening. Different members of the faculty responded to toasts. Friday afternoon there was a spelling contest between the boys and girls of the Short hand department. The boys won. I misspelled the word beach meaning a tree.

I guess Nellie and her husband are in St. Louis now. They are going up home for a visit. I think they will come by the way of Quincy. I am praying that they will, for I am dying to see somebody I know. I'll bet that letter that Nellie sent Ralph was no sicker than the one she sent me.

Weddings seem to be plentiful in Okla. The country is certainly prospering. I expect you will be surprising me with a wedding invitation instead of a letter some of these days.

There is a Miss Geisler going to school here. She is from Carmen and used to go to the N.T.N. She went there the last year Ament was President. She seems to have known every body. A Mrs. Adams is a also attending school from Alva. She used to teach in the Public School.

I am going to change rooms tomorrow. So send my letter to G.C.B.C. I hope you have a nice time in St. Louis at the Fair. Everything is two priced down there now. I had intended to go but don't know whether I will or not now. Well! I will close for this time. Write soon. Ever Your Friend, ohn C. McClure, G.C.B.C., Quincy, Ill."
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Looking Back ... To the Future

The McGill Bros. Furniture had two stores in the 600 block of Barnes Avenue, in Alva, Oklahoma. The first store was just East of DeGeer's two-story building.

The DeGreer building had the Grocery Store on the bottom floor, main floor and apartments on the second story.

The McGill Bros. swimming pool once resided behind the first McGill Bros. Furniture store (blue furniture store), but the swimming pool has since been filled in and no longer exists today.

We have heard from others that the college girls practiced swimming routines at the McGill's swimming pool in downtown Alva, just off the southwest corner of the square. We are assuming the picture to the left is a photo of the college girls posing for a group photo shoot on the west side of the pool.

In the early 1900s when Bill McGill was playing baseball for the SW Texas League (Austin Senators, 1906-07), the major league (St. Louis Browns, 1907), Bill would travel around with the ball teams and buy furniture to ship back to Alva.

Others have shared stories about McGill Bros. swimming pool and how kids would slip in at night, swim (sometimes in the nude). It was told thru other McGill relatives that Gene McGill and his cousin, Jack Erskine, would sleep over at the pool and chase the kids out.

I have also heard stories that Gene would dive off the two-story DeGreer building on the West side in his birthday suit and young girls would sneak in at night to watch.

The following is a poem about the McGill Bros. Swimming Pool, written by Wm. J. "Bill" McGill:

McGill Bros Swimming Pool
At the close of sultry summer day
Join the crowds that wend their way
To plunge in water fresh and cool
At McGills' most popular Swimming Pool.
And just a few steps from the door
You'll find their Famous Furniture Store.
There, too, your needs will be supplied,
And all your tastes be satisfied.
McGill Brothers, S.W. Cor. Square.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1948 - Gene & Baby Linda

Could not resist sharing this baby picture I ran across of NW Okie taken around 1948 when she was just a baby. Her dad, Gene McGill, is standing out in the pasture out west of Alva and north of Waynoka, Oklahoma, holding baby Linda up in the air. Did you notice no diapers on lower have and showing a bare bottom?

I have seen other photos taken of Dorthy and Connie in their earlier years, with their backsides to the camera and their long hair and no clothes. Some day in the future we shall share those photos.

NW Okie doesn't know that I shared this, but I do not think she would mind.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Perry Hodgden Family of Ellsworth, KS

This next feature is from John M Hodgden, Sr. who saw Ed Hodgden's Obituary in The OkieLegacy eZine.

John says, "I came to this site as the result of researching family history. My name is John Hodgden, Sr. (john.hodgden@gmail.com). I am the great-grandson of Perry Hodgden of Ellsworth, Kansas. He was one of the first settlers in the Ft. Harker area in the Ellsworth/Kanopolis area. My grandfather was Merl Hodgden who was stationed at Ft. Harker during the Wild West days. With Mr. Ed Hodgden coming from the same town I am wondering if our ancestory might be sharing the same Mr. Perry Hodgden?"

If there are any Hodgden's out there reading this newsletter, perhaps you might contact John Hodgden, Sr. and make a valuable family connection.
View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

AHS Class Reunion 1949 & '59

Bill Beeler says, "Big Time in Alva June 5th & 6th. I see the class of 1949 is having a reunion. I know the class of 1959 is having a reunion and have heard the class of 1969 is having their 40 year.

With the Nescatunga Arts Festival happening also, there should be lots of people in town.

The class of 1959 is still looking for some class members. If any of these names jog some memories Let the class of '59 Goldbugs know. The names of classmates they are looking for are: Walt Payne, Judy Anderson, Francis Clark, Phyllis Eason, and Bill Mann.

If you have any idea how to contact some of these "lost" classmates please call Bill Beeler at 580-327-2249 or send e-mail to brbeeler@swbell.net. Your help would be appreciated. Thank you!"
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

2009 Spring Reunion In Alva OK

Jim Bradley says, "Howdy! We were in Alva over Fri and Sat nights to attend the 2009 Spring Reunion, of which I was one of the honored guests having been 50 years since graduation in 1959.

Yes, things were sort of tense in Enid and south of Alva last Saturday (4/25/2009). We left Sun morn to return to NE Kansas. We were in NW Okla one week prior at my High School Reunion -- that was the weekend that Alva had large hail and strong winds.

Sorry you didn't get to the reunion banquet. The newly remodeled Science building was open for tours. Sure is a great improvement over what we used in the 1950s. Cheers!"
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

McGill Sisters Fairvalley

I know we have talked about Fairvalley, Oklahoma a few times in The OkieLegacy. Just wanted to share a Google Earth satellite view of the area. This is the sandy, sage-brush hills of native grasslands that McGill Sisters own, located just south of the old townsite of Fairvalley, Oklahoma. Notice the oil & gas well sites that linger through out the area within the green outline markings. This is very fragile soil as you can tell!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1904 Edition - The Virginian by Owen Wister

David and I went to an auction Saturday morning in Alva, Oklahoma and found and bid successful on a 1904 edition of "The Virginian." This 1904 edition of "The Virginian" was entitled "The Horseman of the Plains." The publisher information stated: "New York The Macmillan company, London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd. 1904.

It was copyright 1904 by Macmillan company. It also mentioned, Set up, electrotyped and published April 1902. Reprinted June twice, July four times, August three times, September twice, November twice, December twice, 1902; January, February, August November 1903; February 1904; special edition in paper covers, May, December 1904. Norwood Press, J. S. Cushing & Co. Berwick & Smith Co., Norwood, Mass, USA."

Owen Wister was also author of "Red Men and White" - "Lin Mclean" - "U. S. Grant: A biography." There was a dedication: "To Theodore Roosevelt -- some of these pages you have seen, some you have praised, on stands new-written because you blamed it; and all, my dear critic, beg leave to remind you of their author's changeless admiration."

Owen Wister was born July 14, 1860, in Germantown, PA, as an only child of a wealthy Germantown family. The future novelist first showed promise as a musician, though his father directed him into a career in banking and then in the law. Plagued with neurasthenia, Wister took a variant of the “rest cure” of Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, traveling to Wyoming on Mitchell’s advice.

From these experiences, Wister began to write short stories of the West. His Western writing culminated in the 1902 publication of The Virginian, the most popular Western ever. During his career, Wister would publish another novel, many short stories, an opera, three biographies, and a number of political pieces.

Owen Wister died at his summer home in Saunderstown, Rhode Island, in 1938. -- Owen Wister
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe