Okie's NW Corner

What does Tegarden, Hill Top, Cora and Fairvalley have in common? They are all ghost towns in NW Oklahoma, in our neck of the Woods County and west of Alva on Hwy 64. One of our readers brought these memories to mind. Tegarden was across the road from Whitehorse.

We were wondering if anyone else out there had any memories of Tegarden, Hill Top Gas & Grocery, Cora and Fairvalley. Check out our Mailbag Corner for someone elses memories of living near Teagarden and being the youngest, last citizen of Fairvalley.

We can remember many times heading west out of Alva on Hwy 64 towards the ranch north of Waynoka -- about 11 miles or so west of Alva you climb this steep hill. Yes! You would get to the top of the hill -- there would set Hill Top Gas & Grocery Store until it burned in the early 1960s. We also remember watching firework displays from that hill top lookout at night. There was also a two-story house next door the to store. I think the lady's first name of Goldie, but those memories are vague. How's some of your northwest Okie memories?

Remembering 35 years ago - 20 July 1969...

Here is another "Where, What were you doing 35 years ago when America and Neil Armstrong and others made "One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind" with his footprint, landing on the moon with the crew of Apollo 11.

This NW Oakie's memories take her back to the age of 21 years -- attending summer school at Northwestern State College -- also, preparing for her wedding on 30 July 1969. We were over in Enid at a friends house to deliver a bridesmaid dress. We watched the first steps on the moon with our Enid friends. Do you remember what, where you were 16 July & 20 July 1969?

Duchess' Soapbox...

We have been on the move allot lately. From Oklahoma, Colorado, Oklahoma again, Texas and back to Colorado for a few days. This Pug just sits and waits by the pickup door for hints of our next journey. Last weekend we were down in the hot, dry climate of Odessa, Texas visiting family. It's too hot for this mountain Pug in Texas this time of year. This mountain dog likes the coolness of the rockies the best. It lifts the spirits and sure is a heck of allot easier breathing. This weekend we are rising early and heading back towards our NW Corner of Oklahoma. We hear that an arctic cool front is suppose to meet up with some southern moisture and drop rain, temps down in the 80s. A BIG Woof from this Pug for cool Okie miracles. We did still have green grass when we left the NW corner.

Before we head out of here... don't forget to check out the photo & coupon/pass/ticket of Enid, Oklahoma's last streetcar ride of 1929. Karel's grandfather, Glenn Calvin MOREFIELD, was a street car conductor in Enid, Oklahoma from 1922 until the demise of the street cars on August 31, 1929.

It is getting close to Rodeo season in NW Oklahoma. Seiling, Woodward, Waynoka and don't forget Freedom's Biggest Open Rodeo and Old Cowhand Reunion in August.

Apollo 11 - Moon Landing...

The first human journey to the surface of the Moon began at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida with the liftoff of Apollo 11 on a Saturn V booster at 9:32 a.m. EDT (13:32 UT) on a clear sunny Wednesday, 16 July 1969. At 10:56 p.m. EDT on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon.
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My Dear Miss Duchess Rose...

"My human finally got the idea clearly that I would very much like you to have a picture of me.  I enjoy your newsletter so much.  Could you send me your snail-mail address so that my human might be able to send you my picture?  I have enjoyed yours so much. Your kindness." -- Bennie
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Samuel P. Magill...

"I am the GGG-Granddaughter of Samuel P. Magill and have Robert Magill's family documented through Robert's daughter Mary E. She was the mother of my grandfather. I have a lot of pictures of Mary and her family as well as Robert and Isabella. If you'd like to swap notes, let me know." -- Email: shoff@tampabay.rr.com View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Magill Family in Maryland...

"I am currently researching my Magill ancestry in Maryland. Elizabeth D. Magill born ca. 1857, married Marcellus Alexander Gatton. She was the daughter of Matthew Magill and Jane E. Jones. Matthew was the son of Charles A. Magill and Rebecca Jarboe. Anyone else connect with this line?" -- Cheryl Baez - Email: GenealogyGirl@comcast.net View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

News Release - Dedication Ceremony of Fire Interpretive Signs...

"Dedication Ceremony to be Held -- The public is invited to a dedication ceremony on July 29 at 11 AM for three interpretive signs commemorating the Missionary Ridge and Valley Fires of 2002. The ceremony will be held at the La Plata County Fairgrounds in Durango. Beth Warren, Executive Director of KSUT, will MC the event, which will include local, state, and federal officials. The signs will be placed in the new rock wall between the La Plata County Fairgrounds and the new ball fields south of the Durango Recreation Center. Titled -- Summer of Flames -- Community of Heroes -- Seasons of Healing. The signs describe conditions leading up to the fire, the response of the community, and the regrowth of the forest, respectively. The signs are a cooperative effort of the Society of American Foresters, San Juan Public Lands Center, Colorado State Forest Service, La Plata County, and local fire departments. For more information call Kent Grant at 970-247-5250." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Picasa Software Now Freeware...

"I was sent this and looked at the website.  Looks good for Windows computers (ONLY).  Not Mac compatible... so I'm not able to use it, but thought you might be interested or know someone that would be. They used to sell this program, but now it's free! If you have digital images, you should try out Picasa. Picasa allows you to edit, organize and share photos. It scans your computer for all of your digital images. Add keywords to each picture to help organize them. Edit your pictures by cropping, removing red-eye and enhancing the color and contrast. You can print or e-mail directly from the program. This program was recently bought by Google and is now free for the taking! TO VISIT THIS SITE, GO HERE -- http://www.picasa.com/google/."
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Tegarden, Hill Top, Cora & Fairvalley...

Fairvalley... " Just had to drop this line to say that I was the youngest person of the last family to leave Fair Valley. My Parents were Donald J and Wilma (nee Benson) Terrill. My Father and his Twin sister Donna Mae Terrill were born in the ghost town of Teagarden in the Old gas station.

I Stumbled upon your site by accident through the Okielegacy web site -- noticed that Teagarden is not listed in your ghost towns of Oklahoma. I am not sure what the original population of Teagarden, Oklahoma was, but at last known count it was 2. Teagarden, Oklahoma was located between Alva and Camp Houston on US Highway 64. More precisely it was located between Cora and Camp Houston. Cora also being another Oklahoma Ghost Town.

Here is what I know about Teagarden... In the 1950's and 1960's a General Store and Post Office run by a lady named Ma Beck. Ma of course was not her real name but what all had called her for as long as I can remember. Her store sat on the south side of US 64 at Teagarden. On the North side of the road was an auto repair and gas station, with the people who owned it living in the back and overhead of the gas station. I don't recall who ran the gas station. Most of the Teagarden residents lived in the rural area within 3 to 5 miles of the actual town. Teagarden still shows up on the map but has not been a town since the earlier 1960's. See Map of Tegarden location. You will also find that Fairvalley, Lookout, Edith, Cora, and Plainview are also ghost towns. Most time when we stopped in I sat on the counter and stared into those big jars of candy trying to decide on a black licorice whip or a jaw breaker for my treat of the day.

My Father will be 70 years-old August 1, 2004. He and his twin sister were born in 1934, delivered by the owner's wife, who was a midwife, in the back of that gas station. My Fathers family lived at a town called Fairy which is also another ghost town located almost straight north and a bit east of Teagarden.

What I remember most as a child was Ma Beck's store. She always had those big apothecary jars full of penny candy sitting on the counter, and she lived upstairs over the store. Out back she had a barn and some chickens and a few milk cows. When I was around five or six we stoped in during lunch, and if you came to Ma Beck's over lunch you ate upstairs with her!

She had an old trunk that sat in her small living room, that I was admiring, and she told me that when she died I would get that trunk since I loved it so much. She told me that the trunk came with her family in the Great Run to Oklahoma. When I was 13 years old (around 1968) my Dad came home one day with the trunk in tow and said Ma Beck was buried today, but she left you an inheritance, this trunk. I am now 49 years old and still have Ma Beck's Family Trunk.

Don't know if you are interested in Teagarden as a ghost town or not, but some of the people who lived near there (I only remember last names) were the Urban's, Gaskill's, Terrill's. The last people to live at Teagarden have the last name of McDonald.

My parents were some of the last people who lived at Fairvalley. Cora had a Church and one house with the Pastor being named Mr. Snow. Three miles east of Cora was a place called Hill Top Gas and Grocery. It burned to the ground sometime in the earlier 1960s, as the result of a lightening strike. I can only recall the lady's name not her husband that owned it. Her name was Goldie. They had a two story house next to it which burned in the same fire as the gas station. The next nearest people to that were both 1/2 to 3/4 miles west of Hill Top and named McMurphy. The McMurphy who lived a half mile away lost their house the next year to a lightening strike.

I went further and looked at Fair Valley. I was born in 1955 at Camp Stewart, Liberty County, Hinesville, Georgia, Army Base and was around 2 years of age when my folks left Fair Valley. Wilma Terrill is my Mother. So It was actually after February 4, 1956 when they were the last to leave Fairvalley." -- Carol (Terrill) Murry View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Early Enid Street Car Coupon Book...

"You might or might not be interested in this -- a cousin of mine sent me a BUNCH of WONDERFUL family memorabilia (for my MOREFIELD - BRANSON lines).  One of the goodies she sent to me was a street car coupon book with many coupons in it (like tickets or passes).  My grandfather, Glenn Calvin MOREFIELD, was a street car conductor in Enid, Oklahoma from 1922 until the demise of the street cars on August 31, 1929. I already had a picture (not a good one but...) of my grandfather in the street car on his very last day of his route as a street car conductor and put a copy of the front and back of the coupon/pass/ticket together and thought I would attach it to this email.  The day after they discontinued the street car, he drove the newest form of transportation (a bus) to Oklahoma City to bring back buses for Enid's new mass transportation method.  My grandfather had various routes (usually to Oklahoma City and back with stops along the way) and also long distance driving for church and civic groups.  I just thought it was neat.  You can also read a bit more about the street cars and the various forms of mass transportation in the Garfield County History books I sent to you (on pages 824 & 825).  Enjoy." --  Karel
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Kemper Military Alumni...

"My name is Raymond Kendeigh. I attended Kemper Military in 1977-80. Since then our school has been forced to close it's doors. The Alumni group has started a newsletter, and will be starting a Web Site. I was wondering if I could have permission to copy the list of names of WWII Alumni, and also the photo's for future use on the KMS website. Since the closing of our school, and the auctioning off of items, access to photographs and information is limited. Thank you for your time, and any help would be appreciated. I have attached a copy of our latest newsletter. It's not much but we are just getting started " -- Ray Kendeigh, KMS 77-80 View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

BBC - Science & Nature - Space - Apollo 11...

BBC - Science & Nature - Space - Apollo 11... 'The Eagle has landed' -- Four days after take off, Armstrong made a perfect landing, in the Mare Tranquillitatis region of the Moon. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Important Dates in Space Travel...

Important Dates in Space Travel... NASA was established in 1958. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

NASA - Apollo 11 at 35...

NASA - Apollo 11 at 35... Apollo 11 at 35: Celebrating the Past with a Vision for the Future. NASA Home page. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe