Duchess & Sadie's Spring Domain

Bayfield, Colorado - That NW Okie will take us hiking up to the San Juan National Forest for a drink out Vallecito Creek, but when it comes to watching the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in downtown Durango, Colorado, this Sunday afternoon, the Pugs had to stay home. This sounds like "Discrimination Against Dogs!" Woof! Woof! Get a Lawyer!

Yep! This Memorial Weekend the only thing us Pugs got to see were the digital and video that NW Okie brought back from their trek to downtown Durango.

This is a few video clips spliced together of the Sunday afternoon IHBC cyclists racing through downtown Durango, Colorado. They had Main Avenue and parts of Second & Third Streets blocked off for the racing cyclists.



You will notice that we have included a livefeed of the BP Gulf Coast fiasco in the newsletter. Here is another BP Live Streaming Feed of what is going on under the ocean in the Gulf.

Are you looking for a literary agent? One of our readers sent us this following message, "I stumbled upon this by accident! Maybe you know about it already? I sure didn't know it existed. Take a look at QueryTracker.net and you will now see a way to find a literary agent that fits your book as you will have access to hundreds of names, and a website designed to track everything you submit. It is all very well organized and thought out. You CAN find the perfect match. Make sure you look at the most recent version of QueryTracker as it is better designed than previous versions."

Do not forget about Alva's Nescatunga Arts Festival and the Alva High Class of 1960 Reunion this coming Saturday, on the square in downtown Alva, Oklahoma. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1937-38 Catching the Train - Woodward To Alva

Woodward, Oklahoma - We received a fabulous photo of our mother, Vada Eileen (PARIS) McGill this week from a family that Vada stayed with back in the 1930s. Ylova Jean Jaquith Mayes daughter and son-in-law sent us this following message with the photo attached, "Here is a photo of Vada and Ylova Jaquith taken in Woodward, Oklahoma. Ylova sent us this photo. She lives in Arizona and is 78 years old. She said they had taken Vada to the train station in Woodward to catch a train to Alva to go to College. Hope you like the photo. The photo was not dated, but Ylova was born in 1932. She looks like she is maybe 4-5 in the photo? So, 1937-1938 time frame would be about right. Her name now is Ylova Jean (Jaquith) Mayes."

The photo shows a young Vada Paris (left) in her flowery, Spring dress, hat and white sandal heels holding the hand of a young girl (Ylova Jean Jaquith) while standing in front of passenger train in Woodward, Oklahoma. The Jaquith had brought Vada to Woodward from Seiling to catch the train to Alva, Oklahoma, where Vada was attending NSTC (Northwestern State Teachers College). We know that Vada was a sophomore at NSTC in Alva. We believe she attended in 1937 as a freshman.

Let us take you back to April 18, 1932 (as written down in Vada's 1938 diary as an anniversary) when a sixteen year-old-girl named Vada Eileen Paris came to live with the Ray and Eithel Jaquith family who lived in Seiling, Oklahoma. Also, it was during the Depression, Dust Bowl era. Besides the anniversary of when Vada went to live with Jaquith's in Seiling, Vada had made a notation in her diary May 25th for Ray and Eithel Jaquith anniversary, May 25, 1926.

While living with the Jaquith family, Vada graduated from Seiling High School with the Class of 1936 Seniors whose motto was "Hitch Your Wagon to a Star." For reasons unknown to this writer, Vada laid out a year or so before graduating high school during the Depression, Dust Bowl days. She should have graduated in 1934, but graduated in 1936, instead.

We know that Black Sunday was April 14, 1935 when day was turned into night during the Dust Bowl era. About a month and a few weeks before that day, Northwest State Normal school's Castle on the Hill had burned down, March 1, 1935, in Alva, Oklahoma.

We are trying to piece together bits and pieces of Vada's life between 1932 thru 1937 before she attended college in Alva. We have been told that Vada's mother did not think Vada needed education after the eighth grade and should stay home and help take care of her younger siblings. We have also been told that Eithel Jaquith influenced Vada to graduate Seiling High School and continue her education at NSTC in Alva, Oklahoma.

Reading through Vada's diary, we know in 1938 she received a government grant to attend Northwestern State Teacher College (NSTC) where she was noted as a sophomore in the 1938 Ranger Yearbook. Vada also worked at Warrick's Shoe Store; did heavy housekeeping to make ends meet while attending NSTC. We believe Vada was a Freshman at NSTC (1937 Ranger Yearbook) in 1937.

Vada's older brother (Alvin Riley Paris) and his wife, Naomi (Warren) Paris, were living in Alva while Vada was attending Northwestern. Besides staying with her older brother, Vada did housekeeping for Naomi and Alvin while Naomi was expecting their first Child (Stan born February 25, 1938).

There were lots of entries in Vada's 1938 diary where she mentioned with enthusiasm of getting to go home to Seiling and seeing the Jaquith family (Ray & Eithel and their children: Kenneth and Ylova).

On one entry dated February 13, 1938, Sunday, Vada writes, "Saw Mrs. Jaquith. I'll tough it out where I am before borrowing money. Grand of her to offer to help." Times in the 1930s were tough on everyone back then.

Vada wrote about enjoying receiving letters from Eithel Jaquith. The Jaquith family was like a second family for this young woman, Vada Eileen Paris. Eithel being the one that encouraged Vada to continue her education and go to College at Alva, Oklahoma. We wonder sometimes what would Vada's life been like IF Vada had not been influenced by the Jaquith family? View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Concerning Henry Paris (1750-1847)

Greenvile County, South Carolina - John Crain (Email: OneShotRapids@aol.com) writes, "I live in Greenville County, South Carolina. I am researching a Henry Paris (1750-1847). He is my 4th-Great grandfather. He lived in Orange County, North Carolina until 1790, when he moved to Greenville, South Carolina.

My extensive search on him has been centered around him being from either Richard Pearis or his brother George Pearis, but I can not really tie him to either. After seeing on your site where there was a Moses Paris, Sr. in Rowan County in 1760, I thought it would be worth pursuing.

I would greatly appreciate a copy of the biography of him that you mentioned on your site. Thank you very much." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Venosdel & Anderson Genealogy

Oklahoma - Cindy Faulkner (Email: cindyfau56@aol.com) wrote, "I am looking for descendants of Irene Anderson & Isaac Venosdel. It is actually my husband's family, but I have been given their ANDERSON/PETERS/CAIN family photos from Patsy Ruth Peters Faulkner. I would like to see if we connect and share info. Thanks." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Fred Harvey & Harvey Houses

Kansas City, Missouri - One of our readers says, "Thought you might want to send this article about Harvey Houses to Sandy." -- Comfort still king where Harvey ruled

The Boston Globe reporter, Stephen Fried, states, "For six years, I have been crisscrossing the country in search of Fred."

The reporter mentions also, "Fred Harvey, the demanding London-born immigrant whose family business revolutionized United States dining and travel. Harvey legendary hospitality empire along the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad between Chicago and California sated the comfort-food-starved West."

Harvey was considered by many critics as a "A food missionary" on a quest to civilize the USA one meal at a time. Harvey began his quest in the mid-1870s with modest trackside eating houses in Kansas. It was not until the 1920s that Fred Harvey's white tablecloth restaurants were popping up with amazing fresh food, in lunchrooms, dining cars, resort hotels, union stations and retail stores in 80 cities from the Great Lakes to the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. Even at the rim of the Grand Canyon.

The Harvey Girls, American's Sweethearts, consisted of about 100,000 single women hired at the company's Kansas City, Missouri headquarters and dispatched to the Western locales. Especially, alongside the the Santa Fe railroad tracks.

If you are ever in Waynoka, Oklahoma, you should contact Sandy Olson with the Waynoka Historical Society and take a tour of the renovated Santa Fe Depot and Harvey House Museum. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic & Cruiser Criterium

Durango, Colorado - Celebrating its 39th year, the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic riders (1430) began their 50 miles, two mountain climbs Saturday, March 29, 2010, from Durango to Silverton, Colorado, ascending Molas and Coal Bank Passes. They try to beat the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train to Silverton. It is synonymous with Memorial Day weekend in Durango, Colorado. Some have been reported as saying, "It's a celebration of cycling and of the San Juan Mountains."

To entertain and warm up the Sunday afternoon crowd in downtown Durango, Colorado, for the Pro Men and Women cyclists race, the IHBC Cruiser Criterium celebrated its sixth year in Durango, sponsored by the Durango Cyclery with all proceeds benefitting Bicycle Lemonade, a Durango-based nonprofit group that refurbishes old bicycles that otherwise might be thrown away. They have refurbished more than 200 bicycles.

It was reported in the local newspaper, "There was definitely something fishy going on when a trio of crabs and a giant rainbow trout were spotted racing down Durango's Main Avenue on Sunday afternoon."

I even saw Goldilocks and the three bears (or was it six?)! There was a British Gent wearing a grey suit and Derby. I thought I glanced the three little pigs, also. My favorite was the fisherman riding the tail flapping rainbow trout. The style award went to Durango resident Robert Hayes "bicycle turned rainbow trout."


Cruiser Criterium and the Winner of Style is the Fisherman Riding Rainbow Trout

They say normal people for most of the year disguise themselves for this annual Cruiser Criterium bicycle race. It lets Durango's most extraordinary express their true selves. It is not the speed that determines the winner, but the strange, style. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Army's Tank School Leaves Fort Knox After 70 years

Fort Knox, Kentucky - "The Tank's 70-year connection to the Army post in the hills of central Kentucky ended Thursday as the Armor Center, the training school for generations of tank soldiers, began its move to Fort Benning in Georgia." as reported in the news recently.

The news article goes on to state, "The tank's history at Fort Knox stretches back to the eve of the country's entry into World War II, when military leaders noted the successes of German tank divisions that conquered France in 1940." -- Army's tank school leaves Fort Knox after 70 years

The World War II Timeline we have compiled for our Uncle Bob (Robert L. McGill, 1916-1954) shows that on 28 April 1941, that Uncle Bob completed the Armored Force School, at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with the following: "Greetings, Be it known, that Second Lieutenant Robert L. McGill, 67th Armored Regiment (M), satisfactorily completed the prescribed Tank Maintenance (no. 3) course of the Tank department this 28th day of April 1941." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Beaver County, Oklahoma

Slapout, Oklahoma - Beaver County is located in the panhandle of Oklahoma, which was also known as No Mans Land. If you travel on the highway, in No Mans Land, the easterly county (Beaver) is one of three counties you pass through in the panhandle (a.k.a. No Mans Land). The town of Beaver is a small agricultural community with it's share of oil & gas production and is also famous for it's "World's Champion Cowchip Throwing Contest." It is also the county seat of Beaver County.

If you head along highway 270 in the southeastern part of Beaver County, you will come to our next stophttp://okielegacy.org. Slapout (a.k.a. Nye). This photo of Slapout was taken January 3, 2001.) View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Cimarron County, Oklahoma

Cimarron County, Oklahoma - Cimarron County is on the westerly side of the strip with Boise City as the county seat. Cimarron County is known for good farm lands and rough rugged grassland. There are only 3070 counties in the USA, but only one called Cimarron County. It touches four (4) states and in 1990 there was NOT a stop light in the county. Also thirty (30) miles northwest of Boise City you will find the "Black Mesa State Park"; Dinosaur bones that have been dug up and tracks still visible in the creek beds. Did you know that Boise City is the only city in the continental USA that was bombed during WWII? Sounds like another mystery to unravel, huh? I haven't discovered yet, why it was bombed, but maybe someone out there reading this could enlighten us with their own little "epistle of knowledge." View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Ghostly Spirits of Alva's Old Hospital

Alva, Oklahoma - Alica Hall commented on an earlier feature concerning Ghostly Spirits of Alva's Old Hospital, Vol. 9, Iss. 42 and says, "I have grown up in Alva, and have been to the Museum many many times. Only once did I ever see anything, and it was when I was in 8th grade, back in December of 1996.

"My entire 8th grade class was up there to look at the rooms decorated for the festival of the trees. I was with several friends and we went into the room which decorated as a post office. And there was a lady with a red bob standing behind the bars, but when I glanced back, she was no where to be seen.

"Initially I only thought that it was a maniquien, but when she disappeared I turned to my friends and asked "Did you guys see that?" Two of the three responded. "The lady with red hair."

"There was no cold spot, no chills, just a lady standing there one moment and then gone the next. And so we poked our heads in to see if somehow the dummy had fallen over, but there was nothing and no way for someone to easily get in or out either.

"I know that I saw something. And as we were trying to figure it out, we noticed that the shadow of the bars was moving on the wall. The light source wasn't moving, the wall wasn't moving, the bars weren't moving, but the shadow was. Its the weirdest thing I have ever seen there." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1937 NYA (Government Grants for Youths)

Oklahoma - In the 1937 The Ranger Annual of Northwestern State Teachers College it gave the following information concerning the NYA (National Youth Administraion) as written in 1937 by Hal Hall. I believe this is the government grant that my mother, Vada Paris, received when you attended Northwestern State Teachers College.

The above letters (NYA) stand for "National Youth Administration." This is a part of a general "Youth Movement" designed to assist the needy and deserving youth of our land to prepare for a useful and happy citizenship.

This assistance is rendered through a fund allotted to each state from which students, otherwise unable to attend school or college, may earn enough money to enable them to enter and remain in school. Part of this fund is allotted to a certain percent of the high school students from registered WPA familites. Part is allotted to students working for advanced degrees in Graduate schools; but the larger portion goes to the undergraduate students of colleges and universities. There is also a division of the NYA -- the Project division, entirely apart from teh high schools and colleges. This is also hooked up with the WPA. The college division has no connection with the WPA.

Last year, this college had a monthly allotment of $1455.00. This sum was sufficient to employ 97 sutdents with an average of fifteen dollars a month.

Shortly after college opened in September of this year, an additional sum was allotted to each of seven states from the "dust" area, following a meeting of representatives from those states in Missouri, which sent up a petition for additional distribution. Our share of this fund was $1095.00 a month, raising our monthly payroll for each of the nine months to $2550.00. This is an average of fifteen dollars for 170 students. Since some of these do not need the full amount, we have been able to carry from 168 to 193 on our monthly payroll. At present, we have about 180.

Without this help, it is safe to say that almost all of the recipents of this aid would have been unable to remain in college. probably a larger percent of our enrollment have received this aid than will be found in any other teachers college. We could well use a larger sum.

Not only has this fund been a "Godsend" to these students, but it has very greatly helped the different departments of the college. While this is not the purpose of the grant, the benefit to the work of the teaching staff is no less real. It is difficult to see how we ever will be able to do without the assistance rendered in clerical and other capacities by these NYA workers.

They hoped that this work will continue after the present college year expires. The present allotment ceases with the end of the second semester. No money is available for the summer term. But if the work is continued for another year, the "dust-bowl" extra allowance will in all probability not be continued. This will necessitate the cutting down of our force nearly one-half. The rules governing the selection of next year's workers will not be worked out until it is assured NYA will continue. It is safe to say that high scholarship, and good service on the part of present workers will weigh very heavily in the selections.

Last year, the grade-point average of NYA students was 18 points above the entire student average. In practically all organizations, this same higher average prevailed, and in some cases, the difference was more pronounced. Here are some cases:

• Pi Kappa Delta, NYA 2.58; entire group 2.44
• A Capella Choir, NYA 1.96; enire group 1.51
• WAA, NYA 1.70; entire group 1.29
• Little Theater, NYA 1.89; entire group 1.72
• All Students, NYA 1.46; entire group 1.28

International Relations Club

as written in 1937 by Camille Katherman

The International Relations club was organized on the campus of Northwestern in the spring of 1936 by a group of interested students, with Dr. F. K. Wadley as faculty adviser. Some twelve or fifteen students met and organized the club, electing Vernon Van Fleet, president.

In April, 1936 the club sent Annette Parker, Camille Katherman, and Dr. Wadley to the regional conference of the International Relations clubs at Denton, Texas.

Throughout the year the club gave interesting and educational programs, having both student and visiting speakers.

In the fall of 1936 the meetings were again begun. New officers were elected; Howard Harpham, president; Camille Katherman, vice president; Doreen Cates, secretary; Edward Aud, reporter; and program committee including also Amelia Yauk and Opal DeMoss. The club has worked throughout the year in organizing a speaker's bureau which will give programs in nearby towns.

In March the club sent four members accompanied by Dr. Wadley to Lubbock, Texas to attend the regional conference. Those who went were; Merle Howard, Camille Katherman, Lawrence Bransgrove, and Charles Mitchell.

The aim of the club is to further Peace by free and open discussion of major questions. The club is aided in its futherance of Peace by the support of the Carnegie Foundation at New York. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe