Only Memories Remain Amongst the Rubble...

Only memories remain of this northwest Oklahoma womens dorm (Oklahoma Hall) that once graced the northwest corner of 8th & Oklahoma Blvd. on Northwestern Oklahoma State University (a.k.a. NSN, NSTC, NSC, NWOSU). When you drive by this corner on the highway, no more will you be able to notice the entrance drive being used for community car washes held under the arched drive through. Nor dates picking up and bringing women back to their dorms. Those were the old days we will always remember in the back of our minds.

We shall also have the memories of having end of school picnics on the tennis courts that graced that corner before the dormitory made its appearance. AND... of course the tennis games played on the courts that once resided there. For more pictures of NWOSU's demolition of Oklahoma Hall you can checkout our NW OkieLegacy Webshots - Oklahoma Hall Demolition.
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Cisterns, Header Barges & Other Memories...

Remember the "Berdie Smelker" sod/dugout photo last weekend? Did you happen to notice the above ground cistern and the wooden gutter that angled down from the back corner of the soddie's roof to the wooden barrel setting at the front corner gathering rain water? Charles Cook submitted that old photo some time back to the Waynoka Historical Society.

Last week I was corrected concerning where we hauled our water from to our ranch north of Waynoka on Highway 14! The cistern water at our ranch 10-miles north of Waynoka came from Waynoka instead of Alva (Oklahoma). It was hauled on the back of a flat bed truck in a tank that leaked so much that it looked as if a road washer was headed up highway 14. And... the cistern water smelled and tasted like cistern water, nothing else like it. I am told that one of the best things that happened to that part of the country was the rural water program.

Let us take a look back to the harvesting and threshing machines of 1914. Back in 1914 harvesting & threshing were two different things. Harvesting consisted of using horses hitched to the back of a cutter and pushing it in the field to cut the wheat.

The header barges consisted of REAL horsepower where two, three or more horses were hitched behind the header barges and then the horses pushed them along the field to cut and create the wheat stacks for the threshing crews. Leaving bulk wheat stacked in the field. When the threshing crew came along later, the bulk wheat stacks were pitched onto the feeder auger to the threshing machine and the straws were exhausted out the long tube to create the famous hay stacks where the cattle kept warm in the winter.

AS to hauling the bushels of wheat to market in 1914... Imagine yourself spending a full day hauling wheat to the grain elevators in town (or wherever) with the help of a horse and wagon only. Not a big semi-truck they use today. AND... only being able to haul 30 bushels at a time. Then... imagine getting 85-cents a bushel. Nowadays, the wheat farmers are lucky if they get over $3.00+ per bushel (net) after paying off their bankers, creditors, and custom harvesters. Those were the days that neighboring farmers and families came together -- helping each other get their harvesting done while the others gathered to feed the harvesting & threshing crews and their animals. Sometimes and mostly to just help out a friend and neighbor. BUT... there were those who were in it for a buck.

If you have not already notice, we are going to try something new here with The OkieLegacy. We want to start featuring individuals family legacies, photos and memories in the main story section -- give them their on by-line. During the beginning of the week we may be sending out little hints to jog your memories -- looking for suggestions from our readers to "Learn & Preserve" our heritage. We want to encourage everyone out there to keep some sort of journal of their family histories for the next generation coming along.

To begin with... let us search, jog your memories for stories of hog butchering time on the farm, milking cows, churning butter, harvesting, threshing, cook shacks, farmers helping farmers unconditionally, etc.
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Farry, Oklahoma - Walker Harvest 1914...

by - Gilvin Walker, Harper,Kansas

People who have heard of headers and header barges may view them in these photos. Harvesting wheat and threshing wheat were two different operations.

In the first photo (on the right) you can see a header and two barges. The header was a horsepowered cycle with the horses in the back pushing and the wheat was cut and augured up onto the barge which had one high sided to act as a buffer to keep the straw from going off the other side. When the barge was full they transported it to a central location and unloaded as you can see in the other pictures. 1914harvesting-JOWalkerfarm-FarryOK.jpg - 1914JOWalker-haystacks.jpg - 1914threshingcrew-JOWalker.jpg - 1914JOWalkerfarm-farryOK.jpg

When the threshing crew came at a later date, the machine was parked by the stacks and the steamer was belted up. The bulk wheat was then pitched onto the feeder auger going to the threshing machine and the straw was exhausted out a long tube --- henceforth, the famous straw stacks.

This particular harvest was on the J.O. Walker farm near Farry, Oklahoma in 1914. The men on the 2 barges and header were, Elvin 'Bub' James on the straw stack, Edd James on the header, J.O. Walker and Marion Walker on the right header barge and Cass Mapes and Ren DeGeer on the left header barge.

The following winter J.O. hauled his wheat to Alva, 30 bushel at a time in his wagon and sold it for .85-cents a bushel. It was a full days trip. View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

NWOSU's Oklahoma Hall Demolition...

As of 5:15 PM today (February 10, 2006, Friday), when I left Alva, the portion of Oklahoma Hall that parallels Oklahoma Blvd., NWOSU NW campus, (I call it the 'north wing') is no longer standing - these photos were taken about 9:15 a.m. this morning. The only part still standing is the 'west wing' that parallels 8th Street... and the crew was still working.

I have also attached a photo of the old McKeever School building that sits adjacent to the old dorm site and just north of the northern entrance to Education Center (or Old Horace Mann School & Jr. High).

The school (McKeever) is the one that Dr. Milt Lehr and Mrs. Lehr worked on for so long and organized the effort to have it moved to the NWOSU campus. It was originally located about 6 miles or so west of Alva.

If you can use any of these, feel free to do so - if not, that's OK, too. I suspect that after this weekend, Oklahoma Hall will be just a memory!

#1 - from street-level on Oklahoma Blvd (actually across the street north of the dorm);
#2 - from the sidewalk on the south side of the dorm, this section is all that currently remains of the dorm;
#3 - from the 3rd floor window of Fine Arts, showing the 'gap' on the right where the center wing and the front lobby area were located; the dumpster and tractor are in the general area where the center wing stood; the 'west wing' is on the left side of this photo (looking slightly northwest);
#4 - from a 3rd floor window of Fine Arts, showing the now-gone 'north wing', with KFC's sign visible in the background; looking northwest. You can see the bell tower and most of the roof of the Catholic church... and in the same vicinity you can see the old and new gymnasiums at Alva High School. The cemetery is in the far background; (Click on photo to left)
And - McKeever School, taken from the north steps of the Education Center (looking north)." -- Rod Murrow View/Write Comments (count 4)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Green Valley School - December 22, 1896...

"I have salvaged the original photo, which is on a heavy cardboard back and is split down the center and is in two separate pieces - and the overall condition of the photo is quite poor. But for the time being, I'm happy with the end-result and am excited that I can now identify every person in the photo AND those students who were absent from school the day the photo was taken, December 22, 1896. The original photograph belongs to Alberta Bliss, who has loaned me a number of Riggs family photographs down through the years.

This is the ORIGINAL Green Valley School House (a 'soddie') and Dolly Riggs was the teacher. Dolly, known in our family as 'Aunt Doll', was a sister of Charles Clarence Riggs, who homesteaded the Riggs 'home place' near Green Valley where the Riggs family lived (Alberta Bliss lives there now). He and his wife, Sarah Catherine 'Sade' Riggs (nee Proffitt) came to Oklahoma from Kansas. Their children, all sons, included six who survived to adulthood - Dalton Wallace, Arles Percy, Vibert Ross, Bertsell Chester, Dennis Thomas, and Samual Sherman. Many of the folks in the Alva area will remember Sam Riggs - husband of Oneita - who owned the Sam Riggs Supply Company for many years. Charles and Sarah Riggs are my great-grandparents ~ their son Bertsell is my grandfather ~ their son Sam is my step-father (he married my grandmother a few years after his brother died).

Here are the names (left to right):
FRONT: Guy Irons (age 9), Vibert Riggs (age 8), Frank Irons (age 7), Lillie Bruce (age 9), Nellie Murrow (age 6), Mable Keffer (age 5), Seth Keffer (age 7), Roy Jeffries (age 9), Claude Jeffries (age 7), Dean Murrow (age 8);

MIDDLE: Joe Clement (age 13), Jim Irons (age 15), Fannie Bruce (age 14), Dolly Riggs (teacher), Curt Clement (age 15), Albert Bruce (age 18), Henry Bruce (age 7), Jesse Keffer (age 9), Tom Irons (age 11);

REAR: Julett Cook (age 9), Bertha Clement (age 11), Iantha Potts (age 11), Pearl Bruce (age 13), Mary Jeffries (age 12), Guy Jeffries (age 14), Ernest Veley (age 13), Emmit Veley (age 11), Arles Riggs (age 13);

NOT PICTURED: Frank Bruce (age 5), Richard Bruce (age 10), Fannie Cook (age 12), Earl Keffer (age 5), Dalton Riggs (age 15), Harry Irons (age 9), Wilbur Veley (age 17)." -- Rod Murrow View/Write Comments (count 2)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Berdie Smelker Sod Dugout...

"Linda, after reading Charles Cook's description of an above-ground cistern, and looking at the Berdie Smelker photograph, I saw the water collection system on the Smelker house. Very interesting." -- Sandie Olson

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Feeding Harvesters & Threshing Crews Story...

"I have a story about threshing and the food preparation and the feeding of the animals and people. My wife's uncle and his neighbors would all share in the threshing and harvesting of wheat or other crops. At each place the "host" would feed the horses as part of the deal, except at this uncle's place. He charged the owners of the animals for the feed that was fed to the horses. In addition, his wife had hired help, a young girl from just up the road a piece. When the meal was prepared and the table set, she was sent home for her meal and was to return afterwards to help clean up and prepare the next meal. The locals would tell you that the was just 'tight' and that that was the way he was able to make a dime, etc. I do not really know why. It is curious to me, also. He is long dead now." -- James View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Thanks for Sharing Memories of Old Days...

"Dear Linda: I must tell you that you have always kept me entertained and educated about the many things of the old days. I thank you for all the interesting material you share with me. This week you told me about the cisterns and the early days when there were no modern conveniences and It brought many memories back to me. Thanks for sharing this information with me. I am now at the threshold of becoming 85 yrs of age. and therefore much of this material is found in my past also. Bless you." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1938 Prague - Europe...

"Robert McGill died the same year (1954)that I went into the navy to serve on the U.S.S. IOWA BB-61. My wife and I are going to Prague this July and then take a ride on the river to the Black Sea. Bob's account of being in Prague was interesting." -- Rafael A. de Echeandia Email: rafael282_@hotmail.com

[Editor's Note: SEE Uncle Bob's 1938 Prague Trip] View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Descendant of T.J. Dyer Clan...

"I enjoyed your site. I am a descendent of the TJ Dyer clan through my grandmother, Clarine Sneary. I loved to hear her stories as I was growing up in Alva. Keep up the good work!" -- Karen Sneary - Email: ksneary@sbcglobal.net

[Editor's Note: SEE Tom J. Dyer's writings] View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

NWOSU's - University News Releases 2005-2006...

Want to know what is going on at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, in Alva, Oklahoma? Checkout their News Releases online. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Obituary - Wanda Jean (Jeanie) Leamon...

Wanda Jean (Jeanie) Leamon, 75, daughter of the late John William and Violet Grace (Newman) Whittet, was born March 10, 1930, at Dacoma, Oklahoma, and passed away February 7, 2006, at Alva, Oklahoma. After Jeanie graduated from Dacoma High School with the Class of 1948, she attended Enid Beauty College. On September 3, 1948, she was united in marriage to Wayne A. Leamon at Dacoma, Oklahoma, where they made their home. Jeanie worked for a short time at the ASCS office, Central National Bank, and Merle Norman in Alva. Jeanie was a member of the Dacoma United Methodist Church where she served as the choir director for many years. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Maybel Reynolds; and two brothers, Charles (Bud) Whittet and Billy Wayne Whittet. Jeanie is survived by her husband Wayne, of Dacoma; three daughters, Connie Mitchel and her husband, Mike, of Alva, Cathy Hickman and her husband, Steve, of Cherokee, and Christa Hughes and her husband, Dean, of Carmen; seven grandchildren, Representative Jeffrey Hickman of Dacoma, Jeremy Hickman of Enid, Mikela Jean Mitchel of Norman, Jay Mitchel of Edmond, Jared Mitchel of Edmond, Andrea Jean Hughes of Oklahoma City, and Aaron Hughes of Grove; two sisters-in-law, Floy Whittet of Dacoma, and Velma Whittet of Alva; other relatives and many friends. Read/Leave Condolescences at Marshall Funeral Home website View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Loved Historical Accounts of Cisterns...

"I really loved the historical accounts of cisterns by some of your readers. Being raised a city boy, I know there is on way on earth I could drink water from a cistern. I was talking to a lady from Arkansas about a month ago. She said they have a water well, and some time back it got to tasting really bad. So she called the 'water well man'. He pulled the submersible pump, and cleaned it, than dropped it back into the well. The water was fine after that. But he told her if it gets to doing it again, just pour a gallon of Clorox down the well, let it set a few hours, then let it pump out until the water is clean again. The Clorox will clean the well pump of the bad tasting residue that collects around the pump." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe