Duchess of Weaselskin

Bayfield, Colorado - Have you ever wondered what makes "golden ponds?" Could it be the Fall of the Golden Aspen leaves found floating on top as seen in the photo on the left at Weaselskin pond, in the San Juan mountains at the north end of Vallecito Reservoir, Southwest Colorado? You can view more of the Fall colors around Vallecito on our Google+ site or our Picasa Web Album 2011 Fall Colors of SW Colorado!

Our favorite thing to do on a gorgeous, sunny, slightly breezy Sunday afternoons in the southwest Colorado Rockies during the Fall changing of the colors is stretch out in the hammock and look to sky towards the tops of the aspen trees. Watching the leaves of the aspens spotlighted by the sunlight, being released in the breeze and drifting slowly to the ground. You can almost get hypnotized and dose off, forgetting all your worries. NW Okie did!

So what is news out in your neck of the woods? We hear Oklahoma got some much needed rain that helped green up pastures, but farm and stock ponds need much more rain. Maybe Oklahoma needs a good Indian rain dance, huh? Just joking!

NW Okie is looking for a history book of Rhea County, Tennessee to help in her ancestry search for her paternal ancestry that settled in that area. Does anyone know where we can purchase or get a copy of The History of Rhea County Tennessee?

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This Day In History (October 17)

America - On this day in history, October 17, 1931, mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in prison. Capone was found guilty of 23 counts contained in two indictments brought against by the Federal Government for income tax evasion from 1924 to 1929. He was released in 1939. Go to Article

On Oct. 17, 1918, Rita Hayworth, the legendary Hollywood beauty, was born. During World War II, her pinup pictures decorated barracks walls and ships' bulkheads wherever servicemen went, and over two decades her often tempestuous romantic life thrust her into the headlines. Haworth's father, Eduardo Cansino, was a Spanish-born dancer and her mother, the former Volga Haworth, had been a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl. They named their daughter Margarita Carmen Cansino. Following her death on May 14, 1987, her obituary appeared in The Times. Go to obituary

On This Date . . .

• 1610 - French King Louis XIII, age 9, was crowned at Reims, five months after the assassination of his father, Henry IV.
• 1777 - British forces under Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered to American troops in Saratoga, N.Y., in a turning point of the Revolutionary War.
• 1915 - Playwright Arthur Miller was born in New York City.
• 1919 - The Radio Corporation of America was created.
• 1931 - Mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
• 1933 - Physicist Albert Einstein arrived in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany.
• 1945 - Col. Juan Peron staged a coup, becoming absolute ruler of Argentina.
• 1957 - French author Albert Camus was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
• 1973 - Arab oil-producing nations announced they would cut back oil exports to Western nations and Japan; the result was a total embargo that lasted until March 1974.
• 1979 - Mother Teresa of India was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on behalf of the destitute in Calcutta.
• 2005 - "The Colbert Report" premiered on comedy Central.

NW Okie's Corner

Bayfield, CO - "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." - Unknown Author.

Steve Job said it better than I ever could try to put into words. In Jobs speech to the graduating class at Stanford University, June 2005, he said, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs, 2005.

Jobs goes on to state, "Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference." - Steve Jobs, June 2005, Stanford speech

As the quiet one I do observe and see who I can trust and have a mature, working and personal relationship. Some may take my quietness as a weakness and underestimate (perhaps misjudge is a better word) this NW Okie! That is their mistake! What they do not realize is that I do have a mind of my own!

This NW Okie knows what she wants! Has the courage to follow her own heart! Knows who she is! And does what she wants to do, where she chooses to do it! I believe in following my heart, intuition and doing what is most important.

Life is too short to waste carrying someone else's rocks. Listen to your inner voice and have the courage to follow your heart, intuition!

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Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg (Germany)

Thanks, Joel, for sending us this unbelievable detail of miniature trains, cars, boats, cities, landscapes of a Miniatur Wunderland. The image video of Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg, the largest model railway in the world and one of the most successful permanent exhibitions in Germany.

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Joseph Hurt Family Home

Chester, Oklahoma - Back in July, 2001 we ran an article showing the old homestead of the Joseph Hurt family home north and east of Chester, Oklahoma and west of the Orion cemetery a few miles. The photo on the left was sent to us by Alice Shook and Dolly Barr of the Joseph Hurt Homestead.

The picture to the right is a photo I took a back in 1999 when I was visiting the old cemetery and homestead of Joseph Hurt, NE of Chester, Oklahoma, located on the Betty Martin farm.

Joseph (listed as #9 in the photo ) is standing in the middle with the white suspenders. You can Click the photos above to view the larger versions of the photographs.

Alice's Uncle Joe was my Grandmother's (Mary Barbara Hurt Paris) father (Joseph P. Hurt). Which (I think) would make him my Great-Grandpa Joe. Joe's father is listed as #14, Grandpa John Hurt, sitting on the right side near #18, Grandma Anna Hurt.

As to the rest of the family . . . Beginning with #1, my grandmother, Mary Hurt (Paris) and going from left to right to #18:

1. Mary Hurt (Paris); 2. Mabel Kachel; 3. Carrie Holub; 4. Tillie Hurt (Hamilton); 5. Tena Holub; 6. Jim Holub; 7. Clara Hurt; 8. Albert Kachel; 9. Joe Hurt (Alice's uncle & My G-Grandpa); 10. ?; 11. Anna Holub; 12. Little John Hurt; 13. Dora Hurt (In arms); 14. Grandpa John Hurt; 15. Grandma Kachel-Hurt; 16. Henry Kachel; 17. Barbara Bukowski; 18. Grandma Anna Hurt; 19. Anna Bukowski. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Chester Oklahoma

Chester, Oklahoma - The following was taken from the last page of the "Chester Centennial 1895-1995." "The tree sketched on the back cover of the Chester Centennial 1895-1995 book symbolizes the many cottonwood trees that dominated the area around Chester. These massive trees radiated from the corners to the west, east and south.

Mr. Tom Leonard, owner of the first business, referred to the service station he operated at Cottonwood Corners. Upon moving the post office to the corners it became officially known as Chester. The widening of the right-of-way for Highway 60 spelled doom for most of these trees, as the state removed, stacked and burned them.

The sketch of the farmer with a Tailholt represents the other nickname of Chester. The story is that the Woods Brothers, who operated the second business in present day Chester, were asked by Mr. George Floyd, a local farmer, how business was.

The reply was, "We are still here."

To which Mr. Floyd replied, "You boys have just got a tail holt and you'll never last."

A man who was doing some painting on the service station they operated overheard the remark and proceeded to write the work Tailholt above the door of the station and also on the tailgate of an old pickup the brothers owned.

Today the nicknames "Cottonwood Corners" and "Tailholt" are almost as well known as the legal name of a busy little corner called "Chester." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Highland School District No. 83

Woods County, Oklahoma - Thanks to Scot for sharing this excerpt of the Woods county Genealogists, Vol. VI, Numbers I and II concerning the 1st school in Woods County, Oklahoma.

The first school in our district (Highland No. 83) was a "subscription school." In 1901 they had a sort of "get-together" and agreed that Bill Steele, Ike Smith, and W.H. Nicholson would act as a temporary school board; drew up a petition and asked for donations.

Each gave all they possible could and a total of 96 dollars toward a building was collected. That wasn't quite enough for a building but W. H. Olmstead, lumber, dry goods, hardware, groceries, etc. dealer, feeling generous toward a good cause, donated eight dollars making a total of 102 dollars which paid for enough rough lumber to make a school house 16x18 feet of 1x12 inch boards up and down with lath nailed over the cracks. This lumber was hauled out in one load by W.H. Nicholson. It was put up by people in the district.

The land for the school grounds was leased from A. W. Manning for school purposes for 50 years for one dollar. The lease expired in 1951. Each parent furnished desks for their children. Ike Smith made desks for his two children, and the five Payne children in return for which Millard Payne bought the lumber to make them.

There was no blackboard -- slates were used for written work. Very few of the books were alike -- some coming from Kansas and other from Missouri. The teacher let each child recite in whatever book he had. No new books were purchased except for the beginners.

Each family brought their own drinking water and their share of firewood or coal. One man didn't like to chop wood so he dragged trees up to the school yard and the older boys cut it up at intermission.

Mrs. Jessie Grant taught this first school which lasted 3 months. She was paid at the rate of about a dollar a day -- all donations with Millard Payne, Ike Smith, and John Wilson paying for 1 month. Mr. Manning always helped when asked and Jack Evans gave five dollars even though they had no children. Every one seemed to give freely when they possibly could.

Mrs. Grant lived several miles south of the school house and came in a one horse cart, bringing one child of her own to school with her. By the time this 3 month school was over they were eligible for territory money so the board members made a trip to Alva and got 30 dollars, enough for one more month of school, which made 4 months of school for the year 1901. View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

W. E. Eutsler Grocery (Alva, OK)

Alva, Oklahoma - This is a trade token from Alva, Oklahoma that made it's way onto Ebay Sept. 3, 2001. The bid went for $11.35 on September 3, 2001.

The tokens from the W.E. Eutsler Groceries was good for $1.00 in trade during the war years in the '30s & '40s. The token is the large version square made of aluminum and measures 35mm in diameter. Since it was made of aluminum, we assume it was used during the WWII era when copper was reserved for the government and the war effort. You can Click on the photos to see a larger view of each of the tokens.

History of Eutsler Grocery . . . Instead of bidding on the token, I got out my "Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County" history book to see what I could find out about the Eutsler Grocery.

I also asked an Alva Friend if he remembered W. E. Eutsler's Grocery. He told me that he remembers when it was on the east side of the square in downtown Alva. His dad used to deliver cream to the Eutsler store and other grocery stores in the area.

The east side of the square in downtown Alva now has the Old Runnymede Hotel on the north end of the corner with the Professional building next door to the south and the Farmers Co-op on the southend of the corner.

Eutsler Grocery also had a grocery store in Dacoma with the company store located in Alva.

We flip through the Pioneer Footprints book and found under Walter T. Eason a story written by Walter T. Eason, Jr. This excerpt was taken from Eason's memories of the earlier stores in Alva, ". . . . . Some of the early stores I remember were the Lee Wagner grocery, Eutsler grocery, The Tea Store, Sears Bootery, Meixner bakery, Howard grocery, Sonderup Livery Stable, Crowell Lumber & Coal Yard, Shafers Leather Shop, Reeds Poultry & Cream. . . . ."

In March, 1904... Jacob Jay Glaser boarded a train for Alva. When he arrived he stopped at the first barber shop he came to and asked for a job. Guess who that proprietor was. Yep! It was W. E. Eutsler! To make a long story short, Eutsler hired Glaser on the spot and a friendship followed. Glaser worked for Eutsler until he saved enough money to open his own shop. Glaser's shop was on the NW corner of the square in the basement of the Green Building. Glaser closed his shop October, 1906 before statehood.

Eutsler's is mentioned again in the Spring of 1928, Ed Hazard and his wife (Mildred) moved back to Alva and Ed went to work for W. E. Eutsler in his grocery store on the north side of the square until 1932.

The Red Tag Food Market was established by Ed Hazard, Sr. and Fred Cox, Sr., in the 400 block on the northside of the square and operated until 1939.

Sometime after that, Ed went to work for W. E. Eutsler again in Eutsler's grocery on the east side of the square until Eutsler sold out. I am not sure of the date that Eutsler sold out. If anyone out there has a memory jog and can fill in some of these little tidbits, please feel free to Email NW Okie or leave a comment below.

After Ed Hazard left Eutsler's grocery, Ed went to work for Shalloup Packing Co. and worked there until he went into business for himself at 720 Oklahoma Blvd, in September, 1952 (what was known as "Ed's Mart."), retiring in 1973. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

History of the Post Office

America - According to the "Chester (Oklahoma) Centennial 1895-1995" compiled in April 1995, the beginning of the current postal system started on the East Coast in the late 1600's. It was another fifty (50) years before postal service reached the South.

The communication service in those times was poor and very costly. In the early 1800's a letter from Maine to Georgia took 20 days in transit. Postal rates were graded according to distance.

From what I am reading, it cost 8-cents to send a letter of one sheet within a distance of 30 miles. As the roads improved, so did the postal service. By 1845 the postal rates were cut to 5-cents per half-ounce to send a letter 3,000 miles. This was also when the 3-cent postage stamp was authorized.

Back then the mail was being carried by stagecoach, railroads, boats or personal carriers. The Pony Express was organized to speed deliveries, but about this same time, the telegraph system was rapidly growing. The Pony Express did make its fastest run in 1861, when it carried Lincoln's first Inaugural Address from Nebraska to the end of the western telegraph line in Nevada in 7 days-17 hours. The telegraph grew so fast that it put the Pony Express into bankruptcy.

In 1896, the Rural Free Deliver (RFD) was made available on an experimental basis as the postal service kept pace with the growing needs of the country and new transportations were developed.

The post office began to handle the delivery of packages through Parcel Post in 1913. By 1918 airmail service was started. View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe