Oakie & Duchess' SW Corner

St. Nick Came Early This Week!... A week or so before Christmas and all through the land, especially in NW Oklahoma, St. Nick made his appearance early Friday morning, December 17th, 2004 -- bringing first time motherhood to a three-year-old mare named Cassie.

Yep! Last week we mentioned that our 3-year-old mare (Cassie) was expecting her first offspring sometime around the first weeks of December. Well! The glorious moment happened early Friday morning in Clark's wheat field in NW Oklahoma. AND... here we are 700 miles or so and can't lay our hands on St. Nick or Cassie. We understand that Cassie's mother, Grandma Cindy was nearby helping stand guard to kept strangers away while Cassie gave birth to our new little horse colt St. Nick.

BUT... the horse expert, Bud Clark (a.k.a. Oakie's horse whisperer), was allowed to stroke the newborn colt. We haven't seen it for ourselves yet, but we are told it has the coloring of a bay. We were thinking back to when Cassie was born. Her coloring was that of a bay or chestnut coloring... as she grew older her coloring changed to the blue roan she is now.

Next week, hopefully, we shall have some photos to share with Y'all! We have found it fascinating how the related horse family members stick together and watch each others backs, protecting each other. As you can tell... this new little horse colt already has a name... St. Nick -- Nikki! His daddy goes by the "barn" name of Hustler.

1938 - Ranger Album & Noah's Ark #2... Remember back a couple of issues when we were asking about Noah's Ark #1? After reading through the 1938 Ranger yearbook, we found a photo showing the inside view of the Ark -- an article written by Ross Strader:

Noah Built The First One.

So... our reader in last weeks newsletter was correct in suggesting who/what was the first Noah's Ark.

As to Noah's Ark #2, this is just a few paragraphs that describes this Northwestern College hangout in 1938 ... "to the masses, that upper ninety some per cent, the Ark is a place where you go to see who's there, and where whoever's there is there to see who's there, who's there to --- It's a place with a swell manager and operated by a swell bunch of students. A place that will always remain in the memory of every Northwestern student. A place of color, and of friends. So clinking your coke glass with mine, Here's to the Ark."

Speaking of College hangouts, do you remember where you and your college buddies gathered for relaxing -- to see who's there and where whoever's there is there to see who's there, who's there too -- to get away from the studies, books and be with friends?

1938 Ranger Album... As you can probably tell we have started scanning the 1938 Ranger Album that Fronia sent us. We have all the faculty, student classes scanned and placed into a pdf file for viewing. We have yet to scan the Activities, Organizations, NW High School, etc... to add to it. Give us at least a couple of weeks to completely finish scanning the 1938 Ranger album and merging it into the pdf file. There are some great pictures of Northwestern State Teachers College in the 1938 yearbook, such as... Old Castle on the Hill - Burned Castle Shell - NSTC Entrance Gate - Herod Hall - Horacemann - Jesse Dunn Hall (that replaced the Old Castle on the Hill after the fire in 1935) - Jesse Dunn North Entrance - Jesse Dunn Hall & Lincoln statue - Science Hall. We believe the original owner of this particular year (1938) Ranger yearbook belonged to Veda Berry Eggleston (senior class - 1938), because of the handwritten inscriptions written on the inside pages.

Besides the 1938 Ranger - pdf file... we have also combined the 1926 Ranger & 1937 Ranger into pdf files for viewing over at our Prairie Pioneer News - Old Albums. They are large files. So... If you do NOT have a high-speed connection and/or are having trouble downloading them, send Linda an at Email at - paristimes@earthlink.net - include your snail-mail address -- we will burn you a CD for each of the Ranger albums you desire. It is our Gift to Y'all for letting us come into your email box and share some of our Okie Legacies over the past six years.

The Old Cave in NW Oklahoma?... When you get down to the Mailbag Corner, checkout the photo of the cave. We think it is Alabaster Cave near Freedom, Oklahoma. We understand that in the old days the pioneers that visited the cave would write their names on the wall. Is this the opening of the cave at Alabaster Caverns? Click the small image to view the larger picture.

Charlie in Louisiana sent us a photo copy of some treasures he found in a humpback chest that was handed down from his gg-grandparents Barnett that lived near Waynoka. The treasures he found are a 4-inch round metal plate & Fairy Soap Advertisement card. Have you browsed through your old chest, trunks, attics, basements to see what treasures there are in your home? We would love to share them in our Okie Legacy Ezine from time to time!

Next weekend is Christmas, December 25th, Saturday. So that we don't interrupt your Christmas holidays and ours... we may send out next weeks newsletter on Friday or Sunday of next weekend instead of on Christmas day. It will more likely be Sunday evening. Before we head out of here this weekend, we would like to share a few lines from a poem entitled - The Castle On the Hill - written by Thelma Meyers for the 1938 Ranger Album (pg. 2, 1938 Ranger yearbook). Does anyone out there have any information of who this Thelma Meyers was/is? Thanks! We donate & honor our troops abroad with these few lines of the poem and for Peace On Earth..

So -- then stand ye sons and daughters of Old Northwestern!
Take off your hats to the men upon the field!
They will fight tonight for Old Northwestern
And for the honor of the Castle on the Hill!
So -- then stand all ye sons of Old Northwestern!
Paying tribute to the men who never yield.
They will win tonight for Old Northwestern.
And for the glory of the Castle on the Hill!"
--- Thelma Meyers ---

MERRY CHRISTMAS -- SEASONS GREETINGS ... To ALL! See Y'all next Sunday evening with more Okie Legacies! ~~ Linda "oaKie" & Duchess ~~ View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Hurt Genealogy - Mary Hurt Wasielewski

"I have been totally consumed today by the OkieLegacy.org page, with all the Hurt family information. Wow, what a superb job of putting all that together. Every now and then I found an email address, but didn't click on them.

I am connected, though, not a blood relative, through John James and Anna (Mrkvicka) Hurt's daughter, Mary Hurt (b. 1864). She is listed as being married to Wasielewski. This Wasielewski is my gg-grandmother's brother, John. He died in 1905 and Mary remarried in 1907 to Stanley Stephen Nutowc (later Newtoff).

Mary Hurt Wasielewski's descendants are spread from Oregon to Chicago to Farwell, Nebraska and Omaha.

She had one daughter who went to Fairview, Oklahoma about 1911. This was Sophie Wasielewski Gould. She married Earl Gould and they lived in Ponca City, Oklahoma.

I am just now catching up here and trying to find descendants of Sohpie. I know she had two sons, Albert and Stephen Thomas from her first marriage (actually Tomaskiewicz) and an adopted daughter, Gladys Gould Miller.

I have spent many years researching the Polish settlers of Nebraska. The Czechs are somewhat married into the Polish families, but perhaps less often than you might think. At least early on.

If you or anyone else in your family would be interested in the descendants of Mary Hurt Wasielewski, just let me know and I'll send a file. I have been working on it a lot, and luckily, I keep updating it nearly every day lately.

Well, I must say again how much I enjoyed the OkieLegacy website. I spent WAY too much time there yesterday. The data there filled in a lot of blanks I had in my Wasielewski research. And the Hurt family, oh there were so many with the same names and I get so confused. The website really helped me straighten it all out. Merry Christmas." -- Laura - Email: kalkowski@mindspring.com View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

http://okielegacy.org/image/Cave.jpg

Alva, Oklahoma - "Is this Alabaster Caverns? Linda Fox (email: echslfox@pldi.net) is from the Gage area. Another lady (Ruth Blackwell, email: oldlockdoc@sbcglobal.net) was going through old photos and trying to figure out who/where/what/why/when.

Ruth found one that has a group of people in front of a cave. She was wondering if anyone out there might recognize the place. Possibly the Alabaster Caverns? Ruth tried to scan the back but it just wouldn't come through at all. It has: To H Cowgill, Alva Okla, O...Brown written in very faint pencil. There's a number on there too. 87464, but no photographers name/logo. Maybe your readers can help with the identification of this photo. Thanks." -- Sandie View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Arthur W. & Arthur R. Stone

"My Great grandfather and my grandfather were both in ths 'Run'. They were Arthur W. Stone and Arthur R. Stone. We Would like to find out more about them." -- Betty Butler - Email: gbutler@chartermi.net View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Would Like To Subscribe

"I would like to subscribe to the newsletter.  My grandmother lives in Alva, Oklahoma.  My mom and dad's family has lived around Alva for many years." -- Diane View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Memories of a Childhood Growing Up in Osage County

"I was born in Tulsa, 1958. My father was Jeff Parks, born in Avant, OK (1929-2002) oldest son of Hazel and Herb Parks. Herb and Hazel Parks had 5 kids, all born in Avant. Jeff, Lee, Darlene, & J.R. were born at the old home place by the Swingin' Bridge over Bird Creek. Only the youngest, Betty Jane, was born in a hospital (b.1946).

Hazel was a Randolph born in Beaumont, KS, but moved to the Barnsdall, Avant area as a young girl and youngest child, after her father died when she was 5. She had a brother, Harry Randolph, and sister, Violet Barthell, in Avant.

nHerb Parks was the son of Jefferson Davis (JD) Parks (b.1862), St Clair County, MO. (d.1934), Osage County, OK, buried in Barnsdall. Herb also had 2 brothers that lived in Avant or Osage County area. Myrland (Buck) Parks and Ray Parks. And 3 sisters in the area. Lola (Lole) Parks m. (name?) Mila Parks Turner and Belle Parks Krewitz.

Though I lived in many states, the best of my childhood was spent on my grandparents farms in Osage County, Oklahoma. Every day was Easter. I collected eggs from the hens and yelled, 'Run, grandma, run" as the rooster flogged her while she was warning ME to be careful.

Up before dawn, headed for one of the ponds, knowing I would have a stringer of Bass and Perch by the time grandma yelled out the backdoor, 'Terry Lynn??!!!! BREAKFAST.' Eggs and buttermilk biscuits with gravy, and fresh side, (I liked mine with the rind on). Then I cleaned my fish, 'cause daddy said, 'You Fish, You Clean!' Then it was time to go look at the baby pigs. 'STAY AWAY from the SOW, she'll eat you like slop!'

If dad was there, I would go out to the silo with him and grandpa and have a little 'nip.' Our secret from granny and mom. Then it was time to saddle up my horse, Sugar, and ride the 'Oklahoma Hills Where I Was Born.' I was a girl, and an only child, But I was never lonely there. I developed my imagination riding, walking, and fishing, in this Wonderland. I could cover what seemed like miles of another world where there wasn't another house or person on the horizon 'til I came home.

I was every TV cowboy from Tom Mix, to Roy Rogers, and sometimes Tonto, because my grandma was Indian, and I was Proud, but so sad that my granny felt being an Indian was so dirty that she denounced all rights in humiliation. I would snub my mare to a tree and order Strong Milk, 99% Bourbon, and 1% Milk from an imaginary barkeep. Then head off to save my home, OKLAHOMA, from them scalpers, bank robbers, and horse thieves. I always wore the white hat and you should have seen my pearl handled six shooters, with the jeweled holsters.

There were 4 treats in Barnsdall -- one was the tiny hamburger hut that served grilled burgers with mustard, and asked, 'ketchup? We ain't got no ketchup.' Another was the oil well that main street dead ended into. Then the Tastee Freeze where I walked from the Indoor Pool; ate Frito Chile Pies; listened to 10 songs on the jukebox for a Quarter; waited to be picked up.

Then grandpa and I would pick blackberries, 'Watch for the Snakes.' Grandma would make cobbler, and pour cream over it, 'hot.' AHHHHHHHHHHH!... Just before dark I would go up to the hayloft and swing off the rope 'til grandma called me for dinner.

The old people (like me now) would play Pitch as I slept soundly with the crickets, so anxious for morning to come again. If I could bring back one person to listen to, it would be my g-uncle, Ray Parks, Avant. My dad loved him for his wonderful stories and odd wisdom, but I was too young to appreciate them. I guess that is what I am looking for with this entry. Someone to share the good old days with. Now they are my good old days, and so much has been lost with the death of my daddy.

Anyone out there with ties to this area or that might have known this family or it's stories, I would be ever so grateful if you would share them with me. So far my best ones are that my g-grandmother, Eliza Jane Allison, was married 5 times. Schneeberger, Randolph, Harman, Beckner etc. She led a hard life with the death of her first 2 husbands at a young age. Marrying again to provide for her 5 children. Being left again. Finally, in her 80's (in the 1960's) she became a womans libber by co-habitating with the final man in her life. The people of Barnsdall banded together and gave them 2 choices. GET OUT - or - Marry!

My other favorite was hearing the stories about my dad running Moonshine. Funny how many warnings rang in my ears during this recitation. BECAUSE IT WAS THE SAFEST PLACE I'VE EVER BEEN. I WISH I COULD GIVE THIS EXPERIENCE TO EVERY CHILD BORN.

I gave my kids their first six years on a farm, and am eternally grateful to God for it all. Just let 'em try to 'Tell Me Something Bad about Tulsa!' Cause I'm doing The Oklahoma Swing and passing on from my daddy that BOB WILLS is STILL THE KING!" -- Terry Parks Johnson - Emai: tjfemscor8@aol.com View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

OkieLegacy Website & POW Camp Research

"My name is Jeff and I am a student at Oklahoma State University .  I am currently working on a project for my Oklahoma Geography class in which I research the prisoner of war camps in Oklahoma .  I came across the Okielegacy website and have found the text and illustrations quite beneficial.  I am requesting to use the information and any photos in my paper and presentation and will give full academic citation and credit to the website owners as well as to any authors of the material.  Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Thank you." -- Jeff View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Is There A Little Fairy In Your House

"This metal advertising metal plate was in that little humpbacked chest that was handed down to me from my great-great Barnett grandparents who lived in the log cabin in Woods Co., Oklahoma Territory.

It is four inches in diameter. Also shown, is an advertising card presently on auction on Ebay. There are two of these plates on Ebay now, as well. Starting price on one is $20, and the other $30.

Just a little give away that never was thrown away … today's treasure. Of course, today the advertisement would certainly be considered politically incorrect.

That's history in action. Somehow, I expect someone would even be offended by the name of the soap. In those days it was a very popular product." -- Charlie Cook in Louisiana Bayou Country View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Dierks Lumber Co. & Clebit, OK

Kentucky - "I have just received a book that was written by my aunt's sister in Idabel, Oklahoma. It is called The Traveling Timber Towns. Many of my family's pictures are in the book.

It chronicles the life and times of the Dierks Lumber Co. and the town called Clebit and its many moves in the early 1900's.

My mother was from Clebit and my dad from up near Honobia. I have many fond childhood memories of going to visit Grandmother and Granddaddy in the mountains of beautiful native pines in SE Oklahoma. I don't know exactly where you can get a copy of this wonderful book of history because my cousin sent me mine. It is well worth the effort for anyone interested in the mountains of Oklahoma to hunt down this book. The ISBN is 0-9758760-0-7. Just had to share this info with you.

I noticed the picture you have on your website of the house being moved in Clebit, Oklahoma. Strange, but I own that picture, that exact picture. It was taken by by my grandparents in Oct. 1956. On the back of the original picture is written Picken Clebit moving house to Broken Bow 'Cleb' 1956.

I don't know who the people are who sent you the picture on your website. I would like to know how to contact them and find out where they got their copy. They had to have either been there, know someone who was there, or knew my grandparents. " -- Brenda in KY View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe